Starting a project
I have a project. What can Sponsume do for me?
Listing your project on Sponsume helps you:
- Get free advertising on your Sponsume Project page
- Test the appeal of your project
- Acquire the funding that will make your project happen
- Collect real orders from real customers from day one, thanks to our voucher system
- Get free feedback from experts and potential customers
- Repay your sponsors with your products - not cash
How do I start my project on Sponsume?
Uploading your project to www.Sponsume.com is easy and free. Just click here to fill in our application form, or click on Start a Project.
If you are looking for funding, you will need to provide additional information
Getting your project ready
Even the best ideas benefit from a little fine-tuning. www.Sponsume.com offers useful feedback tools to help you polish your project plan.
Hear what others have to say using Sponsume’s Community pages.
How long do I have to develop my project?
Please don’t make your sponsors wait more than 9 months before delivering the promised rewards.
When submitting your project for funding, you need to have a good understanding of what needs to be done and how long it will take to complete your project.
Projects submitted for funding should therefore be reasonably mature.
How do I decide on a reward?
You need to find the right balance between a reward that’s attractive to sponsors and one that you can afford.
Remember that each voucher is a contract between you and your sponsor. Once your project is up and running you must deliver the rewards you have promised.
The bigger the reward, the more products and services you’ll give away to your sponsors – but the more sponsors you are likely to attract...
Other treats?
Discounts on proposed products are not the only way of rewarding those who believe in you.
Charities, in particular, may wish to reward their sponsors in a different way (e.g. admission to open days, updates on the people helped by the charity, gifts, etc).
Your imagination is the limit!
What happens if I don’t get enough supporters?
Your sponsors get their money back.
Remember - if your project doesn’t attract full funding, it costs you and your existing sponsors nothing.
Does www.Sponsume.com allow part-funding?
No, project owners either get the full funding they required or nothing.
We think it's unfair to put project owners in a situation where they may have to deliver the same project with less funding than they believe necessary.
How much should I raise?
That depends entirely on how much is required to set up your project.
You should give a realistic description of the costs necessary to realise your project. The amount requested on www.Sponsume.com must be used to cover these costs.
Don't forget to factor in:
1) the cost of the rewards for your sponsors
2) potential cancellations (voucher holders cancelling their order).
To compensate for potential cancellations, we recommend your fundraising target to be around 110% of your project's total costs.
Since part-funding is not allowed, it is important for you to think about how much you really need !
Is there a minimum or a maximum for how much a project can raise?
We recommend a minimum of £200 and a maximum of £20,000.
Can the funding option be disabled?
Yes, you can list a project without seeking funding. It’s a great way of getting feedback prior to seeking funding.
Does all my funding have to come from Sponsume?
No, you may use other sources too for your project. But you must have secured these additional funds before applying for funding on Sponsume.
Are my sponsors investors in my project?
No. Buying a voucher does not constitute an investment.
Sponsume only offers a platform for retail vouchers. Sponsume does not offer any equity or loans.
Is there anything that cannot be a project?
Sponsume accepts a wide variety of projects.
However projects promoting illegal, offensive, violent, or sexually explicit activities are not permitted on this website.
Sponsume reserves the right to reject any project it deems unacceptable.
Please refer to the terms of use for more details.
Do I have to be UK-based to start a project?
Yes for now. But we hope to expand our services to other regions soon. Let us know if you want Sponsume where you live!
What documents do I need to apply for funding on Sponsume?
Remember, you can post your project on www.Sponsume.com without having to apply for sponsoring. In that case, you won’t need official documents.
However, if you are looking for funding, you will need:
- Valid ID (Passport, ID card)
- Proof of address (bill, bank statement)
- Your company or charity registration number, if you have one
- A reference from someone not related to you and not directly involved in your project.
If a project is successfully funded, how do project creators receive their money?
The money sits on our Clients Account until the project owner’s funding target is reached.
Once the target is reached, the whole amount minus a deposit of 12.5% is transferred to the project owner.
The 12.5% deposit is paid to the project owner once she/he has delivered the rewards promised to her/his sponsors
Does Sponsume take some percentage of ownership or intellectual property of projects or products made through Sponsume?
No. Sponsume is simply a platform matching projects with their public.
Do sponsors take a percentage of ownership or intellectual property of projects or products made through Sponsume?
No. Transfer of ownership or intellectual property rights is NOT allowed on Sponsume.
What does it cost me to use Sponsume?
Nothing at present. All services are totally free of charge.
Are vouchers subject to VAT?
If the project owner is VAT registered, yes. In that case UK VAT will apply to the discounted value of the coupon, not its full redemption value.
If the project owner is not VAT registered, you don’t have to worry about it.
The project owner is responsible for compliance with VAT rules.
Please note that Sponsume only offers a platform for retail vouchers. The sale of credit vouchers is not permitted on the website.