Become a Sponsor
Team Forces raises funds in order to improve the lived experience for the armed forces community through the power of sport, challenge and adventure. These activities are critical to the moral, motivation, health and wellbeing of our forces and can provide a rewarding, transformative experience while promoting equality, diversity and inclusion.
Sponsorship of Team Forces helps suppliers to demonstrate social value by visibly giving back to the forces. It provides a unique and valuable channel to raise profile and brand awareness for private sector partners. It enables a partnership with a trusted, respected and highly valued institution. Our forces are supported by organisations and individuals who share the same passion and positive values and who are proud to say they are part of Team Forces. Our sponsor groups are now a powerful and valuable network for B2B activity at our many events bringing value beyond brand exposure and corporate entertainment.
Our members have the choice to sponsor sport, challenge or adventure or make a corporate donation or attend one of the many sports events. All funds raised through the Team Forces brand are transferred to the Team Forces Foundation. The Foundation is governed by a dedicated board of trustees which includes several senior officers and industry representatives. Your investment becomes part of a fund which is used by the Trustees to make grants to a range of sports both major and minor, to cover their annual needs. The fund is also used to make grants to grassroots activity as well as groups that provide sporting opportunities for wounded and injured servicemen. The chair of the trustees is always a senior serving officer. The Patron of the charity is General Sir Peter Wall.
The scheme is endorsed by the MOD and operates in partnership with the UKAF Sports Board and each of the single service Sports Boards. We hope you will join the Team.
FAQ's
This page is a compilation of the more common questions that we have been asked by prospective sponsors.
What is Team Forces?
The Team Forces programme is operated by Team Forces Funding Ltd in collaboration with our registered charity, the Team Forces Foundation. Team Forces raises funds in order to deliver social impact across the armed forces community through the power of sport, challenge and adventure. These activities are critical to the moral, motivation, health and wellbeing of our forces and can provide a rewarding, transformative experience while promoting equality, diversity and inclusion.
What was the rationale for setting up Team Forces?
Team Forces was developed in response to a number of factors:
- To help realise the sponsorship potential in order to complement public funding; making sport accessible to all and at every level.
- The inherent inefficiencies involved in each sport making its own sponsorship deals.
- The reputational risk implicit in sponsorship arrangements that are dependent on bi lateral relationships between specific senior military personnel and Industry.
- The untapped opportunities in “showcasing” forces sport, challenge and adventure activities for fundraising purposes.
- The need to move away from the reliance on key individuals to develop enduring sponsor relationships (given the inherent staff churn in the Services).
Will all forces sports participate in the Team Forces scheme?
No. Participation is entirely voluntary.
Who is Team Forces?
Team Forces encompasses the activities of two separate legal entities, these are:
- The Team Forces Foundation – a public facing registered charity that aims to establish an enduring financial platform to help sustain our forces. It benefits from an annual donation from Team Forces Funding Limited and direct donations, making funds available to forces sport, expeditions and adventurous training through grants.
- Team Forces Funding Ltd (trading as “Team Forces” & “Team Army”) – the not for profit trading company that markets forces sport, challenge and adventure to industry.
I want to be a headline sponsor of a particular sport but note that there is an existing headline sponsor. Can I still be a major sponsor?
The reality is that it depends on the sponsorship openings at the time you come into the Team Ethos scheme. It is a match-making exercise sometimes to achieve the right blend of opportunity to fulfill your business objectives. What we can say is currently there is more capacity for sponsor opportunities that we are able to fill so get in touch and we can explore how best to meet your objectives.
Will this impact on existing sponsorship arrangements? I want to protect my existing relationships with those sports I sponsor.
No. All sports are entirely free to continue the commercial arrangements that are currently in place. Team Forces has no intention to interfere with those existing arrangement that you and your sponsored sports wish to maintain.
That said, sponsors that do choose to transfer existing contracts into the scheme will receive recognition for their level of contribution to forces sport when establishing their sponsorship level (i.e. gold, silver or bronze).
Any existing sponsorship arrangements that are transferred into to Team Forces can continue to generate the same level of income for your chosen sports.
I am a current sponsor but fall below the bronze level threshold, will I still be able to continue my sponsorship?
Yes, if you and your chosen sport(s) wish to continue your current arrangements that is entirely okay. We need to set a threshold for participating in the scheme for logistical reasons but we do not intend to turn away enthusiastic sponsors who are supporting Forces sport!
Will I be able to focus on a single sport?
Yes, it is entirely your choice, however most participants gain wider benefits from broader participation in the scheme.
Is there a risk that Team Forces could attract negative publicity for sponsors given the concerns over bribery and corruption?
The scheme is endorsed by the MOD and operates in partnership with the UKAF Sports Board and each of the single service Sports Boards to ensure continued policy compliance. It is compliant within the Joint Service Policies (JSP) on sponsorship and operates explicitly within the constraints set by the Bribery Act 2010. As such the opportunities offered through sponsorship, i.e. advertising, brand promotion, employee engagement and accreditation ensure that both forces sport and our sponsors are participating in a fully legitimate value exchange. View our countering bribery and corruption policy on the next tab.
How much of my sponsorship money will reach the sport associations?
All funds raised, less a negotiable membership fee, are donated to our charity. The fee entitles members to attend sports & social events and allows us to provide professional services such as dedicated account management, stakeholder facilitation and event management. In order to ensure equal opportunity and level up the community, trustees have directed that at least 15% of grants will benefit good causes, such as disability sport and activities.
Compliance & Assurance
The scheme is endorsed and regularly scrutinised by the MoD to ensure continued policy compliance. We provide all the necessary safeguards to ensure that both sports and sponsors comply with the increasingly regulated landscape including the 2010 UK Bribery and Corruption Act, MoD compliance and assurance, legal incorporation, charitable status and sports officials’ personal liability. We also meet the requirements of the US Foreign & Corrupt Practices Act.
Team Forces Funding Ltd (TFF) trades as Team Forces & Team Army. It acts as the trading vehicle for the charity and conducts all fundraising activities. TFF receives a small overhead to provide membership services to its clients.
Countering Bribery and Corruption Policy
Purpose and objectives
The overall purpose is to ensure that Team Forces can demonstrate that it has the ways and means of countering any risk of bribery and corruption in its core business activity being sports sponsorship and any other related business activities that are undertaken by the company.
The specific objectives for this anti-corruption Policy are to help ensure that Team Forces will:
- Carry out its business fairly, honestly and openly.
- Carry out regular and comprehensive risk assessments to assess the nature and extent of the risks relating to bribery and corruption to which Team Forces might be exposed.
- Set out its approach for avoiding any form of bribery or corruption (direct or indirect).
- Keep clear and fully updated records.
- Make sure that everyone directly involved in the business, its sponsors and Team Forces member associations are fully aware of the Countering Bribery and Corruption Policy.
- Ensure that all contracts with third parties include appropriate provisions relating to the standards required by suppliers, sponsors and their employees and other contractors.
- Monitor and review the workings of this policy and update it as necessary.
- Respond appropriately if corruption is discovered
The approach
To help ensure that Team Forces can meet the objectives of this Policy the board of directors of Team Forces (the Board) will:
- Procure a periodic assessment of the nature and extent of the bribery related risks to which the company is exposed by undertaking a biannual risk assessment – in appropriate circumstances the Board may consider engaging an external professional to carry out a particular risk assessment.
- Actively promote Board level commitment to the policy by ensuring that the Board formally signs off the quarterly risk assessment and the current version of this Policy (which may have been updated in response to the assessment).
- Ensure that all sponsors are clear on the Team Forces Countering Bribery and Corruption Policy by ensuring that it is explicitly addressed in all sponsorship contracts through a formal acceptance.
- Ensure that member sports associations are fully aware of the Team Forces Countering Bribery and Corruption Policy by ensuring that on induction into the scheme they are fully appraised of the Policy and that all those engaged in supporting any account management activities have been formally briefed.
- Ensure that all account management activity is actively addressing any bribery related risks identified in the biannual risk assessment by explicitly seeking an annual declaration of compliance from all those involved in account management.
- Ensure Board level oversight of the Countering Bribery and Corruption Policy by having a single Director take responsibility for Team Forces policy compliance.
Scope
This Policy applies to all Team Forces employees and associates (i.e. self employed contractors engaged by the company, its agents, suppliers, sponsors, business partners and others with whom Team Forces may contract).
The Policy
Team Forces is committed to carrying out its business fairly, honestly and openly by adopting a transparent approach to all its business dealings and a zero tolerance policy towards any activity amounting or likely to lead to bribery or corruption.
Team Forces is committed to involving its employees and associates in the development and implementation of its policy of zero tolerance and encourages feedback and input based on experience so that improvements can be made.
Please download the full version of our Countering bribery and corruption Policy.
Feedback from our Sponsors
Value for marketing money/return on investment:
Joining Team Forces was one of the best decisions this company ever made. It has raised our profile in the Defence sector in a way that few other methods could ever achieve.
Craig Taylor, Head of Marketing Communications, Qioptiq
Team Forces is an integral part of our strategy to help us build senior customer relationships and hold the right level of engagement and business conversations. The opportunities to meet and share insight enables better informed business decisions by all parties.
Duncan King, Account Director, Atos
Meeting MoD stakeholders:
It is rare in business to be able to engage with end users, customers and partners so effectively. Working with Team Forces has helped us to develop timely solutions while also nurturing lasting relationships and friendships.
Mike Gilbert, Executive Vice President Land & Naval Defence Electronics Division, Leonardo
Team Forces has provided us unique opportunities to engage with a wide spread of our key defence stakeholders. It has delivered tangible benefits by helping to build key relationships at the highest level and joint understanding for collaborative working at a critical time.
Shea Hindman, Government & Defence, Trend Micro
Meeting end users of equipment:
Working with Team Forces has allowed us to meet with those who use our products on the front line and has given us valuable insight and user feedback which has directly aided our product development.
Paul McDonald, Head of MoD contracts, Heckler & Koch
The response can often be candid but sponsoring sport has provided the opportunity to aid product evaluation through direct end-user engagement.
Craig Taylor, Marketing Communications Manager, Qioptiq
Powerful B2B network:
The facilitation of sporting events has allowed us to establish and strengthen relations with many of our commercial business partners in a relaxed and convivial environment. Such B2B engagement is crucial to establishing strong industry partnerships in the UK Defence market; we have found this to be a real strength of being in the Team Forces scheme.
Mike Nayler, Sales Director, Defence & Security, Dell EMC
Compliance and Assurance:
Working through Team Forces has provided all the necessary safeguards and assurance to satisfy our internal regulations on corporate sponsorship and entertaining.
Richard Muir, Business Development Director Lockheed Martin UK
Joining Team Forces was one of the best decisions this company ever made. It has raised our profile in the Defence sector in a way that few other methods could ever achieve.
