SponsorshipPatronage · For individuals
Become a patron
Back the programme personally. A patron gift is freely given and buys nothing — no logo, no seat at the judging table, no advantage in getting a place. That is deliberate, and it is what keeps a gift a gift.
01 — What it funds
Free to enter is a cost, not a slogan
Our own hackathons are free for everyone who takes part. That is a choice, and it has to be paid for by somebody who is not the participant.
- 01
Places stay free
Places at our own hackathons are free to enter, for any age and any skill level. Patron gifts are part of what keeps that true.
- 02
The room itself
Venue, catering and the practical costs of getting up to a hundred people into a room for a day.
- 03
Tools and data
Platform access and the synthetic datasets teams build on, prepared from publicly available sources.
- 04
Work that outlasts the day
Writing up what was learned as reusable material, rather than letting it evaporate when the room empties.
02 — How much
Give what suits you
There are no set amounts, and nothing is being sold. Any gift is welcome, and the recognition is the same whatever you give: your name in the list of supporters, if you would like it there.
If it would help to talk it through — what a gift would fund, or what scale makes sense — get in touch and we will have that conversation properly, with a person, before any money moves.
03 — Sponsorship or patronage
Which one is yours
The two routes are treated differently for tax, on your side and on ours, and the difference comes down to whether anything is supplied in return.
| Aspect | Sponsorship | Patronage |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Organisations — companies, firms, institutions. | Individuals giving in a personal capacity. |
| What it is | A commercial arrangement, with benefits agreed in advance. | A gift. Nothing is supplied in return for it. |
| What you receive | Your logo on the programme and event materials, a seat on the judging panel, the participant shortlist, and — at higher tiers — a named challenge built on your own problem class. | Your name in the list of supporters, if you would like it there. Nothing else, and that is the point. |
| Influence over the event | Substantial at Partner and Headline: the challenge is designed around a problem class you nominate. | None. Patrons do not shape challenges, judge, or see the shortlist. |
| VAT | Within the scope of VAT — you are receiving a supply. Any amount agreed is exclusive of any VAT that may apply. | Outside the scope of VAT, because nothing is supplied in return. Naming a supporter is specifically permitted by HMRC and does not change this. |
| Your own tax position | Normally an allowable business expense as advertising or promotion. Your accountant should confirm it for your circumstances. | No tax relief of any kind. Innovation Forum is not a registered charity, so there is no Gift Aid and no charitable deduction. |
| Hackathon places | No advantage. Places stay free and open to everyone. | No advantage. Places stay free and open to everyone. |
Why the line falls where it does
The difference is not the amount. It is whether anything comes back. HMRC treats a payment as sponsorship as soon as the payer receives an identifiable benefit — a logo on the programme, a named event, priority booking, hospitality — and that makes it a supply, with VAT in scope. A gift that secures nothing in return sits outside the scope of VAT entirely.
Naming a supporter in a list is specifically allowed and does not cross that line. A logo would. That is the whole reason patron recognition is a name and stops there — not modesty, but the thing that keeps a gift a gift.
Before you give
Global Innovation Forum Limited is a private company limited by guarantee (company number 10010132). It is not a registered charity, so patron gifts do not qualify for Gift Aid and attract no charitable tax relief. If tax relief matters to how you give, we would rather you knew that before you gave than after.
Keep a place free for someone.
Get in touch and we will arrange it. No payment is taken on this site — we would rather talk to you first, not least so the charitable-status position comes from a person rather than a page you might have scrolled past.
Global Innovation Forum Limited is not a registered charity. No Gift Aid, no charitable tax relief.