Event Sponsorship

GO! Southampton is committed to supporting all events that come to the city centre. Whether that’s a first-time community event or a large-scale annual festival, we are proud of our diverse yearly event programme. To allow events to flourish and help them grow the BID offers an event sponsorship scheme and welcomes applications throughout the year on a rolling basis. Starting from 1st April 2025 until 31st March 2026 we are offering the following:

Micro grants of up to £1,000
Major grants of up to £5,000
Exceptional circumstance grants of up to £5,000

Please read on to learn more about each grant and how to apply.

Applications will run in three rounds as per the below dates. Please be aware that your event may need to be at least 2 or 3 months in advance of the application notification date stated below (third column). The dates for Round 2 and Round 3 may be subject to change.

Micro Grants 

The BID want to ensure those who want to put on community events, perhaps for the first time, are able to apply for the event sponsorship scheme without facing major barriers or difficult questions. If successful, these micro grants offer event organisers up to £1,000 towards their event. The BID Events Group will assess and discuss each application before its approved at the wider BID Marketing & Events Steering Group. Please read the criteria below before submitting your application online.

1. Your event must be within our BID area. See our BID area here 
2. Your event must not have received funding from GO! Southampton more than twice between 2022-2025
3. Your organisation must not have already received funding from GO! Southampton between 1st April 2025 and 31st March 2026
4.   If your event has been previously funded, you must have provided GO! Southampton with a full report, access to images and a testimonial
5. Your event must be free to attend
6. Your event must be at least two months in advance of the notification date, as stated above
7. You cannot apply for more than 30% of the overall event budget or up to £1,000
8. Funding must not be more than previous funding (if applicable)

If you meet the criteria above and would like to apply, please complete the online application form by clicking below.

GO! Southampton Micro Grants Event Sponsorship Application

Major Grants 

The BID can offer event organisers grants of up to £5,000 for more established and larger events. We appreciate the time it takes to complete a funding application form and we would encourage you to use information you’ve written for other applications wherever possible The BID Events Group will assess and discuss each application before its approved at the wider BID Marketing & Events Steering Group. Please read the criteria below before submitting your application online.

1. Your event must be within our BID area. See our BID area here 
2. Your event must not have received funding from GO! Southampton more than twice between 2022-2025
3. Your organisation must not have already received funding from GO! Southampton between 1st April 2025 and 31st March 2026
4. If your event has been previously funded, you must have provided GO! Southampton with a full report, access to images and a testimonial
5. Your event must be free to attend
6. Your event must be at least three months in advance of the notification dates as stated above
7. You cannot apply for more than 30% of the overall event budget, or up to £5,000
8. Funding must not be more than previous funding (if applicable)

If you meet the criteria above and would like to apply, please complete the online application form by clicking below.

GO! Southampton Major Grants Event Sponsorship Application

Exceptional Circumstance Grants 

New for 2025, the BID’s Events group have created an application form for events that do not meet the criteria for a Micro or Major grant. This application form is for events that have been sponsored twice or more within the last BID term (2022 – 2027) and/or are outside of the BID area. Organisers can apply for grants of up to £5,000.

We appreciate the time it takes to complete a funding application form and encourage you to use information you’ve written for previous applications wherever possible. The BID Events Group will assess and discuss each application before it is approved at the wider BID Marketing & Events Steering Group.

Exceptional Circumstance applications may also require an in-person or virtual meeting with the Events Group to discuss the event before a decision is made. Please read the criteria below before submitting your application online.

1. Your organisation must not have already received funding from GO! Southampton between 1st April 2025 and 31st March 2026
2. If your event has been previously funded, you must have provided GO! Southampton with a full report, access to images and a testimonial
3. Your event must be free to attend
4. Your event must be at least three months in advance of the notification dates as stated above
5. You cannot apply for more than 30% of the overall event budget, or up to £5,000
6. Your event must have an estimated and realistic attendance of at least 20,000
7. You must offer free or discounted stands for BID members or allow BID member venues to participate for free
8. Funding must not be more than previous funding (if applicable)

If you meet the criteria above and would like to apply, please complete the online application form by clicking below.

GO! Southampton Exceptional Circumstance Grants Event Sponsorship Application

Previously supported events:

Testimonials

Party in the Park 2022  

Jake Radwell
To anyone looking at applying for funding and working with GO! Southampton, we would say go for it. Not only was their funding very useful to an event like ours where we are FREE to all, but the support and ease of applying was second to none. We really appreciated being able to get their clients and levy payers involved as well, and this in turn really helped to make our event even more successful by offering such a vibrant offering.

Bedford Place Summer Festival 2020 – 2023

Caroline Osman
GO! Southampton have sponsored the Bedford Place Summer Festival for the last three years. The festival is a not for profit community event, that helps bring footfall and awareness of local businesses and our local area.  

Without this sponsorship contribution it wouldn’t have been possible to run the festival.  We raised a proportion of the money from stall holders attending, but needed the sponsership money upfront to be able to book some of the entertainment.  Applying for the money involved filling out an event support application form, which was straight forward and GO! also helped  promote the event and offer advice and support when I needed.  

Southampton Pride 2020 – 2024

Julianne Watling-McCarthy  
The continued support of GO! Southampton has really helped us to keep Southampton Pride free for all to attend and make the event as accessible as possible Our event would not be possible without the sponsorship from local business and organisations and Go! Southampton has gone over and above to help us grow and achieve a wonderful inclusive event for the city. Thank you to all at Go! Southampton for your help and support!

BBAM! 2023 & 2024

Dr. Abdoulie Sanneh, BBAM Organiser 
TUVAA and the BBAM Festival team are grateful to one of our main sponsors GO! Southampton for their amazing support with both the funding and the practical support to ensure that our first ever BBAM festival in Southampton became an unforgettable experience. They were seen as active partners in the planning and marketing of the event and were present at the event making an incredible 800 interactions. The event was able to create opportunities for black businesses and artists to make a huge statement and brought people to our city centre not only to enjoy but also to do some shopping. It was a proud moment for Southampton as BBAM 2023 was crowned as the best outdoor festival in the South. All these could not have happened without the support of Go-Southampton, Southampton city council and other partners. 

Music In The City 2024

Chris Orr, MITC Organiser
It has been an enormous privilege to take on Music in the City – this is an event I have attended over the years along with countless other festivals and live music events, it being a total lifelong passion. To now be involved in the organisation and delivery of a Southampton music festival is an absolute joy and privilege. The support received from Go! Southampton has been central to that delivery – its sponsorship has acted as a catalyst and helped me introduce the festival to city centre businesses and become a part of the local business community. There is also the potential to unlock other financial support to enable us to deliver a bigger, better event for the community and the city. Without Go! Southampton, this event would have been scaled back in 2024 – so I am delighted that with Go! Southampton support we have been able to reach out to more people and businesses in the city. This is a truly unique event, and I have every intention of talking it forward and significantly, building on the successes of my first year in charge in 2024.

Mela Festival 2023 – 2024

Dahlia Jamil, Chief Executive at Art Asia
Art Asia Trust has been running Southampton Mela Festival for over 20 years. Art Asia’s mission is to promote the very best of South Asian culture in the region, for everyone’s enjoyment and education.

The Southampton Mela Festival is our annual summer showcase celebrating music, dance, world food, art, creativity and our work in the community. It has been Art Asia’s mission to continue to provide a free festival every year for the region because we believe it is important for everyone to have access to art and culture.

Although Art Asia is an Arts Council funded organisation, we could not possibly make Southampton Mela Festival as big and successful as it has become without the further support we receive from Go! Southampton. The Go! Southampton team have worked with us in recent years to help support and promote our festival. We have a great working relationship with the team and we value not only their funding but also their commitment to improving Southampton City Centre by supporting events such as Southampton Mela Festival.

Southampton Refugee Week 2024 

William Brook-Hart of Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group (SWVG) 
Refugee Week is the world’s largest arts & culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.  As a port city, Southampton is truly international and has welcomed refugees and other travellers across the centuries. We really appreciate the support of Go!Southampton and the local business community who have made a big difference to our Refugee Week events in 2024, through funding, marketing and participation.  Most notably for our community music, dance and picnic in Palmerston Park on 22 June, which attracted hundreds of people to share the afternoon together.  This emphasises our community values and our strength in diversity that makes Southampton such a great place to live and work.   

Chinese New Year 2025

Michael Ng, Southampton Chinese Association
GO! Southampton’s support, through a grant and in-kind marketing assistance, was essential to the success of the Chinese Association of Southampton’s Chinese New Year celebration. Their contribution helped us deliver a vibrant, high-quality event that reached a larger audience. The financial support covered key event costs, while the marketing assistance through social media and the VisitSouthampton website significantly boosted our visibility. This partnership not only increased attendance but also strengthened community engagement, allowing us to promote cultural diversity and celebrate Southampton’s multicultural heritage. GO! Southampton’s involvement played a vital role in enhancing the event’s impact.

Martine Niven, Shaolin UK
The Chinese New Year celebrations in Southampton were a great success, despite the challenges posed by the weather. Over 2,500 people participated in outdoor activities, and the performances at MAST Mayflower Studios were sold out, showcasing strong community support. The contributions of local businesses through raffle prizes and the success of the accompanying events at Ikea and West Quay demonstrated the event’s broad appeal.  

The event was a wonderful opportunity for cultural exchange, and future events could continue to build on this year’s success, fostering greater understanding and appreciation for Chinese culture in Southampton.