Sponsorship Assistant
Research the sports industry to find possible sponsors and create a step-by-step plan to build strong partnerships.
Section A: The Brief
Careers can start with one email, here's yours.
Welcome to the Soliq Sports Group (SSG) experience!
I’m Alan from Astranda, and I’ll be your mentor for this project. You’re stepping into the role of Sponsorship Assistant with SSG, exploring how professional athletes form long-term sponsorships.
SSG is a new sports management agency based in the UAE that helps athletes and teams connect with brands, build their profiles, and secure exciting sponsorships. SSG supports athletes from all sports, including padel, jiu-jitsu, football, surfing, and cycling. Leo Fontaine, Founder and CEO of SSG, shared a short video to welcome you to the team (see attachment).
As a new member to the team, your job is to research the sports industry, identify promising young athletes in a sport of your choice, potential sponsors and create a plan that shows how SSG can build strong and mutually beneficial relationships.
Great athletes often become great employees, employers and entrepreneurs because they are determined, focused and competitive. This experience trains you to think like a professional athlete and founder by analysing the market, finding opportunities, and presenting key recommendations.
Remember to aim high, stay on track, and present your ideas professionally. We can’t wait to see what you bring to the table.
Regards,
Alan
alan@astranda.com | Head of Partnerships
Video: CEO-SSG.mp4
Section B: The Job
Step into the role.
Sponsorship Assistant
Level: Entry-Level
Duration: ~12 Hours
Result: Performance Report
Role Description: Research the sports industry, find possible sponsors, and build a step-by-step plan.
Key Performance Indicators: Realistic sponsorship plans based on research.
Key Deliverables
By the end of this experience, you will have created:
Here are some key details to keep in mind as you work:
Why is this important: This role help sports teams and athletes find real sponsors
Expert tip: Focus on brands that share the same audience as athletes
Section C: The Workflow
Phase 1: Discovery
Step 1.1 - Athlete and Sponsorship Research
Athlete Report
At Soliq Sports Group (SSG), Sponsorship Assistants help athletes and brands work together in real, authentic ways. Before pitching any sponsor, you need to understand how the industry works, who’s active in the UAE and what makes a brand a good match.
The team at Soliq Sports Group (SSG) suggest you start by watching this video to understand the balance between athlete and brand from an Ex-Red Bull employee who worked with athletes for 12 years.
Source: Second Nature
The team at Soliq Sports Group (SSG) suggests starting by choosing a sport you’re passionate about. Once you’ve picked your sport, look for promising young athletes under the age of 18 in the UAE who show potential both in skill and character. Think about which of these athletes would be a great fit to join SSG and benefit from brand partnerships and sponsorship opportunities. Pick one standout athlete and write a short note explaining why you chose them because this will be needed for your presentation to management later.
Sponsorship Report
Source: DubaiFtinessChallenge
When you finish listing the current sponsors, take it one step further. Look for new companies that are not already sponsoring those events, teams, or athletes. Your goal is to find fresh brands that could be a great match for Soliq Sports Group (SSG) and its athletes. Ask yourself:
Which companies share similar values, such as health, performance, or supporting youth in sports?
Are there local or growing brands in the UAE that want to connect with active, sports-minded audiences?
How could Soliq’s athletes help those companies reach new customers or tell a stronger story?
Now bring everything together. Use what you found about current sponsors, new potential companies, and brand matches to create your Sponsorship Research Report. In your report, include:
Summary of your findings – What types of sponsors are most common in UAE sports?
Your top sponsor list – Include both existing sponsors and new companies that you think could partner with Soliq Sports Group to sponsor your selected athlete.
Your reasoning – Explain why each sponsor fits or doesn’t fit athletes.
Keep your report short and clear for the leadership team at Soliq Sports Group (SSG). Use Google Docs and make sure you use the Soliq Sports Group (SSG) logo and brand colours throughout your documents.
Understanding sponsors isn’t just about business. For athletes, it teaches how to build real connections with brands that share their story. For young entrepreneurs, it shows how research helps turn ideas into real partnerships. And for anyone who wants to work in sports, this step is your first look into how every great sponsorship begins — with smart research and a clear understanding of what both sides care about.
Phase 2: Analysis
Step 2.1 - Brand Alignment Matrix
Matrix
Now that you’ve finished researching possible sponsors, it’s time to compare them. At Soliq Sports Group, we never pick a sponsor just because they’re famous. We look for shared values, similar goals, and a real connection between our athletes and the brand.
Think of this step like building a matchmaking chart between athletes and brands. Soliq Sports Group (SSG) wants you to find the strongest match for your selected athlete from the sport of your choice. Experienced Sponsorship Assistants often follow these steps to create their matrix:
Open a new Google Sheet table and list the sponsors you researched.
Add columns with these headings:
Brand Name
Type of Product/Service
Target Audience
Brand Values or Message
Fit with youth athletes in the UAE (High, Medium, Low)
Reason for Score
For each brand, rate how well it matches your selected athlete from your chosen sport.
Look for patterns — do certain brands share similar goals or audiences?
Highlight your top 3 strongest matches in green.
Strong partnerships aren’t only about money. They’re about connection. If a brand truly shares the mission of an athlete, it will lead to better teamwork, trust, and long-term success. A colleague at Soliq Sports Group highlighted First Abu Dhabi Bank's (FAB) sponsorship of Al Ain Football Club as a good example. It is a partnership that has existed since 2009. The sponsorship is part of FAB's broader commitment to supporting sports, youth, education, and community growth in the UAE.
Source: FAB
In sports, brand alignment is everything. Athletes who work with the right sponsors build credibility, not just exposure. Entrepreneurs who understand alignment make smarter deals. And anyone entering the sports industry learns that matching values is what turns a good idea into a lasting partnership.
Phase 3: Strategy
Step 3.1 - Sponsorship Strategy Deck
Presentation
By now, you’ve found the best athlete and sponsor matches for Soliq Sports Group (SSG) and learned what makes them a good fit. Sponsorship Assistants bring everything together into a Partnership Strategy Deck to present to their internal team. Sponsorship Assistants have shared this structure with you because it has provided positive responses from management in the past:
Slide 1 – Cover: Soliq Sports Group logo with title and subtitle.
Slide 2 – Top Athlete: Create a profile of your selected athlete.
Slide 3 – Top Sponsors: Show your 3 best sponsor matches and briefly explain why each one fits Soliq.
Slide 4 – Brand Fit: Write one or two lines on how each brand matches with your youth athlete in your chosen sport.
Slide 5 – Partnership Plan: Describe what Soliq and your selected athlete will do for the brand. Include specific actions like:
Social media posts and tags
Content creation (videos, podcasts, photos, etc.)
Brand logos on gear or equipment
Joining brand videos or events
Giving product feedback or testing
Slide 6 – Benefits for Both Sides: Use two short lists — what Soliq gets and what the brand gets.
Slide 7 – Next Steps: Add a simple timeline: Research → Outreach → Pitch → Activation.
Slide 8 – Closing Slide: End with one motivational line (for example: “Together, we grow the game.”)
Focusing on Slide 5 - Partnership Plan, Soliq Sports Group's Sponsorship Assistants recommend taking time to research how other athletes and teams build strong partnerships with brands. Look at real examples to understand what makes those collaborations work. Your ideas can start simple, like showcasing sponsors on social media…
But aim for at least one more creative way to add value, such as supporting designing activations that connect directly with fans, or co-creating content like this one by Prada.
Source: Prada
You can strengthen your presentation by including facts, data, and quotes from industry reports or expert interviews. Take time to review recent sponsorship-industry reports and pull out key findings. Then mirror the style of those reports in your slides by using the same simple language, clear visuals, and credible sources.
Source: PWC
Present the Strategy
When your slides are ready, it’s time to present your strategy to management at Soliq Sports Group (SSG). Choose one of the following ways to present your work:
Voiceover: Record your voice as you explain each slide (Canva, Google Slides, or PowerPoint all support this).
Video Presentation: Record a short 2- to 3-minute video of yourself presenting the deck, just like a real presentation in an internal meeting.
AI Presenter (optional): If you prefer, you can use an AI character or avatar in tools like HeyGen, Synthesia, or Canva’s AI video presenter to deliver your script.
Your goal is to sound confident, clear, and persuasive. Focus on your strongest ideas, explain how each partnership benefits both sides, and end with a memorable closing line that captures Soliq’s vision.
In the real world, sponsorships are partnerships, not donations. Brands expect athletes to act as ambassadors — promoting products, showing loyalty, and creating trust with fans. If you show that Soliq’s athletes can return value, your deck will feel professional and realistic. This is what separates a basic sponsorship request from a true partnership. Athletes who understand how to give back to sponsors get more long-term deals and build lasting reputations in the industry.
Deliverable Due
Congratulations on completing the Sponsorship Assistant Experience with Soliq Sports Group!
You’ve just finished a full industry-standard sponsorship project — from researching the sports market to identifying potential sponsors and designing a full partnership strategy. That’s exactly how real sponsorship and marketing teams operate.
Here’s what you’ve achieved through your deliverables:
Athlete and Sponsorship Research Reports: You identified athletes, sponsors, studied how they align with Soliq’s values, and explored which new brands could support your athlete.
Brand Alignment Matrix: You compared companies side-by-side to find which partnerships made the most sense and backed your choices with research.
Partnership Strategy Deck: You pulled everything together into a professional presentation, showing how athletes and brands can work together — from social media collaborations to event activations and brand placements.
Each of these deliverables mirrors the actual work of sponsorship executives and partnership managers in sports marketing agencies. You’ve practiced the same skills professionals use when building brand collaborations and athlete campaigns.
Once you submit your final work and receive feedback, add it to your CV/LinkedIn under Projects as: “Astranda × Soliq Sports Group — Sponsorship Assistant.”
Quick reminder, please follow the Submission Guidelines below to finalize your completion.
This is a meaningful step toward a career in the sports sector. We’re proud of your progress, and you should feel confident knowing you have what it takes to keep moving forward. Keep stacking achievements and experiences that set you apart.
Regards,
Alan
alan@astranda.com | Head of Partnerships
How to Submit
Submit your work, get feedback, certificates and more.
Submission Guidelines
Put everything in one folder
Name it:
Astranda_[ExperienceName]_[YourFullName]_[School]Include your docs, slides, videos, images, and any source files.
Upload to Google Drive
Open Drive → New → Folder (use the name above) → upload your files.
If your work is in Google Docs/Slides/Sheets, make sure each file has a clear title.
Set sharing permissions
Right-click the folder → Share → General access: Anyone with the link → Viewer.
Important: Do not require sign-in and do not give edit access.
Double-check by opening the link in an incognito window—if you can view it without logging in, you’re good.
Enter your details below:
How to Submit Your Work (via Google Drive link)
Put everything in one folder
Name it:
Astranda_[ExperienceName]_[YourFullName]_[School]Include your docs, slides, videos, images, and any source files.
Upload to Google Drive
Open Drive → New → Folder (use the name above) → upload your files.
If your work is in Google Docs/Slides/Sheets, make sure each file has a clear title.
Set sharing permissions
Right-click the folder → Share → General access: Anyone with the link → Viewer.
Important: Do not require sign-in and do not give edit access.
Double-check by opening the link in an incognito window—if you can view it without logging in, you’re good.
Copy your sharable link
Right-click the folder → Copy link.
Email your submission
Subject:
Submission: [ExperienceName] – [Your Full Name] – [School]Body: Paste the link and write a professional email including these details - Name: [Your Full Name], School: [Full School Name], Experience: [ExperienceName], Drive Link: [paste your view-only folder link]
Final checks before sending
The link opens without “Request access.”
All files load and play (videos, slides, etc.).
File names are clear and professional.
No personal data you don’t want shared.
Receive feedback
We will examine all your submitted materials
We will reply with your Performance Report and Certificate of Completion via email within 7 days
We will also share your next experience to continue your progress towards your dream career
If you want to try a different career path, please email alan@astranda.com.
Tips
Large videos? Upload to the same folder (don’t attach to the email).
Multiple versions? Keep only the final in the root folder; move drafts into a “Drafts” subfolder.
Keep a backup copy for your records.
