A Quebec Sponsorship Agreement (Contrat de commandite or Contrat de parrainage) is a legally binding bilateral contract between a sponsor (commanditaire) and a sponsored party (commandité) — typically an event organizer, sports team, athlete, cultural organization, or non-profit — under which the sponsor provides financial or in-kind support in exchange for specific promotional benefits and brand exposure. In Quebec, sponsorship agreements are governed primarily by the general obligations provisions of the Code civil du Québec (CCQ), particularly articles 1377 to 1456 on contractual obligations, articles 2098 to 2129 on contracts of service, and the Loi sur la protection du consommateur (LPC, RLRQ, c. P-40.1) for applicable advertising rules.

The legal essence of a sponsorship agreement is the exchange of consideration: the sponsor provides money or goods/services of value, and the sponsored party delivers measurable promotional benefits — such as logo placement on banners, merchandise, and programmes; name mentions in media releases; exhibition booths at the event; VIP hospitality tickets; social media posts featuring the sponsor; and television or radio sponsorship mentions. This bilateral exchange of consideration distinguishes the sponsorship from a donation (don gratuit) under articles 1806–1841 CCQ, which involves no expectation of benefit for the donor.

Quebec's Loi sur la protection du consommateur contains some of the most stringent advertising regulations in North America, particularly articles 248 to 250 which prohibit all commercial advertising directed at persons under 13 years of age. These provisions apply to sponsorship-related advertising and must be considered when the sponsored event or activity primarily targets children. The Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ) regulates sponsorship activities involving alcohol and gaming, imposing additional restrictions on how sponsors in those sectors may advertise their products in connection with sponsorships.

Intellectual property considerations are central to every sponsorship agreement. Each party's trademark, logo, brand identity, event name, and imagery are protected by the Trade-marks Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. T-13) and general principles of Quebec civil law. The sponsorship agreement must explicitly define the limited licences granted by each party to the other for the sole purpose of executing the agreed promotional deliverables, and should include clear branding guidelines and an approval process to prevent misuse of either party's intellectual property.

The good faith principle of article 1375 CCQ requires both parties to negotiate, execute, and perform the sponsorship agreement in good faith, and the force majeure provisions of article 1470 CCQ must be addressed to allocate the risk of event cancellation due to extraordinary circumstances such as natural disasters, government health orders, or other events outside the parties' control.

A Quebec Sponsorship Agreement is needed in a broad range of commercial and philanthropic contexts. Corporate sponsorship of events is the most common situation: a business provides financial support to a festival, concert, sports competition, cultural event, or community celebration in exchange for brand visibility and audience exposure. Cultural and arts sponsorships involve businesses supporting theatre productions, art exhibitions, film festivals, and literary events in exchange for naming rights, programme advertising, and VIP reception invitations. Sports sponsorships between businesses and amateur or professional sports teams, leagues, competitions, or individual athletes require formal agreements covering jersey logos, arena naming, program advertising, and athlete endorsement obligations. Non-profit and charitable event sponsorships — where businesses support fundraising galas, charity runs, awareness campaigns, and community events — require sponsorship agreements to document the promotional benefits exchanged even though the recipient is a charitable organization. Media and broadcast sponsorships, where a company sponsors a radio programme, television broadcast, podcast, or online streaming event, require agreements addressing placement, exclusivity, and content restrictions. Educational and conference sponsorships, such as business support for university events, professional conferences, trade shows, and industry summits, are formalized through sponsorship agreements covering booth space, speaking opportunities, delegate passes, and programme advertising. In all these situations, a written sponsorship agreement protects the sponsor's investment by ensuring the agreed deliverables are enforceable, documents the tax treatment of the sponsorship payment, and protects both parties' intellectual property.

A comprehensive Quebec Sponsorship Agreement includes several essential elements. The identification of the parties must specify the full legal names, addresses, and organization types of both the sponsor (commanditaire) and the sponsored party (commandité), along with their authorized representatives. A precise description of the sponsored event or activity should include the event name, a detailed description, the dates, and the location to ensure the agreement is specific to the sponsorship context. The sponsorship type and amount section must specify whether the sponsorship is financial (cash), in-kind (goods or services), or mixed, the total value in Canadian dollars, and a detailed payment schedule linked to specific milestones. The sponsorship benefits and deliverables are the commercial heart of the agreement and must be listed in detail: logo placement specifications (location, size, prominence, on which materials), the number and type of media mentions and press releases, exhibition booth dimensions and location, the number of VIP tickets or hospitality passes, social media post requirements (platform, frequency, content), and any other agreed benefits. Branding guidelines should specify how the sponsor's logo and name must be used, including minimum sizes, colour requirements, and the approval process for promotional materials. An exclusivity clause, if applicable, must clearly define the industry category or sector within which the sponsored party commits not to accept competing sponsorships. The term and duration of the sponsorship must be clearly defined with start and end dates. The sponsored party's reporting obligations — post-event report, attendance metrics, media coverage summary, social media analytics, and copies of promotional materials — should be specified with delivery deadlines. The intellectual property section must define the limited licences each party grants to the other for use of their respective brands and imagery. Cancellation and force majeure provisions should address the consequences of event cancellation, including refund obligations. The good faith clause per article 1375 CCQ and the governing law clause referencing CCQ arts. 1377–1456 and 2098–2129 and the LPC complete the essential provisions.