In September 2020, the Dutch food and drink federation (FNLI), in cooperation with the Dutch sports association NOC*NSF, published a brochure on sports sponsorship. This brochure can be used as a guideline at the start of a sponsorship with a sports club or organisers of a sports event.
Food manufacturers who wish to sponsor a sports club or a sporting event for children must comply with the rules set out in the Dutch Advertising Code for food products. According to the definition of advertising used in The Netherlands, sponsorships are considered one of the forms of advertising. Furthermore, many organisers of these events don’t know the rules either while they do forward requests for sponsorships to companies who more often than not have to refuse.
FNLI and NOC*NSF will undertake a national effort to promote healthier sports sponsorship with regard to children and events for children by raising awareness of the Advertising Code for food products.
