Program Participation & Eligibility

Support is provided in the form of in-kind services, rather than direct cash payment. There must be clear value received for any sponsorship from the City. Organizations wishing to participate must demonstrate the event will serve a municipal purpose and:

• Provide educational, recreational, cultural, historical or social opportunities accessible to a significant number of El Paso residents;
• Enhance the City of El Paso's status as a desirable location for events and activities and offers an opportunity for enhanced community pride; and
• Be non-discriminatory in nature and provide reasonable accommodations for those with special needs.

Program participation is limited to the following types of events and event applicants:

• The event must be a moving event such as a run, walk, procession, parade, march or race;
• The event must take place within the City of El Paso corporate limits.

Funding for the sponsorship program is provided through General Fund revenues. As such, events wishing to participate in the program must be open and available to participation by all citizens of El Paso and meet the following:

• The event must not be part of a religious ceremony;
• Holiday events must be nonreligious in nature;
• The event cannot be tied to the endorsement of a political group; and
• The event cannot be a school function.

When applying, you will need to classify your event one of the following event types:

• Legacy Events are moving events that market the City outside of the region and bring visitors to the area, creating a positive economic impact. To qualify as a legacy event, following conditions must be met:
  1. The event has been in existence for minimum of five years;
  2. The event can prove that it provides a significant positive economic impact to the City of El Paso;
  3. The event is programmed for and marketed to the community at large.
• Community Events are moving events that enhance the quality of life for City of El Paso citizens and promote civic and/or neighborhood pride. To qualify as a community event, the following conditions must be met:
  1. The event has been in existence for a minimum of three years;
  2. The event promotes civic and/or neighborhood pride and enhances the quality of life and well-being of the City’s residents;
  3. The event is programmed and advertised/marketed to the community at large.
• New Events are moving events that have a plan for sustainability that will allow the event to eventually grow into a Legacy or Community Event. To qualify as a new event, the following conditions must be met:
  1. The event or a substantially similar event has been in existence for less than three years;
  2. The event has a plan for sustainability and growth;
  3. The event is programmed and advertised/marketed to the community at large.
• Non-profit Events are moving events that support nonprofit groups producing an event specifically to raise money for a cause that serves City of El Paso residents. To qualify as a non-profit event, the following conditions must be met:
  1. The event is organized and conducted by a non-profit entity;
  2. The event’s proceeds are given directly to organizational programs;
  3. The event provides a benefit to the general public.

Application for Sponsorship Requests

Applications for sponsorship requests will be accepted once per year. The submission period for FY25 applications will commence on May 1, 2024 at 12:00 AM and will close on May 31, 2024 11:59 PM. To be eligible for funding consideration, all applications for participation in the sponsorship program must completed in their entirety.

All applicants will receive notification regarding the status of their event during August, indicating whether it has been accepted for funding or not. Those events accepted for funding will also be provided an award letter detailing the award amount.

The request for sponsorship will be ineligible for funding if any section of the application process is incomplete. All applicants must submit the following with their application packet to be considered for sponsorship:

• A completed Moving Event Sponsorship Program Eligibility Application
• A completed Event Application to include a route map and the written route;
• Certificate of General Liability Insurance written by a company licensed to do business in the State of Texas showing valid coverage for the date of the event, including the following: Commercial General Liability policy with a combined single limit of $1,000.000 per occurrence for coverage’s A&B including products/completed operations, where appropriate, with a separate aggregate of $2,000,000.
• Insurance Policy and Endorsement pages.
• Naming the City of El Paso, 300 N. Campbell St., El Paso, Texas 79901 as the additional insured and as the certificate holder.

All applications must be submitted via the links above. Late applications will not be accepted.

Event Producer Responsibilities

Upon approval of funding, an “Event Agreement” between the event producer and the City of El Paso will be executed and will define the contractual responsibilities of the two parties. The event producer may be required to submit additional information prior to contract execution detailing entity formation to ensure it is in good standing and the appropriate officer/representative is serving as signatory on the contract.

The event producer will be expected to comply with all City of El Paso application, permit, insurance, and approval requirements and processes for moving events. All permits and approvals must be obtained prior to contract execution and provision of City support.