Most athletes never get a sponsorship because the process is invisible: you do not know which brands are looking, you have no way to price yourself, and if an offer does arrive it usually lands as a vague DM. On ralli it works the other way around. Brands come to your profile, the offer arrives in your dashboard in plain English, and the money is held by ralli and released to your wallet as you complete each part. Here is exactly what you will see, screen by screen.
Who can get sponsored
Any approved athlete on ralli, at any level. You do not need a huge following. Brands sponsoring emerging athletes are usually buying authenticity and a specific niche — a sport, a region, an age group — not raw follower counts. Local businesses, kit and nutrition brands and equipment companies are the most common. Under-18s are fully supported; every step goes to your parent or guardian instead of you.
Step 1 — A brand finds you and sends a request
Your public ralli profile has a Sponsor button in the header and a sponsorship panel further down. When a brand uses it they choose a package, a duration and a budget, and tell us what they want out of it. That request comes to the ralli team first — not to you. We qualify it, check the brand is legitimate and sensible for your sport and age, and only then pass it on. You will never be cold-pitched through ralli.
Step 2 — The offer appears in your dashboard
When a request clears, a Sponsorship offers panel appears at the top of your athlete dashboard. It shows the brand, the package, how long it runs, what the brand is asking for, and — in the largest number on the card — what you actually receive.
Three buttons, no small print: Interested, Ask a question, or Not for me. Saying you are interested does not commit you to anything — it tells ralli to keep going and draft the paperwork. Declining is one tap and the brand never sees a reason unless you give one. If you want to know whether the shoot is a full day, or whether the kit clashes with a team sponsor, ask the question; ralli goes back to the brand for you.
Step 3 — The full offer page and the terms
From the card you can open the full offer. This is the same page a guardian receives for an under-18 athlete. It lays out the brand, package, duration, what you receive, every deliverable, and the ralli terms that protect you.
Two lines on that page matter most. You receive is your money after the ralli brokerage fee of 15%, which covers finding, vetting, papering and enforcing the deal — there is no invoice and nothing to chase. And ralli holds the sponsorship payment: the brand pays up front, into ralli, before you do any work.
Step 4 — Signing
Nothing goes to a brand until the ralli team has approved it. Once the brand has signed, your dashboard asks you to countersign by typing your full name. For under-18s the guardian countersigns instead.
Step 5 — How you actually get paid
This is the part athletes get burned on elsewhere. On ralli the brand pays the full amount up front and ralli holds it. Each deliverable carries a percentage, and when you complete it, that percentage of your share is released into your wallet. You are never waiting on a brand accounts team, and you are never chasing an invoice 90 days later.
Released money lands in your ralli wallet alongside everything your backers have contributed. From there you withdraw to your own bank account, or set an automatic payout so it arrives on a schedule without you thinking about it.
You will need payout setup and identity verification completed before you can withdraw, and the minimum withdrawal is $25. Do that early, not on the day the money arrives.
If something goes wrong
Either side can raise an issue with ralli at any point and we mediate before any funds move. If a brand disappears, the money is already held. If a deliverable is disputed, nothing is released until it is settled. Your content stays yours; the brand is licensed to reuse it for the agreed term only.
How to make yourself worth sponsoring
- Keep your profile alive. About five minutes a fortnight — a result, a photo, a short update — is the difference between a profile a brand backs and one they scroll past.
- Log every milestone. Verified progress is the evidence a brand uses to justify the spend internally.
- Connect your socials. Your profile shows an estimated monthly reach based on your channels. It is an estimate, not a guarantee, but it is what a brand prices against.
- Be specific about your goals. A named target like Nationals in March, then World Cup trials, gives a brand a story to attach to. Training hard does not.
- Answer quickly. Offers lapse after seven days with a reminder at 48 hours. Brands notice who replies.
Common questions
Does sponsorship affect my backers or rewards?
No. Sponsorship money is separate from your backer funding and from ralli rewards points. Both sit in the same wallet, but they are earned and released independently.
Can I say no without hurting my chances later?
Yes. Declining one offer has no effect on future ones, and the brand is simply told the athlete is not available.
What if I am under 18?
Every offer, question and signature goes to your registered parent or guardian, and payouts are held in their name. You still see what is happening — you just do not sign it.
What does ralli take?
A 15% brokerage fee on the sponsorship value, taken automatically. The amount shown as to you on the offer is what you receive.
Not on ralli yet? Apply as an athlete — approved athletes get a public profile, backers, milestones and access to brand sponsorship in one place.