UEFA seeks licensing agent for EURO 2004™

UEFA has issued an invitation to licensing agents to submit a declaration of interest in the global licensing programme for EURO 2004™ to be held in Portugal.

End of May deadline
European football's governing body has asked interested parties to declare their interest before 31 May 2002 after which the applicants will be asked to present their companies and strategies at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, western Switzerland.

Programme objectives
The objectives of the EURO 2004™ global licensing programme are the extensive promotion of the final round, making available top-quality and attractive merchandise to fans, and generating revenue to fund the event. Applicants are invited to submit declarations of interest covering one or all three options - Europe, Japan/China and the rest of the world.

Licensing agent
Rights will be available until 31 August 2004, and the successful applicant will act as UEFA's exclusive licensing agent for the global licensing programme in the selected territory, and negotiate product licence agreements with licensees on behalf of UEFA. The licensing agent's tasks will also include defining strategies for on-site sales (stadiums), and sales in high traffic outlets in Portugal.

Exclusive rights
Acting as UEFA's exclusive agent will give the successful applicant the right, among other things, to ask licensees to design and produce licensed products, against the payment of a royalty to UEFA, commercialise and distribute licensed product through any distribution channel, and use marks on products.

Agent's tasks
The licensing agent's tasks, or the duty of the appointed licensees, will include defining and managing licensing marketing plans, developing distribution and pricing strategies, enforcing the proper use of marks, monitoring markets for illegal products, developing on-line sales strategies and establishing sales points in high traffic locations in Portugal.

Proven track record
UEFA says that applicants wishing to declare an interest should have a proven track record in merchandising for major sport, character or movie properties, a solid financial basis, sufficient resources and adequately trained personnel, and access to TV promotion.

Presentation dates
Once UEFA has received the declaration of interests, it will fix a date when applicants that meet UEFA's minimum requirements will be invited to present their bids. After the presentation, UEFA will decide on a second short list from which it will appoint the licensing agent.

Address
The declaration of interest must be submitted in writing (in English) by mail or fax, to the following address by 31 May 2002: UEFA, Marketing Operations Centre, Attn: Mrs M. van der Stroom Holdener, Manager Sponsorship and Licensing, Route de Genève 46, CH-1260 Nyon. Advance copies can be faxed to 00 41 22 994 3729, for the attention of Mrs M. van der Stroom Holdener. All enquiries concerning UEFA's invitation should be directed to Mrs M. van der Stroom Holdener, phone: 00 41 22 004 36 08; email: margrethe.vds@uefa.ch