If you thought trying to find a date for Valentines Day was tricky, try being an athlete in one of the minnow sports and looking for sponsorship.

But that could change with the advent of new website thesponsorshop.co.za as it looks to bridge the gap between corporate South Africa and people looking for funding. As founder Matthew Fendick stated this week it is like ‘Tinder for the sports world’.

“There was a burning need for a more connected, more informed African sponsorship industry,” Fendick said as he discussed the project.

The service allows those looking for financial support to create a profile with information backing up why they need sponsorship and then going out and searching through it’s network – with corporates also able to register their intentions – find the right fit.

What it essentially means is that organisations and athletes can go about their daily business and not have to worry about trying to canvas for support. Chat to any athlete competing in the minnow sports and they’ll tell you it;s usually a time consuming and arduous process.

“What we do is ensure that the right conversations and ideas are married together. Corporate brands are going through a consolidation phase and are being more selective about where they invest when it comes to sponsorship,” Fendick said.

“This is a channel to allow them to make an informed choice. It’s a dynamic platform that eliminates a lot of the white noise,” he added.

More often than not brands are approached by athletes on a daily and weekly basis as proposals flood in. Many are often missed or just hardly considered given the amount of time it takes to wade through the volume of requests.

“We believe we are going to open up corporates who never even realised they could be sponsors. It’s not about getting the most eyeballs it’s about getting the right eyeballs and changing perceptions,” said Fendick.

This should simplify things.

Check out what the Sponsorship offers click here