Mumbai, Sep 2: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) invited bids from entities for acquiring the national team lead sponsor rights on Tuesday.

The board announced the release of an Invitation for Expression of Interest (IEOI), which provides the detailed terms and conditions governing the submission and evaluation of bids.

The last date to purchase IEOI documents is September 12, while the deadline for submission of bid documents is set on September 16.

Last month, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed to IANS that the board’s association with fantasy sports company Dream11 has ended after the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 was passed in both Parliament, and deliberations over finding a new lead sponsor are on.

Dream11 had signed a three-year deal worth Rs 358 crore in July 2023 to replace edtech company Byju’s as the lead sponsor of the Indian cricket team.

The BCCI said that the IEOI will be made available on receipt of payment of a non-refundable fee of Rs 5 lakh plus any applicable Goods and Services Tax.

"Bidders are to email the details of payment made for the purchase of the IEOI to sponsorship@bcci.tv, as per the procedure laid down in ANNEXURE A. It is clarified that the IEOI documents shall be shared only upon the confirmation of payment of the non-refundable IEOI fee.

"Any bidder wishing to submit a bid is required to purchase the IEOI. However, only those satisfying the eligibility requirements set out in the IEOI and subject to the other terms and conditions set out therein, shall be eligible to bid. It is clarified that merely purchasing the IEOI does not entitle any person to bid," it said in a release.

BCCI also said it reserves the right to cancel or amend the IEOI process at any stage in any manner without providing any reason.

The bidder must note the following requirements and restrictions pertaining to eligibility with respect to the IEOI.

A bid may only be submitted either by: (i) the person/entity which has purchased a copy of this IEOI upon payment of the IEOI fee; or (ii) any person/entity which is in the same Group as such person/entity. The IEOI fee paid by the bidder (whether successful or unsuccessful) shall not be refunded or adjusted against any other payment obligation of the bidder in any circumstances.

As per the financial eligibility laid out by the BCCI, the average turnover of each bidder for the last three years must be at least Rs 3,00,00,00,000 (Indian Rupees Three Hundred Crore only) as per the last three audited accounts; or the average net worth of each bidder for the last three years must be at least Rs 3,00,00,00,000 (Indian Rupees Three Hundred Crore only) as per the last three audited accounts.

Under the 'Fit and Proper Person' criteria, the bidder (i) not having been convicted by a court of a criminal offence or offences involving moral turpitude, economic offence or fraud; (ii) not having any conflict of interest as per the BCCI Conflict of Interest Rules; (iii) absence of conviction for any offence punishable with imprisonment for 2 (two) years or more in any jurisdiction; (iv) absence of categorisation as a wilful defaulter by the Reserve Bank of India; and/or (v) a person having integrity and reputation will be deemed a 'Fit and Proper Person' to submit a bid.

Under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, the bidder, including any of its group companies, who is engaged in online money gaming, betting or gambling services or similar services in India or anywhere in the world; provides any online money gaming, betting or gambling services or similar services to any person in India; and has any investment or ownership interest in any person engaged in betting or gambling services in India is not permitted to submit a bid.

Bidder, including any of its Group companies, should not be directly or indirectly engaged in the business of crypto trading or crypto exchange or crypto token or any business of similar nature.

Bidders are prohibited from submitting bids through surrogate brands. Surrogate branding refers to any attempt to indirectly submit a bid on behalf of a different entity or Person through the use of a different entity or person. This includes, but is not limited to, the use of different names, brands, identity or logos.

A bidder operating or engaged in multiple brand/product categories, one of which falls under either the blocked brand categories or prohibited brand categories, shall not be permitted to submit a bid in respect of such blocked brand categories or prohibited brand categories.

The prohibited brand categories are: Alcohol products; betting or gambling services; cryptocurrency; online money gaming or any such activities prohibited under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025; tobacco; and one which is likely to offend public morals such as, including but not limited to, pornography.

The existing sponsors of the BCCI under the brand categories like Athleisure and sportswear manufacturers; banks, banking & financial services and non-banking financial companies; non-alcoholic cold beverages; fans, mixer grinders and safety locks; and insurance fall under locked brand categories.

(IANS)

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