Sponsorship Agreement

Purpose and Background

1.1 This Sponsorship Agreement sets out the terms under which [SPONSOR_LEGAL_NAME] ("Sponsor") provides sponsorship support to aisecurity.llc ("Publisher") in connection with The State of AI Security Engineering 2026 and related distribution, events, educational materials, newsletters, and digital placements (collectively, the "Program").

1.2 The parties intend this Agreement to support independent research and commercial visibility while preserving editorial independence, methodological integrity, and clear separation between sponsorship revenue and research outputs.

1.3 Sponsor acknowledges that sponsorship support does not influence methodology, scoring, findings, chart outputs, editorial conclusions, benchmark construction, company selection, market interpretation, or publication timing.

Definitions

2.1 "Agreement" means this Sponsorship Agreement, any signed Order Form, and any exhibit or schedule referencing it.

2.2 "Content" means the report, article, benchmark, chart, dataset summary, trust-center page, event material, newsletter, social asset, or related public-facing material created by Publisher.

2.3 "Order Form" means the separate document, email confirmation, or signed exhibit that specifies the Sponsorship Tier, fee amount, invoice schedule, asset deadlines, and benefit details.

2.4 "Sponsorship Benefits" means the specific logo placements, acknowledgements, newsletter inclusions, event recognition, private briefings, and other deliverables expressly listed in the applicable Order Form.

2.5 "Sponsor Materials" means logos, trademarks, copy, descriptions, speaker names, URLs, and other materials provided by Sponsor for use in delivering Sponsorship Benefits.

2.6 "Research Materials" means methodologies, scoring systems, datasets, analysis notebooks, charts, drafts, benchmarks, and conclusions used to produce Content.

2.7 "Public Hiring Signals" means publicly available job descriptions, role postings, hiring pages, and related public materials analyzed as market intelligence.

2.8 "Confidential Information" means non-public business, financial, technical, or research information disclosed by one party to the other, marked or reasonably understood to be confidential.

Sponsorship Benefits

3.1 Publisher will provide only the Sponsorship Benefits expressly listed in the Order Form. Benefits not listed are not included.

3.2 Sponsorship Benefits may include sponsor logo display, sponsor acknowledgement in published Content, event presence, newsletter placement, a private benchmark briefing, or access to aggregate non-exclusive research discussion, as specified.

3.3 Sponsorship Benefits do not include: editorial approval, methodology approval, scoring control, chart control, company-ranking manipulation, suppression of any finding, endorsement language, or certification of Sponsor's products or security posture.

3.4 Publisher will use commercially reasonable efforts to deliver Sponsorship Benefits on the schedule in the Order Form. If a Program element is cancelled or materially changed by Publisher, Publisher will offer a comparable substitute or pro-rated credit, at Publisher's election.

3.5 Any use of Sponsor's name, logo, or trademarks will comply with Sponsor's reasonable brand guidelines provided in writing before the asset deadline.

Research Independence

4.1 Publisher retains sole and exclusive control over research methodology, scoring, findings, chart outputs, editorial conclusions, public claims, and publication decisions.

4.2 Sponsor may provide factual corrections about Sponsor's own publicly available information, products, or materials. Publisher may accept, reject, or independently incorporate such corrections.

4.3 Sponsor may not, as a condition of payment, continued participation, or any commercial arrangement, require Publisher to change research conclusions, benchmark results, hiring-signal analysis, or market interpretation.

4.4 Publisher will not use product endorsement language for Sponsor unless the parties separately agree in writing and the content is clearly labeled as advertising or sponsor-provided material.

4.5 Publisher will describe job-description intelligence as directional market signal rather than proof of any individual organization's internal security maturity.

No Endorsement or Certification

5.1 Sponsorship does not mean Publisher endorses, certifies, audits, ranks, or validates Sponsor's products, services, compliance status, security posture, claims, or market position.

5.2 Sponsor may not state or imply — in press releases, marketing materials, websites, investor communications, regulatory filings, or any other channel — that Publisher has certified, endorsed, verified, audited, or ranked Sponsor unless Publisher has provided express prior written authorization for the specific claim and specific context.

5.3 Approved sponsor acknowledgements must use neutral wording such as: "Sponsorship support provided by [SPONSOR_LEGAL_NAME]," "Supported by [SPONSOR_LEGAL_NAME]," or "Sponsor: [SPONSOR_LEGAL_NAME]."

5.4 Sponsor will promptly correct any inadvertent misrepresentation of the sponsorship relationship upon written notice from Publisher.

Fees and Payment

6.1 The Sponsorship Fee is [SPONSORSHIP_FEE_USD], payable according to the invoice schedule in the Order Form.

6.2 Publisher will issue invoices to the billing contact in the Order Form. Invoices are due [PAYMENT_TERM_DAYS] days from the invoice date unless the Order Form states otherwise.

6.3 Fees are exclusive of applicable taxes, duties, withholding, wire transfer fees, and similar charges. Each party is responsible for its own tax obligations. If Sponsor is required by law to withhold tax, Sponsor will gross up the payment so that Publisher receives the full invoiced amount after withholding.

6.4 Undisputed amounts unpaid after the due date will accrue interest at the lesser of [LATE_FEE_RATE_MONTHLY] per month or the maximum rate permitted by applicable law, from the due date until paid.

6.5 If an undisputed invoice remains unpaid for more than [CURE_PERIOD_DAYS] days after written notice, Publisher may suspend undelivered Sponsorship Benefits until payment is received, without waiving any claim for fees earned.

6.6 Sponsor will notify Publisher of any good-faith invoice dispute within [INVOICE_DISPUTE_DAYS] days of receipt, with written explanation. Undisputed portions must be paid by the due date.

Sponsor Materials and License

7.1 Sponsor is responsible for delivering Sponsor Materials in Publisher's required formats by the deadlines in the Order Form. Late delivery may result in omission of affected Benefits, which will not reduce the Sponsorship Fee.

7.2 Sponsor grants Publisher a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, royalty-free license, during the term of this Agreement, to display and use Sponsor Materials solely to deliver the Sponsorship Benefits.

7.3 Sponsor represents and warrants that: (a) Sponsor has the rights and authority to provide Sponsor Materials; (b) Sponsor Materials do not infringe any third-party intellectual property, privacy, or publicity right; and (c) Publisher's permitted use of Sponsor Materials will not give rise to any third-party claim against Publisher.

7.4 Upon termination, the license in Section 7.2 terminates and Publisher will remove Sponsor Materials from future publications within a commercially reasonable time, except that Publisher-archived Content already distributed will not be retroactively modified.

Publisher Intellectual Property

8.1 Publisher retains all right, title, and interest in Content, Research Materials, methodology, benchmarks, templates, charts, copy, designs, frameworks, tools, and all other Publisher-created materials.

8.2 No ownership interest, license, or rights in Publisher's intellectual property are granted to Sponsor except the limited right to link to publicly available Content and share Publisher-approved excerpts with accurate attribution.

8.3 Sponsor will not adapt, modify, reverse-engineer, white-label, or sublicense any Publisher Content or Research Materials without prior written consent.

Media and Public Announcements

9.1 Neither party will issue a press release or public announcement specifically identifying this Agreement without the other party's prior written approval of the specific text, which will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.

9.2 Publisher may list Sponsor among its sponsors and display Sponsor's logo on Program pages, the trust center, and in Program distribution materials without additional approval once the Order Form is signed.

9.3 Sponsor may state that it is a sponsor of The State of AI Security Engineering 2026 using the approved language in Section 5.3.

Confidentiality

10.1 Each party may receive Confidential Information from the other. The receiving party will: (a) use Confidential Information only to perform this Agreement; (b) protect it with at least reasonable care, but not less care than it uses to protect its own confidential information of similar sensitivity; and (c) disclose it only to employees, contractors, and advisors who need to know it and are bound by confidentiality obligations at least as protective as this Section.

10.2 Confidential Information does not include information that: (a) is or becomes public through no breach of this Agreement; (b) was known without restriction before disclosure; (c) is independently developed without reference to the other party's information; or (d) is lawfully received from a third party without restriction.

10.3 A party may disclose Confidential Information to the extent required by law, court order, or regulatory process, provided it gives the other party prompt advance notice (to the extent legally permitted) and reasonably cooperates with efforts to limit the disclosure.

10.4 Confidentiality obligations survive for [CONFIDENTIALITY_SURVIVAL_YEARS] years after termination of this Agreement, except that trade secrets remain protected as long as they qualify as trade secrets under applicable law.

Data and Privacy

11.1 The parties do not intend for Sponsor to provide personal data to Publisher under this Agreement unless expressly agreed in a signed data processing addendum.

11.2 Publisher's research uses job-description intelligence and public hiring signals as aggregate benchmark and directional market signal, not as proof of any individual organization's internal security maturity or practice.

11.3 Any psychometric or assessment outputs are role-language evidence only and are not diagnosis, employee evaluation, medical inference, or individual-level assessment.

Indemnification

12.1 Sponsor will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Publisher and its officers, directors, and contractors from third-party claims arising from: (a) Sponsor's material breach of this Agreement; (b) Sponsor's gross negligence or willful misconduct; or (c) infringement of third-party rights by Sponsor Materials.

12.2 Publisher will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Sponsor and its officers, directors, and employees from third-party claims arising from: (a) Publisher's material breach of this Agreement; (b) Publisher's gross negligence or willful misconduct; or (c) infringement of third-party intellectual property rights by Publisher-created Content.

12.3 The indemnifying party's obligation is conditioned on: (a) prompt written notice of the claim; (b) the indemnifying party having sole control of the defense and settlement; and (c) the indemnified party providing reasonable cooperation at the indemnifying party's expense.

12.4 Neither party will enter into any settlement that imposes obligations or restrictions on the other party without prior written consent.

Warranties and Disclaimers

13.1 Each party represents and warrants that: (a) it has full authority to enter into this Agreement; (b) this Agreement does not conflict with any other agreement or obligation; and (c) it will comply with all applicable laws in performing its obligations.

13.2 Publisher will use commercially reasonable efforts to deliver Sponsorship Benefits in a professional manner.

13.3 Content and research are provided for informational, educational, and market-intelligence purposes. They are not legal, financial, investment, hiring, psychological, medical, or compliance advice.

13.4 Except as expressly stated, each party disclaims all implied warranties, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.

Limitation of Liability

14.1 Neither party will be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, lost revenue, or loss of goodwill, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

14.2 Each party's total aggregate liability to the other under this Agreement will not exceed the total Sponsorship Fee paid or payable in the twelve (12) months before the event giving rise to liability.

14.3 The limitations in Sections 14.1 and 14.2 do not apply to: (a) payment obligations; (b) indemnification obligations under Section 12; (c) breaches of confidentiality; or (d) liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law.

Anti-Corruption

15.1 Each party will comply with all applicable anti-bribery, anti-corruption, and anti-money-laundering laws, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the UK Bribery Act, where applicable.

15.2 Neither party will make, authorize, or offer any payment or thing of value to any government official, political party, or other person in connection with this Agreement in violation of applicable law.

Term and Termination

16.1 This Agreement begins on the Effective Date and continues until all Sponsorship Benefits have been delivered and all fees have been paid, unless earlier terminated.

16.2 Either party may terminate this Agreement for material breach if the breach is not cured within [CURE_PERIOD_DAYS] days after written notice describing the breach in reasonable detail.

16.3 Publisher may immediately terminate or decline to activate a sponsorship if Sponsor's participation would reasonably create legal, ethical, sanctions, reputational, or editorial-independence concerns, in Publisher's reasonable judgment.

16.4 Upon termination: (a) Publisher will retain all fees earned through the termination date; (b) Publisher may remove undelivered Sponsorship Benefits without refund, except that Benefits already delivered are paid for; and (c) Sections 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, and 18 survive.

Governing Law and Disputes

17.1 This Agreement is governed by the laws of [GOVERNING_LAW], without regard to its conflict-of-law provisions.

17.2 The parties will first attempt to resolve any dispute through good-faith negotiation between authorized representatives within thirty (30) days of written notice describing the dispute.

17.3 If negotiation fails, disputes will be resolved by [DISPUTE_VENUE] in accordance with applicable rules.

17.4 Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party may seek emergency injunctive or equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to prevent irreparable harm, without waiving the right to resolve the underlying dispute through the process above.

General Provisions

18.1 Relationship of Parties. The parties are independent contractors. Nothing in this Agreement creates an employment, agency, partnership, joint venture, or fiduciary relationship.

18.2 Force Majeure. Neither party is liable for delays or failures caused by events outside its reasonable control, including natural disasters, acts of government, labor disputes, infrastructure failures, or similar events, provided the affected party gives prompt written notice and uses reasonable efforts to mitigate.

18.3 Assignment. Neither party may assign this Agreement without the other party's prior written consent, except to an affiliate or successor in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of substantially all assets. Any prohibited assignment is void.

18.4 Waiver. Failure to enforce any right or provision is not a waiver of future enforcement. A waiver is effective only if in writing and signed by the waiving party.

18.5 Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together with the Order Form and any signed exhibits, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties concerning its subject matter and supersedes all prior discussions, understandings, and agreements.

18.6 Amendments. Amendments must be in writing and signed by authorized representatives of both parties.

18.7 Severability. If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force, and the unenforceable provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable.

18.8 Counterparts and Electronic Signatures. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which is an original. Electronic signatures, including those applied through DocuSign or comparable platforms, have the same legal effect as handwritten signatures.

18.9 Notices. Notices must be delivered by email with confirmation or by courier to the addresses in the Order Form or any updated address provided in writing. Email notices are deemed received on the business day of confirmed delivery.

Signature Blocks

Sponsor: [SPONSOR_LEGAL_NAME]