A new sports sponsorship website could make life easier for Bay of Plenty sports clubs, organisations and individuals looking to secure much-needed funding.

After nearly a year of planning the website Windowfish finally went live this month, filling what founder Aidan Hobson describes as a gap in the sponsorship market.

Windowfish website founder Aidan Hobson.

'In New Zealand sports sponsorship has never had something like this where it can all be in one place,” says Aidan.

He says most clubs and organisations struggle because they lack time or energy to find sponsorship and the website will hopefully solve funding issues so athletes can get on with training and playing.

'Everyone has this problem, all sports, all regions. Not only sports clubs will benefit but sponsors too.

'Usually they'll have to make X amount of phone calls and no-one's going to do that. So this is a way to speed up that market.”

Sport Bay of Plenty marketing and sponsorship manager Melanie Short believes the concept behind the website makes sense.

Sport BOP has a listing on the website to seek sponsorship for the 2014 Bay of Plenty Sports Awards held in Rotorua during December.

She says they are yet to receive any interest in their sponsorship proposal but believes time will tell.

'Over time and exposure the website will add value to potential sponsors as well as organisations and athletes looking for the right sponsors.

'The sponsorship arena is a challenging one and any tools to bring groups together are welcome,” says Melanie.

Aidan is hoping to hand the website over to someone else by Christmas as he has no long term interest in running it.

What Aidan really wants is to create a business for athletes who need money but find it difficult to hold a job while training and competing.

'It needs an investor and it needs people who are actually in sport to run it - we want athletes to own, run and make money from the site.”

Feedback so far has been positive and Aidan believes in 18 months the website should start performing as it is meant to.

He is optimistic and believes once word gets out there the website will attract more clubs and sponsors.

'I just want to let people know that this website is up and running and we're looking for clubs to join and sponsors to check it out,” he says.

To view WindowFish visit wfnz.blogspot.co.nz