The logo of Alibaba Group is seen at the company's headquarters in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, November 10, 2019. [Photo/Agencies]

Solicitations for official sponsors and suppliers for the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou has begun, the organizing committee of the event announced on Tuesday.

The first batch of sponsors and suppliers is expected to comprise enterprises in the fields of internet safety, internet of things technology, photography, videography, nonalcoholic beverages, travel services, Western-style fast food and household kitchen appliances, the official notice said.

The organizing committee is making a distinction between a sponsor and a supplier based on an enterprise's contributions and investments and the rights to which they will be entitled. Official suppliers are divided into exclusive and non-exclusive categories to provide more opportunities for small and medium-sized private enterprises.

Qualified companies can apply for sponsorship by submitting materials online. The organizing committee will review the qualifications and go through the materials before determining candidates. All candidates will be invited to negotiate with the organizers.

Once signed up, the sponsors and suppliers will be entitled to certain rights, as well as priority in negotiations.

"The organizing committee of the Hangzhou Asian Games will take full advantage of digital marketing methods, offer cooperation opportunities at official activities and integrate all-media marketing platforms to ensure the rights and interests of sponsors and suppliers," a committee official said.

He noted that there will be a club of sponsors and suppliers to help strengthen ties between members and the committee, and also to help increase communication between companies.

According to the marketing program for the Games, which was released at the end of 2018, members of the event's sponsorship system are broken into three tiers — official partners, official sponsors and official suppliers.

Currently, seven companies, including Alibaba Group, Geely Group, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Loong Airlines, have signed up to become the Games' official partners.

In addition, the first 24 franchised manufacturers and 14 franchised retailers for Games-related products — such as souvenirs — have been confirmed, and seven offline stores and one online Tmall store have been launched.