Partnership Evaluation Template

Strategic partnerships can accelerate growth, unlock new markets, and create competitive moats — or they can drain resources, create dependencies, and distract from core business. The difference between a great and a poor partnership decision often comes down to systematic evaluation versus gut feel.

This template applies four complementary frameworks. SWOT Analysis evaluates how each potential partner complements your strengths and compensates for your weaknesses. Risk Matrix identifies partnership-specific risks: dependency, misaligned incentives, IP exposure, and cultural mismatch. Weighted scoring ranks partners across your custom criteria. And Stakeholder Impact Analysis maps how the partnership affects internal and external stakeholders.

The output is a scored partnership recommendation with full risk assessment — suitable for board presentations and partnership negotiations.

Best For

  • Business development teams evaluating partnership opportunities
  • Founders choosing between strategic alliance options
  • Corporate strategy teams assessing joint venture proposals
  • Consultants advising on partnership due diligence

How to Use This Template

  1. 1

    List 2-4 potential partners plus a 'go alone' baseline option.

  2. 2

    Describe each partner: capabilities, market position, cultural fit, strategic alignment.

  3. 3

    SolveRight scores each partnership option across 4 frameworks.

  4. 4

    Review the risk matrix — partnerships have unique failure modes (dependency, IP risk).

  5. 5

    Export the partnership evaluation for leadership review or board approval.

Frameworks in This Template

These frameworks are pre-selected for this template. All 155 frameworks are available in every analysis.

SWOT Analysis

Evaluates strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats per option

Risk Assessment Matrix

Maps risks by probability and impact to quantify overall risk exposure

Weighted Decision Matrix

Scores options against weighted criteria for systematic comparison

Stakeholder Impact Analysis

Maps how each option affects different stakeholder groups

Sample Options

Example options you might compare with this template:

Partner A (enterprise incumbent)Partner B (fast-growing startup)Partner C (industry leader)No partnership (go alone)

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Partnership Evaluation Template — Frequently Asked Questions

Can I compare different types of partnerships?+
Yes. Compare a distribution partnership vs technology integration vs co-development vs joint venture. SolveRight handles different partnership structures as separate options.
How does stakeholder analysis factor in?+
Stakeholder Impact Analysis maps how each partnership affects employees, customers, investors, and other stakeholders. This reveals hidden resistance or enthusiasm that financial analysis alone misses.
Should I include a 'no partnership' option?+
Always. Including a 'go alone' baseline ensures you're comparing partnerships against the alternative of independence — not just against each other.

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