Partnerships for the Goals
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise global partnerships for sustainable development. For SMEs, this means collaborating locally, sharing skills and resources, building responsible supply chains, and partnering with charities, schools, councils, and other businesses to create measurable impact.
A practical example, local and repeatable
A Bristol based food manufacturer wanted to reduce waste and support local families. They partnered with a local charity to redirect surplus stock, teamed up with a nearby logistics firm to optimise collections, and worked with two local retailers to trial “imperfect packaging” bundles. The partnership reduced disposal costs, improved community impact, and created positive local PR.
- Agreed a surplus redistribution partnership
- Shared logistics and collection planning
- Created a local retail pilot for bundles
- Lower waste and disposal costs
- Stronger reputation and local reach
- New relationships and referral opportunities
They updated their SDG:Zero listing with “charity partnership Bristol”, “surplus redistribution”, and “community collaboration”. This supported searches like “ethical food business Bristol” and helped customers see credible local impact.
Quick explainer video
Hear how SDG 17 supports local SMEs, and how partnerships help turn good intentions into measurable outcomes.
Practical actions for SMEs
Work with nearby businesses, schools, charities, and councils to solve shared challenges.
Offer mentoring, training, space, or equipment to support local outcomes.
Choose suppliers aligned to values, and collaborate to improve standards over time.
Co-host events, joint offers, or community initiatives that amplify reach.
Agree simple metrics, track outcomes, and share results openly.
Listing copy examples you can use
We collaborate with local partners to deliver practical outcomes, sharing resources and skills to strengthen our community.
We work with suppliers who share our values, and we support continuous improvement through open communication.
We support joint campaigns and community projects that create measurable local impact and lasting relationships.
Simple metrics to track
Number of partnerships, activities delivered, and outcomes achieved.
Volunteer hours, donations, mentoring time, and in kind support provided.
Event attendance, referrals generated, and community engagement from joint activity.
Turn partnerships into trust, reach and referrals
Strong partnerships create stronger outcomes. When you collaborate locally and share results openly, you earn trust, expand your network, and grow sustainably. Add SDG 17 to your SDG:Zero listing, then share partner updates, joint campaigns, and measurable wins.