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Are you planning to get into a partnership or joint venture with another business? Then you'll have to sell the idea, benefits and your future plans to the prospective partner. To win the partnership, you need to present the complete details in a compelling manner.
A partnership proposal template can help you write a stand-out proposal that will explain how you and the potential business partner can grow together.
And there’s real value in getting it right. According to the Ecosystem Compass Report, about 68% of companies report higher close rates when partners are involved. In other words, strong partnerships don’t just look good on paper, they can actually boost revenue and long-term growth when approached strategically.
In this article, we'll discuss how to write a partnership proposal and highlight actionable tips you can use to propose business partnerships. We've also included some partnership proposal templates you can use to get started quickly.
A partnership proposal is a document created before any contract or agreement is made in a business partnership to determine the benefits of running the business together.
In simple words, a business approaches another business to explain why they should work together and how the partnership will benefit both parties. And the document they use to propose the partnership before making the contract is called a partnership proposal.
Here's a sample partnership proposal.
Now let's discuss the potential benefits of a partnership proposal.
According to a recent study, 89% of shoppers stay loyal to brands that share their values.
Maybe your potential partner is in the same industry as you and offers complementary products and services. But that doesn't make the company an automatic fit for a partnership. A successful partnership is made when the core values of the involved businesses align.
The proposal helps you show how your brand values and work ethics align with the other business, giving them a strong reason to accept the proposal.
What do you, as a business, want to achieve out of this partnership? How will the other business help with this? A partnership proposal will include all your future and current goals to help the other company understand how their vision and mission match yours.
One of the critical aspects of this kind of proposal is to explain to the other business the benefits the partnership will bring to the table. You can emphasize the benefits that will help both organizations reach the shared goals you have explained.
Pay attention to this insightful suggestion by Georg M. V. Olowson, which he shared in a collaborative LinkedIn article.
“The best partnerships are built on a joint vision and aligned incentives. If you don't share a vision, it will be a forced partnership and not flourish in euphoria. If you share a vision, but are not aligned on incentives, then you might be happy together, but not necessarily successful by the metrics of your organizations. Check those two things and see how you can optimize your partnerships on these areas. “
Businesses often want to pull out of a partnership ahead of schedule because the partnership fails to deliver the returns as promised. The primary reason for creating the proposal is that the partnership works out for a long time or draws an amicable conclusion.
One of the best ways to get inspired when creating an effective partnership proposal is to look at real-world examples. I searched online and pulled together a few sample proposals to show you.
These are all broad, general-use proposals, not tailored to one particular entity, so they are great for studying structure, tone and what to include.
Source: University of Johannesburg
The College of Business and Economics (CBE) at The University of Johannesburg in South Africa created this Global Partnership Proposal to improve their students’ academic growth through collaboration with other learning institutions around the world.
The most memorable aspect of this proposal is its use of data visualization to share vital information about the organization.
At the beginning of the document is an introduction to the University of Johannesburg using data visualizations that highlight basic information like an overview of their mission, vision and values. It also presents core facts such as the university’s founding year, number of campuses, academic programs and faculties, and its global ranking in the World University Rankings.
Further along, after introducing the CBE, there is another set of data visualizations that offer a glance into the college statistics for 2021. This is followed by clearly illustrated flowcharts depicting the college’s academic departments and research hubs.
Finally, is the list of possible partnership opportunities as simple as guest lectures, all the way to semester study abroad programs and joint degrees.
This partnership proposal is effective because it uses ten pages wisely, sharing all the vital information to pique the interest of a potential partner. The data visualizations are very helpful, reducing the amount of text that the reader needs to get through.
Source: The Cricket Asylum Foundation
The Cricket Asylum Foundation in the UK created this partnership proposal to offer businesses the opportunity to partner with them in a variety of ways. But before explaining the possible partnership types, the deck highlights what the foundation is about and its activities.
Across two slides, they showcase their ongoing projects. Straight after that, they lead into the partnership opportunities by first listing the benefits for businesses that decide to partner with the Cricket Asylum Foundation.
With only eight slides, this partnership proposal is concise and clear in its communication. It also does a great job of adding visual richness so the viewer isn’t bored. They use lots of photos from their projects, showing real people from the community receiving cricket training and forming connections. Slide 7 shows the three different sponsorship packages available to potential partners.
Overall, it’s a strong example of a short, effective partnership proposal. That said, one design flaw stands out: all the text is center-aligned, which disrupts the reading flow and weakens the layout's cohesion. Avoid this mistake in your own proposals—left-aligned text is generally more readable and professional.
Source: PIDA Awards
I chose this partnership proposal example because it’s a bit different than others I looked at. It has a minimalist design style, which aligns with the PIDA event’s values as a design-centered organization. Therefore, the branding and communication style are on point, which is an important characteristic your partnership proposal should also have.
On this occasion, the partnership prospection team from the Packaging & Processing Innovation and Design (PIDA) Awards was searching for potential partners to offer support for the event.
After introducing the event’s purpose, the target audience and the event categories, the proposal shares three different partnership tiers and the benefits accrued to each. The first is the Supreme Award Partnership, available to just one exclusive partner. The Platinum and Gold tiers are open to multiple partners. Each package is thoughtfully structured into three sections: pre-event, at the event, and post-event, clearly outlining what partners can expect at each stage.
So, what can you take away from this proposal? That sometimes, simplicity is your superpower. With a clean, well-structured layout and clear messaging, you can make a compelling case for partnership without overloading your design.
It’s one thing to talk about what makes a great partnership and it’s another to see it in action.
Here are three real-life examples that show how brands are collaborating in creative, strategic, and mutually beneficial ways.
Each one shows how alignment between vision and execution can turn partnerships into real growth drivers.
To celebrate the global release of Barbie: The Movie, Mattel joined forces with Airbnb to create an immersive fan experience unlike anything else: a life-sized Barbie Dreamhouse in Malibu.
The all-pink beachfront mansion, complete with a disco roller rink, infinity pool, and even Barbie’s signature wardrobe was listed on Airbnb and available for select overnight stays hosted by “Ken.” The experience was free, and it generated massive buzz, pulling the Barbie brand off-screen and into real life.
Source: Airbnb
This wasn’t Airbnb’s first brush with fantasy homes (they’ve done Shrek’s swamp and the Home Alone house), but the Barbie collab came at the perfect time. The Barbie film had already become a cultural phenomenon, and this partnership gave fans a tangible, social-media-worthy way to live the fantasy.
Adidas launched its creative partnership with Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny in 2021 and the collaboration is still going strong today. This isn’t your typical celebrity endorsement. From day one, Bad Bunny played an active role in designing products. He reimagined the classic Adidas Forum sneaker into bold, chunky silhouettes featuring unique straps, double tongues, and vibrant colorways that reflect his distinctive style.
Source: Adidas
Each drop is tied to a moment in his career, whether it’s an album release, a concert tour, or a cultural appearance. The products are released in small batches and typically sell out within minutes. Over the years, the partnership has grown beyond sneakers to include apparel and accessories, creating a lifestyle brand that blends fashion, music and Latin culture.
Brand-to-brand collaborations get most of the spotlight. But nonprofit partnerships are just as powerful, especially when they focus on solving real-world problems.
In 2021, Duolingo partnered with two global organizations—the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC)—to support refugee education and access to opportunity.
With the IRC, Duolingo launched a program to provide thousands of free Duolingo Plus subscriptions to refugees, asylum seekers, and survivors of trafficking across the U.S. The initiative also included fee waivers for the Duolingo English Test, removing a major barrier to higher education.
Meanwhile, the partnership with UNHCR introduced a new university counselor role fully funded by Duolingo to help refugees navigate the complex university admissions and financial aid process. This initiative is part of Duolingo English Test’s broader commitment to supporting UNHCR’s 15by30 initiative, which aims to increase refugee enrollment in higher education to 15% by 2030.
Now you know what a partnership proposal is and its potential advantages. However, if you have written proposals in the past, you know that crafting a compelling proposal that is also aesthetically appealing is not everyone's cup of tea.
As a business owner, you might have come across a good number of business proposals. Then you also know what it takes to make a proposal stand out and how time-consuming the process of creating a proposal can be.
Keeping that in mind, Visme offers professionally designed partnership proposal templates to help you so that you don't have to create the proposal from scratch.
So, how do you write a proposal for a partnership?
Follow the steps below to get it done.
Doing your research before you start writing your proposal is the crucial first step of the process. Though you might know that the company is a match for your business and its vision and mission align with yours, it might not be enough.
Look online for information on the potential partner's history, accomplishments, leadership and work ethic. Read case studies, and spend time on their website and social media to conduct an in-depth analysis of the company.
Use your research to explain why you want to partner with the particular company and not others and how it's a win-win for both parties.
Incorporate these tips shared by Rohit Srimal from The Leadership Project:
“Before identifying partners, pinpoint where your business needs support. Take comprehensive notes; leave no stone unturned. While many focus on supply or demand partnerships, I advocate a broader approach. Partnerships aren't just for commercial value; they're also for mutual skill learning beyond regular business.
Create a list of areas where a partner could contribute value, extending beyond commerce. Seek experts in these areas as potential partners. Collaboration should explore skills, not just business values. Broaden your perspective; embrace partnerships fostering learning, growth, and skill exchange.nA successful partnership transcends traditional boundaries, adding multifaceted value.”
Once you've researched your potential partner, it's time to structure your proposal. It is your opportunity to create a great first impression of your company on your recipient. According to Forbes, first impressions in business settings may be formed in just seven seconds.
Therefore, you must structure your proposal well to win the deal. Here are some steps to follow when structuring a proposal.
The goal of your proposal's introduction is to gain the recipient's interest. This section should include the basic information about you and your company and an overview of the topic to clarify what the proposal is about.
Mention any previous partnerships you have done, share the results, communicate your values and introduce your team. Also, don't forget to provide your contact information.
Look at the "about our company" section of the template below for inspiration.
Your purpose for the proposal is what you want to make out of this partnership or what problem exists that you need to fix through it. In a crowded inbox, clarity and simplicity go a long way. Provide clear information about the proposal and make the main message clear immediately.
We asked Chelsea Hensley, a Social Media Manager who regularly works on partnerships, what makes a proposal stand out right away. Here’s what she said:
“The first thing I notice is how much buy-in it requires, especially time-wise. A strong proposal doesn’t ask for a huge commitment up front. I’m way more likely to say yes to something like a quick social media collab we can execute in two weeks than a webinar that takes two months to pull off. We’re all busy, so let’s aim for easy wins first and build from there.”
Be upfront about the request, keep it concise where possible and avoid presenting a heavy burden upfront. The sooner someone can envision a clear, low-barrier path to testing the partnership, the better your chances of getting a quick “yes.”
In this section, talk about how your goals match the other business and the objectives you will establish to get there together.
If you are having difficulty achieving your business goals, it could be because you aren't setting them wisely. Learn how to create SMART goals and achieve them easily. Here is a template to help you with that.
Since you have researched enough about the other company, discuss all the benefits you will bring.
Explain the benefits they can expect from this partnership in the near future. If you are unable to provide an immediate benefit, your potential partner might not sign on.
In fact, according to the Ecosystem Compass Report we referenced earlier, 73% of business professionals say their partnership goals now align with overall company strategy, a big shift from past misalignment. This reflects just how central partnerships have become to driving growth and competitive advantage. So, make sure your proposal speaks directly to strategic value.
Partnering with other businesses without any formal partnership agreements is not a wise decision. Also, partnerships, like all corporate structures, come with legal complications. So, include all the legal considerations in the partnership that your potential partner should consider before signing in.
If you're still unsure about putting together a partnership proposal, watch the video below for more information.
One of the biggest mistakes in partnership proposals? Leaving out key details—especially around pricing.
Fuzzy numbers, vague deliverables, and missing timelines are all red flags that slow down decision-making. If your proposal includes a paid opportunity, be upfront about the cost. Don’t wait for the partner to ask or dig for it. Lack of clarity can stall the process and erode trust before the conversation even starts.
Chelsea Hensley, Social Media Manager at Visme, who works on partnerships regularly, puts it bluntly:
“Honestly, the number of times people leave out pricing for a paid opportunity is maddening. If I have to chase you down just to find out the cost, it’s not worth my time. Be upfront. Transparency saves everyone time and builds trust from the start.”
A strong proposal should feel easy to say yes to. That means being crystal clear about what you're offering, what you're asking for and what it will cost.
Consistent branding is a crucial aspect of running a business. So, keep every page of your partnership proposal consistent with your brand identity.
Consider your brand colors, brand fonts, logo and other branding elements. If you haven't defined your brand identity yet, choose design elements that match your brand personality.
Visme's Brand Wizard can help you with this. It automatically imports your branded assets so that you can create branded content directly in Visme. Simply input your website URL, choose your brand colors and fonts, choose the branded templates theme and watch the magic happen.
Watch the video below to set up your branding kit in Visme.
Keep the recipient engaged by adding high-quality visuals such as icons, illustrations, images, videos, interactive content and more.
Attach supporting documents to your proposal, such as graphs, charts, reports, and other data visualizations. These visuals will make the proposal more engaging, helping your prospective partner better understand why you're the right partner for them.
A business partnership requires a lot of critical decision-making processes from the company's top management. But you should involve all your team members in the process of creating the proposal.
Get your team involved in creating the partnership proposal with Visme's collaboration features.
Leave comments, tag your team members, and edit your proposal in real time.
Watch how easy it is to collaborate with your team in your Visme workspace.
Ready to create your next partnership proposal? You don’t have to start from scratch.
I’ve handpicked five of my favorite partnership proposal templates to give you a solid head start.
The retail partnership proposal comes with a modern layout, striking visuals and professionally designed pages that you can easily customize in Visme.
This proposal covers key sections like about us, what makes us different, partnership details and benefits, next steps, and a clean, organized page for terms and conditions.
With Visme’s easy-to-use editor, you can quickly swap out the text, colors, images, and branding to make it your own—no design experience needed.
That’s exactly what drew in the Denver Broncos team. Matt Swiren, their Manager of Partnership Marketing, put it best:
“We were sold. We were looking for online software that could not only create a library of slides, visuals, presentations, landing pages, graphics, et cetera but fully customize them on our own. Visme allowed us to do both!”Read the full case study here.
This partnership proposal template features several eye-catching pages that are brought to life with unique icons, high-resolution images and stunning fonts. Personalize it by replacing the placeholder text and uploading your brand elements.
In fact, save yourself the hassle of manually uploading each design asset, and use Visme’s brand design tool instead. Simply enter your website URL and let the AI pull your logo, brand colors and fonts to create custom, branded designs.
This is one of the features that made the difference for the Florida Panthers team.
"Visme made it so easy for us to add our brand design and guidelines into the software, which means I don't have to download fonts or colors every time a project needs to be created because it's already there for me." - Bridget Sullivan and Walter Da Rocha, Florida Panthers. Read the full Florida Panthers case study here.
Make a lasting first impression in front of potential partners by using this template. It has beautiful colors, attractive shapes and icons, unique data widgets and high-res photos that you can replace with your own.
This brand collaboration proposal template’s design, fonts and whitespace ensure potential partners read through the entire proposal, boosting your chances of signing lucrative deals.
With an attractive layout, colorful icons and on-theme imagery, this template will instantly capture your audience’s attention. It features pre-designed pages to add your company information, partnership benefits and terms.
This partnership proposal example also includes a short case study highlighting how other companies profited by partnering with them.
The professional design of this business partnership proposal is ideal for various industries. It features a simple, minimalistic layout with colorful pages, relevant images and ample whitespace—all of which can be customized with a few clicks of a button.
If you’re facing writer's block while writing your proposal, try Visme’s AI text generator. Enter a detailed prompt with your requirements, including your tone, audience and objective and sit back as our tool creates ready-to-use drafts for you.
Now that you know how to write a partnership proposal, here are some tips to attract a strategic partner for your business.
The first thing you should do before anything else is pick the right company to propose your partnership. Your future business partner might be from another industry or might offer different products or services from yours. But, you need to make sure that you have shared goals, objectives, vision and mission.
Once you find a business you can partner with, understand their needs and incentives to work with you.
Working with big companies means dealing with a lot of people, which can really drag things out. Therefore, you want to reach out to the company's decision-maker.
For example, you can talk to the CEO, head of business development and vice president of the finance department who approves the budget. Reaching out to the other people in the company who are not in a decision-making position could slow down the process.
Wishing you had specific tips on reaching decision-makers? Nicholas Coriano shared these when he was a guest in the Amazon Seller School Podcast:
Tip #1: Call or email super early in the morning East Coast time
Tip #2: Ask for them by first name only
One of the best ways to approach your potential partner is through an introduction from a shared connection. Here, you can leverage your relationship with your investors, advisors, and mentors.
Provide the mutual contact with an overview of your partnership proposal that can be forwarded easily. Once the introduction part is complete, follow up regularly and set the next steps.
While warm introductions are great for proposals, you can't drop the ball on follow-ups with your potential partners. Tools like La Growth Machine can assist by automating LinkedIn outreach and email sequences while still preserving a more personalized approach. This helps keep potential partners engaged across multiple channels without compromising relationship quality.
To prepare your client for the meeting, it's wise to send a pre-meeting email. Include quick, scannable information explaining what to expect at the meeting. This will help you set the right expectations and keep you both on the same page.
Design your email using Visme to make the process quick and easy. Our email header templates will help you convey your message visually and make your email as compelling as possible.
Once you're done presenting your proposal, listen to your potential business partner's goals and objectives carefully. Allow the other person to do the talking and share their thoughts. This is one of the strongest foundations for the strategic business partnership to develop and grow.
Take a tip from Maureen McCowen from Soft Skills Success and practice active listening:
“Instead of a broadcast, think of your sales pitch as a chance to ask questions, get to know your potential customer better, and experiment with 'active listening”.
Active listening means listening with all your senses and concentrating fully on what the person speaking to you is saying rather than what you’re going to say next. And it’s a skill that you can improve on with practice.”
Don't miss an opportunity to highlight your company's achievements. Let the brand voice sound loud, but don't make the proposal overly promotional. You are proposing a mutually beneficial business relationship, not selling a product or service to a customer.
After all, it's a partnership proposal and not a sales letter. Keep your proposal honest and professional.
Learn more about some business proposal presentation tips to present your proposal confidently.
A partnership proposal format should include an executive summary, company overview, partnership goals, potential benefits, and terms and conditions.
The best way to pitch a partnership is to create a proposal that defines your value proposition, highlights mutual benefits, shows market potential and presents a clear implementation plan.
An effective partnership proposal email includes your company’s introduction, a clear statement of your partnership idea, key benefits for both parties and a request for a follow-up meeting. It’s important to keep your partnership letter or email concise, personalized and focused on mutual value.
You need a partnership proposal presentation when you want to collaborate with other firms, such as for co-marketing or sponsorship purposes. They are used to pitch ideas, communicate complex partnership details and secure investments.
Some of the key elements of a partnership agreement include:
There are several ways to respond to a partnership proposal. You can express appreciation for the offer, ask follow-up questions, request a meeting to discuss further details, or politely decline and explain your reasons.
A partnership proposal is typically 4 to 7 pages long, which gives you enough space to outline the opportunity, benefits, timeline, and deliverables without overwhelming the reader. For smaller or early-stage proposals, one to three pages may be sufficient. More complex partnerships may require 8 to 10 pages of content.
The rule of thumb is to include just enough information to show you’ve done your homework, understand their goals, and have a clear plan. Cut anything that doesn’t directly help sell the partnership.
Use this article and the partnership proposal template to write your proposal and win the deal confidently. When partnering with a business, you might need to create various other documents. Visme's partnership templates can help you acquire a strategic partnership. You can also streamline the creation process with Visme's AI Proposal Generator. Allow AI to do the heavy lifting with your design so you can wrap up your proposal in minutes, not hours.
But that's not enough. Once you gain the business partnership, ensure that all the stakeholders learn about this great news. Use Visme's partnership press release template to get media coverage and partnership announcement LinkedIn post to share the information on LinkedIn.
Sign up for a free account in Visme today and start creating professional documents for all your business needs.
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