Partnership opportunities appear. Some look promising. Others seem risky. But how do you compare them objectively?
Without a scorecard, you guess. You rely on gut feeling. You make mistakes.
A partnership fit scorecard evaluates potential partners across risk and reward. It creates objectivity. It enables comparison. It prevents costly mistakes.
This scorecard template helps you evaluate any partnership opportunity systematically.
Key Takeaways
- Define criteria—establish evaluation dimensions
- Score partners—rate each opportunity
- Calculate totals—sum risk and reward scores
- Compare options—rank partnership opportunities
- Make decision—choose best partner fit
Table of Contents
Scorecard Overview
The scorecard evaluates partnerships across two dimensions: reward and risk.
Reward dimensions measure potential benefits. Higher scores mean better opportunities.
Risk dimensions measure potential problems. Lower scores mean safer opportunities.
Total score combines both dimensions. Higher total scores mean better overall fit.
Pro tip: Use our TAM SAM SOM Calculator to evaluate market opportunity and inform partnership decisions. Calculate market size to understand partnership potential.
Reward Dimensions
Score each partnership on these reward factors.
Revenue Potential
Score revenue potential (1-10):
- Market size opportunity
- Revenue growth potential
- Profitability prospects
Why this matters: Revenue potential shows financial benefit. If you score revenue, you see financial benefit.
Strategic Value
Score strategic value (1-10):
- Market access benefits
- Capability enhancement
- Competitive advantage
Why this matters: Strategic value shows non-financial benefit. If you score strategic value, you see non-financial benefit.
Resource Access
Score resource access (1-10):
- Technology access
- Talent access
- Infrastructure access
Why this matters: Resource access shows capability benefit. If you score resources, you see capability benefit.
Brand Enhancement
Score brand enhancement (1-10):
- Reputation improvement
- Market positioning
- Credibility boost
Why this matters: Brand enhancement shows reputation benefit. If you score brand, you see reputation benefit.
Total Reward Score
Sum reward dimensions:
- Add all reward scores
- Maximum possible: 40
- Higher is better
Why this matters: Total reward shows overall benefit. If you sum scores, you see overall benefit.
Risk Dimensions
Score each partnership on these risk factors. Lower scores mean lower risk.
Financial Risk
Score financial risk (1-10, lower is better):
- Investment required
- Revenue sharing complexity
- Financial exposure
Why this matters: Financial risk shows money risk. If you score financial risk, you see money risk.
Operational Risk
Score operational risk (1-10, lower is better):
- Integration complexity
- Process alignment challenges
- Operational friction
Why this matters: Operational risk shows execution risk. If you score operational risk, you see execution risk.
Reputation Risk
Score reputation risk (1-10, lower is better):
- Partner brand issues
- Association concerns
- Reputation exposure
Why this matters: Reputation risk shows brand risk. If you score reputation risk, you see brand risk.
Legal Risk
Score legal risk (1-10, lower is better):
- Contract complexity
- Liability exposure
- Compliance requirements
Why this matters: Legal risk shows legal exposure. If you score legal risk, you see legal exposure.
Total Risk Score
Sum risk dimensions:
- Add all risk scores
- Maximum possible: 40
- Lower is better
Why this matters: Total risk shows overall exposure. If you sum risk scores, you see overall exposure.
Scoring Process
Follow this process to score each partnership opportunity.
Step 1: Gather Information
Collect partner data:
- Financial information
- Operational details
- Strategic information
- Legal considerations
Why this matters: Information enables scoring. If you gather information, scoring improves.
Step 2: Score Reward Dimensions
Rate each reward dimension:
- Revenue potential: 1-10
- Strategic value: 1-10
- Resource access: 1-10
- Brand enhancement: 1-10
Why this matters: Reward scoring shows benefits. If you score rewards, you see benefits.
Step 3: Score Risk Dimensions
Rate each risk dimension:
- Financial risk: 1-10 (lower better)
- Operational risk: 1-10 (lower better)
- Reputation risk: 1-10 (lower better)
- Legal risk: 1-10 (lower better)
Why this matters: Risk scoring shows exposure. If you score risks, you see exposure.
Step 4: Calculate Net Score
Calculate net score:
- Net score = Total reward - Total risk
- Higher net score = Better fit
- Compare net scores across partners
Why this matters: Net score shows overall fit. If you calculate net score, you see overall fit.
Decision Framework
Use net scores to make partnership decisions.
High Net Score (20+)
Proceed with partnership:
- Strong reward potential
- Acceptable risk level
- Good overall fit
Why this matters: High scores show strong fit. If you see high scores, fit is strong.
Medium Net Score (10-19)
Proceed with caution:
- Moderate reward potential
- Moderate risk level
- Acceptable fit
Why this matters: Medium scores show acceptable fit. If you see medium scores, fit is acceptable.
Low Net Score (0-9)
Reconsider partnership:
- Limited reward potential
- High risk level
- Poor fit
Why this matters: Low scores show poor fit. If you see low scores, fit is poor.
Negative Net Score
Avoid partnership:
- Risk exceeds reward
- Dangerous exposure
- Bad fit
Why this matters: Negative scores show bad fit. If you see negative scores, avoid partnership.
Pro tip: Use our TAM SAM SOM Calculator to evaluate market opportunity and inform partnership decisions. Calculate market size to understand partnership potential.
Your Next Steps
Partnership scorecards enable objective evaluation. Define criteria, score partners, calculate totals, then compare options to make informed decisions.
This Week:
- Begin defining reward and risk dimensions using our TAM SAM SOM Calculator
- Start scoring current partnership opportunities
- Begin calculating net scores
- Start comparing partnership options
This Month:
- Complete scorecard framework
- Score all potential partnerships
- Rank partnerships by net score
- Make partnership decisions
Going Forward:
- Continuously update scores as information changes
- Re-evaluate partnerships regularly
- Refine scorecard based on experience
- Use scorecard for all partnership decisions
Need help? Check out our TAM SAM SOM Calculator for market evaluation, our partnership patterns guide for success factors, our financial modeling guide for partnership economics, and our warning signs guide for risk identification.
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Sources & Additional Information
This guide provides general information about partnership evaluation. Your specific situation may require different considerations.
For market size analysis, see our TAM SAM SOM Calculator.
Consult with professionals for advice specific to your situation.
