What B2B Partnerships does

B2B Partnerships is a London-based commercial development consultancy that specialises exclusively in helping UK and international membership organisations, professional bodies, and not-for-profits diversify income and build commercial capability. Founded in 2007 by Alison Heppenstall after her tenure leading commercial initiatives at ICAEW, the firm operates with a core team of 10 specialists and reports having served 70+ membership organisations, developed 600+ partnerships, and generated £20M+ in new income for clients and their partners.

The firm delivers three service lines: Growth Consulting (commercial strategy, partnership mapping, membership growth, go-to-market planning), Sales & Business Development (a 360° outsourced sales function covering partnerships, sponsorships, alliances, joint ventures, and membership recruitment, delivered as an extension of client teams), and Training & Mentoring (online and in-person coaching for sponsorship and partnerships staff). Engagement-based delivery is supplemented by self-serve and content assets including The Sponsorship Toolkit (templates and training portal), The Sponsorship Warehouse Podcast, and the Income Diversification Roundtable series. The non-profit subsidiary Climate Action for Associations (CAFA) extends the firm's reach into climate and net-zero advisory for associations.

Commercially, B2B Partnerships operates a private, founder-led professional services model without disclosed external funding, app or API products, or proprietary technology platform. Pricing is quote-based and project-specific, with no publicly disclosed rate card. The customer base spans professional bodies (ACCA, CIPD, CIPS, PMI, CIIA, IFAC, CQI, FSB, IIA, IFEA), charities (NSPCC), and other not-for-profits (Climate Group, Carbon Trust, Regions4 & Under2 Coalition, Royal Meteorological Society, Birmingham County FA), with several multi-year relationships stretching 15+ years. The firm reports a 2027 interim net zero target and conducts operations primarily from home offices with occasional gatherings at the RSA in London.

Name

B2B Partnerships

Legal name

b2b partnerships Ltd

Website

https://b2bpartnerships.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

London-based commercial development consultancy helping 70+ membership organisations and not-for-profits diversify income through consulting, outsourced sales, and training in sponsorships, partnerships, and business development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Development Consulting

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology & B2B PR (BPAFADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technology & B2B PR (MPAAADAC), B2B Demand Generation & Lead Nurture Agencies (BPAFAKAA)

Keywords

• Membership consulting services
• Commercial partnership development
• Sponsorship sales consulting
• Income diversification strategy
• Not-for-profit business development

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Business and commercial development consulting for membership organisations, including commercial strategy, membership growth, partnership mapping, product development, project management, programme delivery and go-to-market plans.
2. Sales & Business Development Services: 360-degree sales service including partnerships, sponsorships, alliances, joint ventures, affinity, membership recruitment, product sales and lead generation. Operating as an extension to the client's team.
3. Training & Mentoring: Sponsorship, partnerships and business development training for individuals and teams, including online 1-2-1 learning, shadowing, coaching, and team training programmes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

B2B Partnerships is a commercial development agency that helps independent membership organisations and not-for-profits grow and diversify income through three service lines: Growth Consulting (commercial strategy, membership growth, partnership mapping, go-to-market planning), Sales & Business Development (partnerships, sponsorships, alliances, JVs, lead generation delivered as an extension of the client team), and Training & Mentoring (online and in-person sponsorship and partnership training). The firm operates with a 20+ year focus on the membership sector and a small core consultancy team.

Product overview

B2B Partnerships is a commercial development agency dedicated to the membership sector, offering three core services: Development & Sales, Consulting, and Training & Mentoring. The company provides a comprehensive suite of solutions including Growth Consulting (commercial strategy, membership growth, partnership mapping, and go-to-market planning), Sales & Business Development (partnerships, sponsorships, alliances, and lead generation), and Training services. Beyond core services, the company operates several complementary offerings: The Sponsorship Toolkit (a resource platform with templates and training), The Sponsorship Warehouse Podcast (educational content), Climate Action for Associations (CAFA, a sustainability initiative), Save Today Play Tomorrow (sports sustainability programme), and the Income Diversification Roundtable (educational event series). These products collectively support membership organisations in growing revenue, diversifying income, and achieving commercial sustainability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Sponsorship Warehouse: A podcast series hosted by Kari Allen and Ali Heppenstall that unpacks the ins and outs of successful sponsorships, sharing tricks, tips, and best practices for the membership sector.
• The Sponsorship Toolkit

Products and services

• Growth Consulting Consulting service focused on business and commercial development for membership organisations and not-for-profits, covering commercial strategy, membership growth, partnership mapping, product development, project management, programme delivery and go-to-market planning, delivered in a realistic, hands-on manner.
• Sales & Business Development 360-degree sales service covering partnerships, sponsorships, alliances, joint ventures, affinity arrangements, membership recruitment, product sales and lead generation, delivered as an embedded extension to the client's team using a tried-and-tested approach.
• Training & Mentoring Sponsorship, partnerships and business development training for individuals and teams, including online 1-2-1 learning, shadowing, coaching, small group sessions and team development programmes to build in-house commercial capability.
• The Sponsorship Toolkit A self-serve toolkit of templates, tools and training for sponsorship professionals working within membership organisations, packaging decades of b2b's sponsorship and commercial partnership experience into accessible online resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• Generated £20M+ new income for clients and partners
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Climate Action for Associations (CAFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAFA was founded by b2b as a non-profit organisation providing information, guidance, and solutions for membership associations to take climate leadership and accelerate to net zero. CAFA calculates and reports b2b's emissions and helps implement decarbonisation plans.
• The Sponsorship ToolkitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA toolkit of templates, tools and training for people working in sponsorship in membership organisations. b2b has taken decades of sponsorship and commercial partnership experience and packaged it into this resource.
• Standard CharteredflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor partnered with Royal Meteorological Society's Weather Photographer of the Year competition. Commitment to sustainability and goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2025 aligned with competition's climate mission.
• RSA (Royal Society of Arts)minorOthersThird-party space used for occasional team gatherings. Team primarily works from home offices.
• Royal Meteorological SocietyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partnerb2b identified and secured Standard Chartered as sponsor for Weather Photographer of the Year competition, managed submission and judging processes, communications, marketing, promotion, and social media campaign. Partnership moving into second year in 2024.
• Birmingham County FAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerb2b was selected to plan and relaunch Save Today Play Tomorrow - UK's pioneering sustainability programme for sports clubs. Developed and manages the campaign microsite and tailors content, training and solutions for sports clubs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• McKinley Advisors: US-headquartered consultancy serving associations and membership organisations on strategy, research, and membership growth. Directly comparable to b2b Partnerships' commercial development and consulting practice, though McKinley has a heavier research orientation.
• .orgSource: Association management and consulting firm offering strategic, operational, and membership services to non-profits and trade associations. Overlaps directly with b2b's consulting and partnership development work for membership bodies.
• Avenue M Group: Boutique consulting firm focused on membership strategy and revenue diversification for associations. Closely comparable to b2b's income diversification and partnership development practice for membership organisations.
• TMA+Peritus: Association consultancy providing strategic planning, membership growth, and commercial partnership advice. Comparable to b2b's commercial development and sponsorship work for membership-based clients.
• Blue Cypress Consulting: Association-focused consultancy offering strategy, research, and revenue diversification services. Comparable in target customer (associations) and revenue diversification offerings to b2b Partnerships.
• Association Management Inc. (AMI): Association management company providing full-service management and consulting for membership organisations. Comparable target market and operational support role to b2b, though broader in scope.
• The Kellen Company: Global association management firm offering strategy, operations, and commercial development services to membership organisations. Comparable in serving professional bodies and trade associations with similar commercial development offerings.

Emerging players

• Foreseeable Future Consulting: Emerging consultancy supporting associations on innovation, partnerships, and revenue models. Smaller and newer than b2b but operating in the same niche of commercial development for membership bodies.
• Moore Consulting: Association management and consulting firm offering membership strategy, governance, and operations support. Adjacent to b2b with overlapping association client base but less focus on sponsorship commercialisation.
• Boutet & Co. Specialist sponsorship and commercial partnership consultancy for non-profits and associations. Closely comparable to b2b's sponsorship and partnership development practice but operating as a smaller, emerging competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/b2bpartnerships
• Facebookfacebook.com/b2bpartnerships
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/b2b-partnerships-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/b2b_world

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about B2B Partnerships