Partnerships
Partnership is the model, not an add-on
CLINK deliberately avoids duplicating specialist organisations. Instead we create structured collaboration around youth needs, bringing young people and partners together to design and test solutions.
How collaboration works
Six stages, shared roles
Each stage defines what CLINK contributes and what partners contribute, so expectations are clear from the start.
| Stage | CLINK role | Partner contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Identify | Listen to young people and define the challenge. | Sector knowledge and contextual insight. |
| Connect | Bring together young people, specialists and institutions. | Technical experts, networks and services. |
| Co-design | Facilitate youth participation and solution design. | Technical validation and programme expertise. |
| Implement | Coordinate youth-led components and collaboration. | Specialist delivery, resources and institutional systems. |
| Learn | Collect evidence, document results and facilitate reflection. | Technical interpretation and learning. |
| Scale | Connect promising solutions to funders, systems and wider networks. | Scale pathways, resources and institutional adoption. |
Partner categories
Who we work with
Different partners bring different strengths. CLINK's contribution to each is youth engagement, innovation, coordination and evidence.
| Partner category | What they bring | What CLINK brings |
|---|---|---|
| NGOs and CSOs | Technical expertise, programme experience and community systems. | Youth engagement, innovation and partnership coordination. |
| Government | Policy, systems, public platforms and scale. | Youth voice, evidence and youth-led approaches. |
| Universities and research | Research, evidence, technical knowledge and students. | Real-world youth and community challenges and engagement. |
| Private sector | Technology, jobs, expertise, sponsorship and markets. | Youth talent, innovation opportunities and social-impact projects. |
| Professional and specialist bodies | Health, GBV, climate, legal, education and other expertise. | Youth-centred problem definition and collaborative platforms. |
| Funders and foundations | Financial and strategic resources. | Evidence, youth participation and tested solution pipelines. |
| Media | Storytelling, public awareness and visibility. | Youth stories, evidence and solution narratives. |
Partnership levels
Four ways to work together
Partnerships can start small and grow. The level describes the depth of collaboration, not the value of the partner.
Knowledge Partner
Shares expertise, speakers, research, tools or technical resources.
Programme Partner
Co-designs and co-delivers a defined initiative with CLINK.
Strategic Partner
Maintains a longer-term collaboration around a thematic area or portfolio.
Ecosystem Partner
Works with CLINK across multiple programmes, networks, innovation activities and knowledge initiatives.
Stakeholder ecosystem
Six groups around one centre
CLINK sits at the centre as connector, convener, youth platform and solution-enabling partner. Each group plays a distinct role.
Young people
The centre of the model and the primary source of lived experience and ideas.
Technical experts
Specialists in health, GBV and protection, climate, education, technology, research, law and wellbeing.
Implementing organisations
NGOs, CSOs, community-based organisations and development organisations.
Institutions
Government, universities, schools, professional bodies and research institutions.
Private sector
Technology firms, employers, investors, businesses and corporate foundations.
Resource and influence partners
Donors, foundations, media, philanthropists and development partners.
Start a partnership conversation
Tell us what you work on and where you think we could collaborate. We will be honest about whether there is a real gap for CLINK to fill.
enquiries@theclinkinitiatives.org