Partnerships

1. Scope
1.1. This policy applies to the GBWR group, as the group composition may vary from time to time; the GBWR group currently comprises Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby Limited and its subsidiary GBWR Trading Limited. All references to ‘GBWR’ apply to the GBWR group.
1.2. As a strategic pillar, GBWR actively seeks opportunities to collaborate with external organisations (‘Partner(s)’) to achieve shared objectives through sponsorship, collaboration, grant awards, fundraising and donations, and pro bono services or value-in-kind contributions (‘Partnership(s)’).
1.3. This policy addresses GBWR’s approach to entering Partnerships and provides guidance to GBWR and assurance to stakeholders that Partnerships are aligned with GBWR’s values, and Partners meet moral and ethical thresholds in addition to legal requirements.

2. Principles
2.1. GBWR will not engage in Partnerships with organisations where doing so could compromise its values and its principles (collectively, its ‘Values and Principles’), including, but not limited to, alignment with GBWR’s approach to, and policies regarding, safeguarding, equality, diversity, and inclusion, environmental sustainability, anti-doping, and modern slavery. Additionally, GBWR will not engage in Partnerships with organisations which are deemed to specifically market products or services to children, where such products or services are deemed to have an adverse impact on the health of the user (including, for example, tobacco and alcohol products, or foods and drinks considered ‘less healthy’ due to proportionately high levels of fat, salt, and/or sugar (‘HFSS’).
2.2. GBWR reserves the right not to initiate a Partnership with any organisation which it is not sufficiently satisfied aligns with these Values and Principles.
2.3. GBWR will also have regard to how any prospective Partners align with any values and principles of existing Partners, with a view to harmony between Partners of GBWR and avoidance of conflict of position; GBWR will have particular regard to any values and principles of its principal funding Partners, UK Sport and Sport England.
2.4. In particular, GBWR will review prospective Partnerships with organisations involved in the following industries which pose highest risk of incongruence with its Values and Principles (‘Higher-Risk Industry(ies)’):
• Promoting products or services with significant financial risk to the user, including gambling, high-interest loans and payment schemes, and debt management products and services
• Tobacco or nicotine products
• Alcohol products
• Arms manufacturers
• Political organisations
• HFSS food and drink manufacturers
• Weight loss or dieting products or services
• Oil and gas mining, fracking, and extraction industries
2.5. The list at 2.4. is non-exhaustive.
2.6. An organisation working in a Higher-Risk Industry (including, but as per clause 2.5. not limited to, the list of Higher-Risk Industries as stated in the list at 2.4.) does not make a foregone conclusion that GBWR will not engage in Partnership with the organisation, however it is likely that GBWR will need to work with the organisation to understand, and illustrate to its stakeholders, how it is advantageous to GBWR to do so without detriment to it its Values and Principles. GBWR may also consider entering into a Partnership with an organisation which sufficiently demonstrates its desire to better align with GBWR’s Values and Principles through activation of the Partnership; for example, GBWR may engage in Partnership with an organisation commonly known for its HFSS food and drink products, but use the Partnership activations to focus on its non-HFSS food and drinks products considered ‘more healthy’.
2.7. Further to the restrictions referenced throughout clause 2., GBWR will not engage in Partnerships with organisations involved in illegal sectors of work or illegal practices in otherwise legal activity (collectively ‘Illegal Activity(ies)’).

3. Review
3.1. GBWR’s partnerships team will complete due diligence research to ensure prospective Partnerships align with GBWR’s Values and Principles.
3.2. GBWR’s partnerships and events committee (PEC) will review prospective Partnerships and make recommendations to the CEO and board in line with its stated terms of reference and the financial levels of approval stated in the procurement policy (‘Financial Approval Levels’); such reviews and recommendations are permitted to be made outside of formal meetings of the PEC (including via email), provided that the PEC quorum is achieved.
3.3. Where a concern is raised during the period of an active Partnership that the Partner is in conflict with GBWR’s Values and Principles, this will be reviewed by GBWR’s partnerships team and, where appropriate and in line with the PEC terms of reference, escalated to the PEC for recommendation to the CEO and board, as per the Financial Approval Levels.
3.4. Congruent with its whistle-blowing policy and standards of openness, probity, and accountability, GBWR welcomes all employees, staff members, board and committee members, members, and members of the public to raise concerns where seen fit without fear of victimisation, subsequent discrimination, or disadvantage.
3.5. GBWR reserves the right to withdraw from a Partnership, subject to the terms of the Partnership agreement, where it is not sufficiently satisfied that the Partner aligns with its Values and Principles, or where that partner is found to be engaging in Illegal Activity(ies).

Version 004 approved by the GBWR Board of Trustees at the meeting held December 2024.
To be reviewed by the GBWR Board of Trustees by December 2026.