Here’s a practical, build-it-yourself Joint Business Plan (JBP) Excel template structure. This is designed for retailer-supplier partnerships (CPG/retail context), but adaptable for any strategic partnership.

Quick-Start: Excel Sheet Structure

Create 7 tabs in this order:

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Tab 1: Dashboard (Executive Summary)

One-page snapshot for leadership

Key Formula:

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Tab 2: Joint Objectives & KPIs

The "What" and "How We Measure"

Pivot Table Setup: Select A:I → Insert PivotTable → Drag Pillar to Rows, Owner to Columns, Target to Values (for governance meetings).

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Tab 3: Growth Initiatives (The "How")

Specific projects with owners and timelines

Columns to create:

• Initiative ID (e.g., REV-001, DIG-001)
• Title (short name)
• Objective Link (VLOOKUP to Tab 2)
• Retailer Investment ($)
• Supplier Investment ($)
• Total Investment (formula: =D2+E2)
• Expected ROI (formula: =F2/(D2+E2))
• Start Date (Date format)
• End Date (Date format)
• Progress % (Number 0-100)
• Next Actions (Text)

Excel Feature to Add: Insert > Gantt Chart (or use Conditional Formatting with bars):

=REPT("█",INT((TODAY()-Start_Date)/(End_Date-Start_Date)*10))

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Tab 4: Joint P&L / Financial Plan

The money conversation

Create sections for:

A. Revenue Build

• Baseline sales
• Growth from initiatives (link to Tab 3)
• Promotional calendar impact
• Net Projected Sales (sum formula)

B. Trade Terms

• Base margin %
• Growth tier bonuses
• Marketing co-op funds
• Total Supplier Funding (sum)

C. Joint Investment Pool Create a table showing:

Formula for split calculations:

=IF(Investment_Area="Digital Media",Total_Cost*0.3,Total_Cost*0.5)

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Tab 5: Joint Calendar

Meeting rhythm and milestones

Create a 12-month calendar view (columns = months, rows = activities):

Use Conditional Formatting:

• [X] = Green fill (completed)
• [M] = Blue fill (monthly rhythm)
• [Q] = Purple fill (quarterly)
• [P] = Yellow fill (promotion)

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Tab 6: Governance & RACI

Who decides what

Create a matrix:

(R=Responsible, A=Accountable, C=Consulted, I=Informed)

Data Validation: Dropdown lists for R/A/C/I to prevent errors.

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Tab 7: Data & Assumptions

The backup tab (hidden in final presentation)

• Baseline data exports
• Growth calculation assumptions
• Historical performance charts
• List of excluded accounts/ SKUs

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Implementation Checklist (Do This Now)

Step 1: Open Excel, save as JBP_[PartnerName]_[Year].xlsx

Step 2: Set up Tab 2 (Objectives) first—this drives everything else. Limit to 3-5 strategic pillars max (e.g., 1. Revenue Growth, 2. Digital Transformation, 3. Supply Chain Optimization).

Step 3: In Tab 3, ensure every initiative has both a retailer owner and supplier owner (no orphans).

Step 4: Create a "Joint" cell style (Format > Cell Styles) in both companies' brand colors to visually reinforce partnership.

Step 5: Protect formulas: Review > Protect Sheet (allow users to edit inputs, lock calculations).

Step 6: Add slicers (Insert > Slicer) on Tab 2 for filtering by Pillar or Owner during presentations.

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Pro Tips for Success

1. The "One Number" Rule: Every JBP needs one unifying metric both parties track daily (e.g., "Joint Profit %," "Basket Growth," or "Digital Share").

2. Version Control: Add a text box on the Dashboard with: Last Updated: [Date] by [Name] | Version X.X

3. Stress Test: Add a scenario dropdown (Data Validation: Base/Optimistic/Pessimistic) that changes growth rates in Tab 4 using CHOOSE() or IF() statements.

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To customize this for your specific situation, tell me:

1. What type of partnership is this? (Retailer-Supplier, Tech-Platform, Franchise, etc.)
2. What’s the planning cycle? (Annual, 18-month, or quarterly refresh?)
3. Who has the "power" in the relationship? (This affects how you weight the investment split in Tab 4)
4. Do you need this for a presentation or operational tracking? (If presentation-focused, I’ll suggest more visualization/less granularity)

Would you like me to expand on any specific tab or provide formulas for a particular industry (e.g., CPG/Retail vs. SaaS/Channel partnerships)?

Creating a Joint Business Plan (JBP) Template in Excel

A Joint Business Plan (JBP) is a collaborative document used by partners (e.g., supplier and retailer) to align on shared goals, strategies, and metrics for mutual success. It typically covers category insights, objectives, assortment, pricing, promotions, financials, KPIs, and timelines. While no exact free Excel JBP template popped up in searches, you can easily adapt free general business plan Excel templates or build one from scratch. I'll guide you step-by-step.

Quick-Start: Download and Adapt Free Excel Templates

These are the best free options—download, customize for joint elements (e.g., add columns for "Partner 1/Partner 2 Responsibilities").

• Smartsheet Excel Business Plan Templates (Highly recommended—multiple tabs with formulas):
  Download Page

  • Business Plan Template: Full structure (exec summary, marketing, financials). Add JBP tabs like "Joint Objectives."
  • One-Page Business Plan: Direct XLSX (quick overview with SWOT).
  • Startup Financial Projections: Built-in P&L, cash flow—perfect for joint forecasts.
  • Sales Forecast & Marketing Budget: Essential for JBP promo/pricing.

• Vertex42 Business Plan Template: Word doc + Excel financials.
  Download

• Other Close Matches:

  • NZ Government JBP DOCX (copy-paste into Excel): Download
  • NACDS JBP Toolkit PDF (with sample tables like SWOT/Financials—recreate in Excel): Download

Step-by-Step: Build a Custom JBP Excel Template (30-60 Minutes)

1. Open Excel and Set Up Workbook:

   • Create a new workbook.
   • Rename Sheet1 to "Dashboard" (summary overview).
   • Add sheets: Executive Summary, Category Insights, Objectives & KPIs, Assortment Plan, Pricing Strategy, Promotions Plan, Financial Projections, Action Timeline, Risks & Assumptions.
   • Format: Use bold headers, freeze top row (View > Freeze Panes), add data validation (e.g., dropdowns for status: On Track/Delayed).

2. Sheet 1: Dashboard (Visual Overview):

   Metric	Target	Current	Partner 1 Contribution	Partner 2 Contribution	Status
   Total Sales	$1M	$150K	60%	40%	Green
   Growth %	15%	12%	-	-	Yellow
   Add charts: Insert > Chart (e.g., pie for contributions, line for sales forecast).

3. Sheet 2: Executive Summary:

   • Text cells for: Partners involved, Plan period (e.g., FY2026), Shared Vision, Top 3 Objectives.
   • Table for Key Metrics: | Category | Baseline Sales | Target Sales | Margin Target | |----------|----------------|--------------|---------------| | Product A | $100K | $150K | 25% |

4. Sheet 3: Category Insights (Past Performance):

   • Columns: Product/SKU, Current Sales Volume, Market Share, SWOT (Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats).
   • Use formulas: e.g., Market Share = (Sales / Total Market) * 100.

5. Sheet 4: Objectives & KPIs (Joint Goals):

   Objective	KPI	Baseline	Target	Owner (Partner 1/2/Joint)	Measurement Method
   Increase Sales	Revenue Growth	5%	15%	Joint	Monthly Reports

6. Sheet 5-6: Assortment, Pricing, Promotions:

   • Assortment: SKU List, Planned Volume, Shelf Space Allocation.
   • Pricing: Current Price, Proposed Price, Expected Lift (formula: =New_Price / Old_Price).
   • Promotions: Promo Type, Dates, Budget Split (Partner %), Expected ROI.

7. Sheet 7: Financial Projections (Critical—Use Formulas):

   • Rows: Months/Quarters.
   • Columns: Projected Sales, COGS, Gross Margin (=Sales-COGS), Expenses (split by partner), Net Profit.
   • Example Formulas:
     • Total Sales: =SUM(B2:B13)
     • Margin %: =(Sales - COGS)/Sales
     • Link to other sheets: =Objectives!C5 * Growth_Rate
   • Add Scenario Analysis: Data > What-If Analysis > Scenario Manager (Base/Optimistic/Pessimistic).

8. Sheet 8: Action Timeline (Gantt-Style):

   Action Item	Start Date	End Date	Owner	Status	Dependencies
   Launch Promo	3/1/2026	3/31/2026	Partner 1	In Progress	-

   • Conditional Formatting: Green for complete, Red for overdue (=TODAY()>End_Date).

9. Sheet 9: Risks & Assumptions:

   Risk	Likelihood (H/M/L)	Impact (H/M/L)	Mitigation	Owner

10. Finalize & Share:

    • Protect sheets (Review > Protect Sheet) but allow editing specific ranges.
    • Add hyperlinks between sheets.
    • Save as .xlsx; use OneDrive/Google Sheets for real-time collab.
    • Review: Print to PDF or use Power Query for data import.

Pro Tips for Success

• Formulas Everywhere: Automate totals, growth rates, variances (Actual vs. Target).
• Visuals: Charts, sparklines, conditional formatting for quick insights.
• Collaboration: Share via Microsoft 365 or Google Sheets; track changes.
• Customize: Tailor to your industry (e.g., retail: add shelf space; tech: add tech roadmap).

This gets you a professional, actionable JBP ready to fill in with your data.

What industry or partner type (e.g., supplier-retailer, startup JV) is this for? Do you need help with specific financial formulas, sample data, or a section like retail assortment planning?