This study assesses the potential contribution of public– private partnerships to Inclusive Green Growth, which is one of the main goals of Dutch development cooperation. Inclusive Green Growth – or ‘the economics of sustainable development’ – implies that growth should enhance welfare for both current (inclusive) and future (green) generations. This warrants attention for both ecological sustainability and the distribution of resource access. To analyse the potential of partnerships for reaching Inclusive Green Growth objectives, nine ongoing partnerships were selected and financed by the Dutch Directorate General for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation. Using the academic literature on a) the requirements for effective Inclusive Green Growth strategies and b) the potential of public–private partnerships, an analytical framework was developed to be used for data collection (e.g. partnership documentation, interviews) and analysis.