CUSTOMISING the Tool ‘SDG ALIGN’ to a local small business audience to drive improved sustainability outcomes: CITY OF MELBOURNE

SOcial Impact Advisory & Strategy • TRAINING & CAPACITY BUILDING

The Challenge

The City of Melbourne partnered with the United Nations Global Compact Network Australia to adapt the SDG Align digital tool - an initiative designed to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) connect everyday business actions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).

While the tool offered a valuable entry point for sustainability, its content was originally written for a broad national audience and lacked local context or user flow suited to Melbourne’s diverse, time-poor SME community. The City sought a refreshed set of “Opportunity Cards” and guidance copy that would speak directly to Melbourne’s business ecosystem, its council policies, and the reality of local operations.

The Task

Amplifier Collective was engaged to:

• Customise and localise SDG Align’s opportunity cards and guidance materials for a Melbourne SME audience.

• Ensure alignment with the City of Melbourne’s sustainability priorities, including circular economy, emissions reduction, social procurement, and inclusive employment.

• Review and refine content for clarity, usability and tone, ensuring it would engage small business owners across varied industries - from sole traders to established precinct networks.

Our Approach

Amplifier’s process went well beyond editorial adaptation. Following an independent assessment of the original tool, the team identified several barriers to engagement, including limited local relevance, excessive jargon, and weak differentiation between cards.

We recommended and implemented a strategic content restructure, reducing the set from 26 to 18 cards

Each card was re-sequenced and rewritten with:

• A stronger UX lens, ensuring ease of navigation and reduced cognitive load.

• A “What’s in it for me?” framing, designed for small operators managing multiple demands.

• Dual emphasis on “Good for your business” and “Good for Melbourne”, tying local impact to the City’s sustainability agenda.

• Recognition of existing certification systems (B Corp, Social Traders, Supply Nation, Kinaway Chamber of Commerce, etc) to validate real-world SME practices.

The copy was tailored to emphasise practicality over theory, with each card containing clear, actionable steps, eligibility links to local programs and grants, and a distinct Melbourne tone - civic-minded but accessible.

The Result

The reimagined SDG Align SME toolkit became more than a writing project - it emerged as a strategic communication asset that bridges City of Melbourne’s sustainability frameworks with the lived experience of local business.

Key outcomes included:

• A cohesive set of 18 locally contextualised Opportunity Cards with refined titles, sequencing and tone.

• Stronger user engagement pathways, presenting sustainability as a practical, rewarding business choice rather than an abstract obligation.

• Integration of the City’s ESG Procurement Framework, Sustainable Business Program, and Circular Economy priorities, ensuring policy alignment throughout the user journey.

• A new model for values-led digital communication, balancing strategy, design logic and behavioural insight.

By combining editorial craft with systems thinking, Amplifier helped transform SDG Align from a static awareness tool into an interactive, place-based sustainability conversation for Melbourne’s business community.

You can sign up to the SDG Align toolkit to future-proof your business, stay competitive and meet supply chain and customer demands for responsible business practices.