Thinking Differently
How Do We Compare To The Big Six?
Thinking Differently
Real impact. Real access.Real value.
Four questions decide whether an SDG programme changes anything. How much of the framework does it cover? Does it lead to action? Can that action be evidenced? What does it cost to get in? Here is how seven initiatives answer them, including us.
Comparison valid as of 29 June 2026
Part one
The comparison
Four things decide whether an SDG initiative changes what an organisation actually does: how much of the framework it covers, whether it drives action or only awareness, whether the action can be evidenced afterwards, and what it costs to get in. The table reads on those four.
| Platform or model | Goals covered | Activation | Digital credentials | Typical cost per year | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01169to1®Target-level decision platform | All 17, opened to 169 targets | Yes | Yes, via Certifier | £48 to £1999Training included at no cost | High value, all-sector fit |
| 02Eco-SchoolsCertification scheme for schools | Environmental only | Yes | Yes | £200 + VATGreen Flag accreditation | Strong for schools, limited scope |
| 03Outcomes Star™Outcomes measurement tool | Custom frameworks only | Reflective | Internal only | From £255Plus training costs | Strong for services, not SDG-wide |
| 04World’s Largest LessonTeaching resources | All 17 | One-off | None | Free | Awareness-focused, not strategic |
| 05UN SDG AcademyCourse library | All 17 | Passive | None | FreePaid certificates optional | Academic, no follow-up structure |
| 06En-ROADS Climate SimulatorSimulation tool | SDG 13 only | Simulated | None | Free | Useful tool, narrow scope |
| 07B Corp CertificationWhole-company certification | Business practice only | Operational | Yes | £1,000 to £50,000 | High cost, narrow use case |
How to read the costs. These are published annual figures at the comparison date. Every range covers a span of entity sizes, so the bottom of one range and the top of another are rarely the same buyer. A single teacher and a global manufacturer sit at opposite ends of the same row.
Part two
Key takeaways
Three conclusions come out of the table. The first is a claim about price. The other two are about what the money buys.
On the four questions together, we believe 169to1 gives the most for the lowest entry cost:
- Affordability (Free enterprise access for schools when nominated by an SME)
- Breadth of SDG coverage
- Built-in activation and verification
- Multi-sector accessibility
They work, for a subset
B Corp and Eco-Schools do their job well within their own boundaries. Both are built for one kind of organisation, and both cost considerably more to enter. Neither is available to a user who falls outside the model.
They inform, then stop
The SDG Academy and World’s Largest Lesson are genuinely useful and cost nothing. Neither is structured for action or for recognition, so the learning has nowhere to go once the course ends.
Everything in the table teaches the 17 goals or certifies a company. Nothing else in it hands you one of the 169 targets and asks what you are going to do about that one.
Part three
Why we lead
One structure runs the whole platform, and every part of it exists to move a user from a choice to a claim that holds up.
Selection
Choose a target rather than a goal, using feasibility and urgency to decide which one you can actually carry.
Activation
Do the thing. The platform states what counts as having done it before you start, so the bar is not set afterwards.
Recognition
Evidence the action and earn a verifiable badge against it. Every target has one available.
Set to fit schools, NGOs, SMEs and youth programmes on a budget.
On purchase, an SME can nominate local academic institutions to receive a licence at no cost. The commercial buyer decides who else gets in.
Every target carries a verifiable digital badge, so an activated target leaves a record that someone outside your organisation can check.
You can learn about the SDG targets almost anywhere. Here you finish one.
169to1 is fully independent of the United Nations. Every organisation named above is independent of 169to1 and the marks belong to their respective owners. Costs, coverage and features are as published at the comparison date and are summarised for comparison; check with each provider before relying on a figure. All verdicts are 169to1’s own editorial judgement and carry no endorsement from any body named.
© 2026 169to1® – Originally developed by Hudson Consultancy Online. Licensed for internal use. Redistribution or resale prohibited.
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