While much research utilisation literature shows an increasing emphasis on the added value of structural partnerships, which should facilitate prolonged interactions between researchers, policy makers and professionals, the question of how such collaborative structures develop over time and what consequences that has in terms of collaboration is usually neglected. This paper offers an empirical analysis of a Dutch partnership format developed over a period of four years, based on two interview rounds conducted between 2007 and 2010, supplemented with document analysis and a focus group. It focuses on changing challenges and dilemmas in different development stages and outlines which strategies are used.