Core requirements for the activities in your incentive program

Appropriate roles: Incentives admin | Incentives user

Each type of activity for which you submit an incentives claim has core requirements. You need to demonstrate that you meet these requirements in your proof of execution documents. Some activities also require specific communications types and metrics as well.

The following tables outline the core requirements for each of the accepted activities.

Demand generation

TV/radio

Category Proof of execution
Core requirements Third party invoice or certification statement & report (CSR), Communication material: Copy of (or link to) final advertising piece showing (TV) or indicating (Radio) program-specific core requirements. Review and Approval: Completion of Pre-Approval and receipt of Final Review and Approval is required before execution of this activity

Microsoft content
Communications requirements Copy of final communication piece (based on advertising) showing program-specific core requirements
Metrics Estimated customer (or partner) reach
Eligible expenses Third party media placement

Content development

Fee – agency: Marketing and creative services, including agency fees
Category Proof of execution
Core requirements Company brand and contact information

Microsoft content
Communications requirements Copy of final communication piece (based on advertising) showing program-specific core requirements
Metrics Estimated customer (or partner) reach
Eligible expenses Third-party media placement

Printed material

Fee-agency marketing and creative services including agency fees

Digital advertising

Category Proof of execution
Core requirements NA
Communications requirements Screenshot of digital advertisement

AND

URL of landing page, showing program-specific core requirements
Metrics Summary of results (such as click-through report)
Eligible expenses Third-party media placement

Fee - agency: Marketing and creative services, including agency fees

Direct mail, email, and short message service (SMS)

Category Proof of execution
Core requirements NA
Communications requirements 1) Copy of final communication piece showing program-specific core requirements

2) Proof of distribution can include postmarked shipping envelope or other proof of mailing (direct mail), final email showing dated header, or other proof of emailing (email), or photo of phone message (SMS)
Metrics Estimated customer (or partner) reach
Eligible expenses Database acquisition

Printed material

Postage

Fee - agency: Marketing and creative services, including agency fees

Partner website and search engine

Category Proof of execution
Core requirements NA
Communications requirements URL and/or screenshots of site pages showing URL

Statement of work or service agreement for search engine optimization (SEO) project (SEO activity only)
Metrics Summary of results (such as click-through report)
Eligible expenses Fee - agency: Marketing services, including agency fees

Programming/development: Programming and development fees

Fee - SEO: Optimization and maintenance fees

Microsoft syndicated content

Category Proof of execution
Core requirements NA
Communications requirements URL and/or screenshots of site pages showing URL
Metrics Summary of results (such as click-through report)
Eligible expenses Actual costs up to USD18,750 per usage period for: fee - agency marketing services, including agency fees

Programming and development fees

Media placement

Multitouch digital campaign

Category Proof of execution
Core requirements NA
Communications requirements All Proof of Execution as detailed in the applicable activity page is required

Digital Advertising

Direct Email

Partner Website and Search Engine Optimization

Telemarketing
Metrics NA
Eligible expenses Third-party media placement

Fee - agency: Marketing and creative services, including agency fees

Database acquisition

Programming/development: Programming and development fees

Fee - SEO: Optimization and maintenance fees

Fee - Third-party call center charges

Market development

Telemarketing and expositions

Category Proof of execution
Core requirements Company name/brand information must be included in the telesales script, Microsoft content. This also requires a third-party invoice or certification statement and report (CSR), Communication material: Copy of script, Metric: Summary of results (number of calls made during the campaign), Dates of the specific Telemarketing campaign, AND the duration of the calls made in the specific Telemarketing campaign.
Communications requirements Copy of script
Metrics Summary of results (number of calls and number of successful contacts)
Eligible expenses Fee - agency: Marketing services, including agency fees

Fee - Third-party call center: charges

Database acquisition

Customer seminars and boot camps

Category Proof of execution
Core requirements Company brand name and contact information

Microsoft content
Communications requirements Event invitation and agenda/program

Event photos

Presentation materials if event invitation and agenda don't meet core requirements
Metrics Number of registered guests
Eligible expenses Signage / display / printed materials

Giveaways

Fee - agency: Marketing services, including agency fees

Fee – registration

Fee - external speaker

Fee - facility and equipment rental including Surface devices owned and managed by a third party

Catering (excluding alcohol)

Tradeshows and exhibitions

Category Proof of execution
Core requirements Company brand name and contact information

Microsoft content
Communications requirements Event invitation and agenda/program

Photo showing event participation (for example, photo of booth, photo of presentation, etc.)
Metrics Estimated number of attendees or booth visitors
Eligible expenses Signage / display / printed materials

Giveaways

Fee - agency: Marketing services, including agency fees

Fee – registration

Fee - external speaker

Fee - facility and equipment rental including Surface devices owned and managed by a third party

Catering (excluding alcohol)

Customer offers

Category Proof of execution
Core requirements Microsoft content
Communications requirements Show offer with terms and conditions. Actual costs up to 25% total of earned co-op funds per usage period. Surface partners can claim up to 100% of earned co-op funds per usage period for eligible activity expenses.
Metrics Summary of results
Eligible expenses Signage / display / printed materials

Giveaways

Fee - agency: Marketing services, including agency fees

Internal incentives and SPIFFs

Category Proof of execution
Core requirements Company brand name and contact information – internal contest rules suffice if the company/brand name is included in the communication material

Microsoft content
Communications requirements Show offer with terms and conditions. Actual costs up to 25% total of earned co-op funds per usage period. Surface partners can claim up to 100% of earned co-op funds per usage period for eligible activity expenses.
Metrics Summary of results
Eligible expenses Actual costs up to 25% total of earned co-op funds per usage period for: Signage, display, printed materials

Giveaways

Fee - agency: Marketing services, including agency fees

Surface partners can claim up to 100% of earned co-op funds per usage period for eligible activity expenses

On-site Champ

Category Proof of execution
Core requirements Services focused 100% on Microsoft products
Communications requirements Sample of deliverables (based on what is described in the On-site Champ form)
Metrics NA
Eligible expenses Actual costs up to 100% for Surface and 50% for all other programs of earned co-op funds per usage period for: Fees - services: Services provided by On-Site Champ resources

Proof of concept

Category Proof of execution
Core requirements Proof of concept
Communications requirements Microsoft content
Metrics Copy of materials developed for concept explication or market research data: White paper, case study development, market research, Customer Immersion Experience - Microsoft Customer Immersion Experience (CIE) is an eligible research expense.

Eligible service fees can include setup of a technology demo center and deployment services, including installation, configuration, data migration, testing, or customer-facing system set-up.

Programming/development expenses can include API system development.
Eligible expenses Printed Materials: Research: White paper, case study development, market research, Customer Immersion Experience

Programming / development

Fee - agency: Marketing services, including agency fees

Fee - service: Labor services provided by partner or third-party vendor in support of the proof of concept

Employee purchase web setup for customers

Category Proof of execution
Core requirements NA
Communications requirements URL landing page or screenshot of website pages. Not eligible for Surface ADD
Metrics Fee - agency: Marketing services, including agency fees

Programming/development: Programming and development fees

Fee - service: Labor services provided by partner or third-party vendor in support of the web setup
Eligible expenses NA

Partner readiness

Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program participation

Category Proof of execution
Core requirements Original Microsoft invoice
Communications requirements NA
Metrics NA
Eligible expenses Fee - Annual enrollment: Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program annual registration fees

Plaque and DVD (first set): Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program membership plaque and first set of DVDs

Additional Benefit Toolkit

Microsoft exams and tuition

Category Proof of execution
Core requirements Course code/exam code on Microsoft Learning
Communications requirements Third-party invoice with course code and date of completion or invoice with exam code and date of completion
Metrics Attendee list and per person cost
Eligible expenses Fee - exam: Microsoft exam fees for certifications and competencies

Fee - training / tuition: Microsoft tuition fees for certifications and competencies, including on-demand training expenses

Third-party Independent Software Vendor (ISV) solution training - tuition expenses for training on third-party solutions that can be demonstrated to use or reside on Microsoft applications and platforms

Fee - MCT renewal: Microsoft Certified Trainer renewal fee (no metric required)

Internal training and floor days

Category Proof of execution
Core requirements 100% Microsoft content for timeframe of day or event space being claimed
Communications requirements Training Agenda or Event Program

Microsoft presentation content

Metrics Number of attendees
Eligible expenses Fee - training/tuition/registration/digital training platform or digital training formatting

Signage / display / printed materials

Giveaways

Fee - agency: marketing services, including agency fees

Fee - external speaker

Fee - facility and equipment rental

Catering (excluding alcohol)

Microsoft hosted conferences

Category Proof of execution
Core requirements Microsoft-hosted conferences. Airfare/hotel expenses are capped up to USD 5,000 per person per conference, limited to three attendees, with a total cap of USD 45,000 for airfare/train fare/hotel expenses per period per program. Hosting might have different allowances.
Communications requirements Copy of conference/event invitation or registration confirmation showing evidence that conference is hosted by Microsoft

Transportation itinerary with travel dates (Travel - airfare expenses only)
Metrics NA
Eligible expenses Fee - Registration: for up to three attendees per conference

Travel - Airfare/Hotel: Transportation (airfare or train fare and applicable taxes) and hotel (room rate only and applicable taxes)

Note: Travel - Airfare/hotel expenses are capped up to USD 5,000 per person per conference, limited to three attendees, with a total cap of USD 45,000 for airfare/train fare/hotel expenses per period per program. Hosting might have different allowances.

Product seeding/demo units

Category Proof of execution
Core requirements You can claim up to 10% of total accrued co-op funds or USD3,000 whichever is greater or per program period. Surface PC and Hub partners have no claims limit.
Communications requirements Systems specifications for demo units built in-house.

Proof of delivery for third-party demo unit.

Proof of third-party demo unit.
Metrics NA
Eligible expenses NA

For details, see the Partner Incentives Co-op Guidebook (sign-in required).