Turn Your Microsoft Co-op Funds Into Pipeline.
Inception Marketing helps Microsoft partners use their co-op funds before they expire. We audit what’s available, build a compliant campaign and guide your claim through Partner Center, so Microsoft’s money pays for marketing that generates leads.
Your sprint at a glance
- ✓Co-op fund auditFind what’s available and what’s expiring
- ✓Compliant campaignEmail, landing page and social assets
- ✓Launch supportLive and tracking inside your claim window
- ✓Claim guidanceProof of execution and Partner Center submission
You have Co-op funds available. You’re just not set up to claim them.
Most Microsoft partners we speak to aren’t using all of their co-op funds. They don’t know what’s available, the claim requirements feel complicated, or there’s no time to get a campaign live inside the claim window. Unused funds expire, and money that could have paid for your marketing goes unclaimed. That makes co-op a financial decision as much as a marketing one.
How do Microsoft co-op funds work?
Microsoft co-op (co-operative marketing) funds are marketing dollars Microsoft makes available to eligible partners to promote Microsoft-related solutions. Partners earn funds through their Microsoft business, spend them on approved marketing activity within a set window, then submit a claim with proof of execution in Partner Center.
Four things decide whether a claim succeeds:
- The activity is eligible under the current program guide.
- It’s in market inside the claim window, before the funds expire.
- Microsoft branding and messaging rules are followed.
- Proof of execution is complete, such as the live assets, dates and invoices.
That’s why we design the campaign around the claim requirements first, then for results.
A compliant campaign, built fast, so you can actually claim your funds
Co-op Fund Audit
We review your Microsoft Partner account to identify available Co-op funds, check eligibility, and map out exactly what you can claim before the deadline.
Compliance-First Campaign
Every campaign we build is designed to meet Microsoft’s Co-op claim requirements from the start. Built to the requirements from the start, so your claim is ready to submit when the campaign goes live.
Launch Ready in Days
You’ll have a complete campaign built and ready to go live, including email, landing page, and social assets, all within your claim window.
Your Co-op Campaign Activation Sprint
Everything you need to go from unclaimed funds to a live, compliant campaign, delivered fast.
Co-op Fund Audit
We review your Partner Centre and identify available Co-op funds, entitlements, and upcoming expiry dates so nothing slips through the cracks.
Days 1 to 3Eligibility & Claim Requirements
A clear breakdown of what Microsoft requires for a successful claim, including proof-of-execution, branding rules, and documentation.
Days 3 to 5Campaign Concept & Strategy
We design a campaign concept aligned to the funding criteria and your business goals, so the campaign actually drives results, not just ticks a box.
Days 5 to 8Full Campaign Build
One complete campaign built and ready to launch, including email sequences, a dedicated landing page, and social media assets.
Days 8 to 18Campaign Launch Support
We don’t just hand over files. We make sure your campaign goes live smoothly and that everything is tracking before the claim window closes.
Days 18 to 21Claim Submission Guidance
Step-by-step guidance on how to submit your Co-op claim correctly, with the right documentation and proof-of-execution to get approved.
Days 21 to 25Partner Centre Claim Submission
We help you navigate Microsoft Partner Centre to submit your Co-op claim properly. From uploading proof-of-execution documents to completing the claim form, we walk you through every step to make sure nothing gets rejected.
Post-campaign launchBuilt for Microsoft Partners who’d rather claim their funds than lose them
This sprint is designed for Microsoft Partners, MSPs, and Systems Integrators who have Co-op funds available but don’t have the time, team, or expertise to get a compliant campaign live before the deadline.
- You’re a Microsoft Partner with Co-op funds and no campaign in market to claim them
- You’ve let funds expire before because the process was too complicated or you ran out of time
- You want a campaign that actually generates leads, not just one that exists to tick a compliance box
- You want it done properly, and in market inside your claim window
“We built this offer because we kept seeing the same thing: Partners with perfectly good Co-op funds sitting unclaimed because they didn’t have a campaign ready. That’s not a marketing failure. That’s money walking out the door. We wanted to make it dead simple to fix.”
Let’s check what you’ve got available
Fill in your details below and we’ll take a look at your Co-op fund situation. No obligation. If there’s money sitting there, we’ll tell you exactly how to claim it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Co-op (Co-operative Marketing) funds are marketing dollars that Microsoft makes available to eligible Partners. They’re designed to help you run demand generation and marketing campaigns. The catch? They expire if you don’t use them within the claim period, and you need a compliant campaign in market to submit a claim.
That’s part of what we do. When you get in touch, we’ll help you check your Microsoft Partner Centre to identify any available Co-op entitlements, including their expiry dates. Many Partners are surprised by what’s sitting there unused.
We build a complete demand generation campaign that includes email sequences, a dedicated landing page, and social media assets. The campaign is designed to meet Microsoft’s compliance requirements while also driving real results for your business, not just ticking a box.
Typically 2 to 4 weeks from kickoff to a launch-ready campaign. We move quickly because Co-op deadlines don’t wait. The exact timeline depends on your claim window and how quickly we can access your Partner Centre details.
It can. Depending on your available funds and what the program allows, co-op can cover some or all of the eligible campaign cost. You’re using Microsoft’s marketing budget to fund your own demand generation, and the alternative is letting that money expire.
Absolutely. Many Partners find that once they’ve seen the results of a properly executed campaign, they want to keep the momentum going. We offer ongoing campaign management and marketing retainers specifically for Microsoft Partners and tech companies.
Yes. Co-op funds are available across different partner tiers and programme types. Even if you’re not sure whether you’re eligible, it’s worth checking. We’ve helped partners of all sizes uncover funds they didn’t know they had.
It depends on your program and when the funds were earned. Your Partner Center account shows available funds and their expiry dates. Checking it is the first step of our co-op fund audit.
Microsoft asks for proof of execution: evidence the activity happened as approved, such as the live assets, campaign dates, results and supplier invoices. We collect it as the campaign runs, so the claim isn’t a scramble at the end.
Events and webinars can be eligible activities, depending on the current program guide and your fund type. We check eligibility before planning, and our Microsoft Partner Services cover events, campaigns and marketplace promotion.
Want co-op and MDF handled all year? See our MDF Management service.
Your Co-op funds expire whether you use them or not. Let’s make sure you use them.
We’re only taking on a handful of these sprints each month because they’re hands-on. Get in touch now to check what’s available before your claim window closes.
Check My Co-op Funds