Earn cooperative marketing funds

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Appropriate roles: Incentives admin | Incentives user

Cooperative (co-op) marketing funds are funds that you earn through Microsoft Incentive Programs by claiming reimbursement for activities that support Microsoft product awareness.

Co-op funds help you to conduct marketing activities that increase brand awareness and drive growth of your sales pipeline.

You can invest co-op funds in activities to facilitate readiness, develop specializations, or attain Microsoft certifications—activities that foster focused solution practices and Centers of Excellence.

To learn more about co-op funds, see Co-op Funds Resources.

Important

Co-op claims do not apply to the Online Services Advisory (OSA) Sell, Online Services Usage (OSU)-Microsoft 365, or OSU-Business Application incentive programs. To submit a claim for one of these programs, see Create a customer association using the CPOR model.

How co-op funds are calculated

Microsoft calculates eligible incentive earnings using a percentage split (such as 60% rebate, 40% co-op). You receive the rebate portion at the existing payout cadence for your individual program, and Microsoft accrues the co-op portion of incentive earnings.

To learn more about the payout cadence and percentage split in your incentives program, see your incentive program guide.

Note

If your co-op earnings are below the threshold in the co-op earning period, your co-op earnings are converted to a rebate at the end of the semester. For details or to determine the threshold amount, see co-op threshold.

When to claim your funds

The timeline for co-op funds is divided into two six-month periods, H1 and H2. (The "H" stands for half of a fiscal year.)

  • H1 is the first half of the fiscal year, July 1 - December 31.
  • H2 is the second half of the fiscal year, January 1 - June 30.

You accrue earnings during a six-month earning period.

You must use your reimbursement during the following six-month usage period.

You can claim reimbursement during a six-month claiming period.

If you don't use your earnings by the end of the usage period, you forfeit them.

The following table shows examples of earning, usage, and claiming periods.

If your earning period is Your fiscal half-year period is Your usage period is Your claiming period is
July - Dec 2022 FY23 H1 Jan - June 2023 Feb 16 - Aug 15 2023
Jan - June 2023 FY23 H2 July - Dec 2023 Aug 16 2023 - Feb 15 2024
July - Dec 2023 FY24 H1 Jan - June 2024 Feb 16 - Aug 15 2024
Jan - June 2024 FY24 H2 July - Dec 2024 Aug 16 2024 - Feb 15 2025

Unless otherwise noted, periods extend from the first day of the first month to the last day of the last month.

Note

Microsoft reserves the right to request original proof of execution (PoE) documents. You should keep all of your original documents for 24 months after the activity date.

Resources

The following resources will help you get started working with co-op claims.

To do this Read this
Submit a claim. Create and manage an incentives program co-op claim
Manage a submitted claim. Create and manage an incentives program co-op claim
Understand core requirements for the activity claim. Core requirements for the activities in your incentive program
Review your incentives program details. Partner Incentives Co-op Guidebook
Create a customer association and submit a claim. Create a customer association using the CPOR model

Next steps