Most partner marketing teams have MDF budgets. Few partners know how to unlock them.
You write a request. Attach a deck. List three vague tactics. Hit send. And wait. No response. Or worse—a “please revise” with zero clarity on what to fix.
It’s not that vendors don’t want to fund you. It’s that your proposal doesn’t de-risk the spend.
Here’s how to write MDF proposals that actually get approved:
1. Start with revenue. MDF isn’t charity. It’s co-investment. Frame your ask in terms of pipeline potential: “£10k in support for a 3-event series projected to yield 15 SQLs and £250k pipeline.” Show the commercial intent first, not last.
2. Be brutally specific. “Webinar series” is vague. “Three 30-minute sessions targeting CISOs in healthcare, promoted via XYZ partner list” gets read. Name the tactic, audience, and timing.
3. Add a content plan. Vendors love seeing their brand extended—especially if they don’t have to lift a finger. List the assets: blog, datasheet, landing page. Bonus if you include draft headlines or a content calendar.
4. Outline measurement. What KPIs matter? Leads, registrations, page views, sourced revenue? Say how you’ll track it—and how they’ll see it.
5. Close with the admin. Who’s executing? Who’s signing off? What’s the timeline for funds disbursement and result reporting? No vendor wants to chase invoices a quarter later.
The best MDF proposals don’t feel like funding requests. They feel like campaigns already in motion—with or without the money.
The clearer your plan, the easier it is to say yes. Vendors aren’t rejecting you. They’re rejecting risk. Write like you’re co-owning the outcome—and watch the approvals come faster.
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