Month: February 2026

Great on paper. Risky in reality.

Partner marketing rebates can look like guaranteed income. In practice, they are one of the easiest revenue streams for businesses to lose.

For IT resellers, payments providers, wholesalers and other partnership-led businesses, rebate income is almost always conditional. Campaigns must be delivered to agreed specifications, within fixed timeframes, and supported by clear evidence. If any part of that process breaks down, rebate income can be delayed or lost entirely.

What is a partner marketing rebate?

A partner marketing rebate (often funded through Marketing Development Funds (MDF)) is a financial incentive offered by vendors to partners, resellers or distributors.

In return for delivering agreed marketing activity, such as digital campaigns, content, or events, the partner can claim back part or all of the campaign cost.

Rebates are not automatic. They typically depend on:

  • Campaigns being delivered exactly as agreed
  • Activity running within defined dates
  • Evidence being submitted in the correct format
  • Reporting being completed on time

If these conditions are not met, the rebate may be reduced, delayed, or rejected.

Why partner marketing rebates are riskier than they appear

On paper, partner rebates look straightforward. In reality, they introduce several operational risks.

Common risk factors include:

  • Fixed deadlines tied to quarter or year-end
  • Detailed and sometimes inconsistent evidence requirements
  • Multiple stakeholders across marketing, sales and finance
  • Competing priorities within internal marketing teams

Partner campaigns are often treated as “additional” work rather than revenue-critical activity, increasing the likelihood that delivery or evidence will slip.

What typically goes wrong with partner marketing rebates

In practice, partner marketing rebates are most often lost or delayed for the same reasons:

  • Campaigns are launched too late to meet deadlines
  • Evidence is gathered retrospectively rather than during delivery
  • Screenshots, links and reports are stored inconsistently
  • Ownership of rebate claims is unclear
  • Marketing teams are under pressure at peak periods

When even one requirement is missed, the entire rebate claim can be invalidated, even if the campaign itself ran.

The hidden cost of missed partner marketing obligations

The impact of a missed rebate is not just administrative.

Lost or delayed rebate income can result in:

  • Reduced profitability from partner relationships
  • Lower return on marketing investment
  • Tension between marketing, finance and commercial teams
  • Increased stress and last-minute pressure at quarter-end

Because rebate income is often high-margin revenue, losing it has a disproportionate impact on the bottom line.

How businesses can reduce partner marketing rebate risk

Businesses that consistently secure partner rebates take a more disciplined approach to partner marketing.

Effective approaches include:

  1. Treating partner marketing as revenue-critical, not optional
  2. Planning evidence requirements before campaigns launch
  3. Capturing proof as activity happens, not retrospectively
  4. Assigning clear ownership for delivery and reporting
  5. Adding flexible capacity at quarter- and year-end pressure points

Many organisations also bring in specialist partner marketing support to ensure campaigns are delivered correctly and evidence is captured in real time.

Proof in practice: reducing quarter-end pressure and scaling delivery

Lisa, Regional Director at Get Ahead, works closely with businesses running multiple partner and MDF campaigns. She sees quarter-end pressure as one of the biggest risk factors for missed or delayed rebate income.

“We streamline partner digital marketing activity to remove quarter-end pressure from the in-house marketing team.”

Why this matters:
When pressure builds at quarter-end, delivery quality and evidence capture are often the first things to suffer. Removing that pressure significantly reduces the risk of campaigns slipping or rebate claims being rejected.

Client perspective: XMA

XMA is a large UK IT solutions and services provider managing a high volume of partner-led digital campaigns across multiple vendors.

“We work with Get Ahead in a flexible capacity and the value that flexibility brings has been invaluable to our marketing team. Their support on partner-led digital campaigns has helped us scale activity quickly without adding internal overhead. They understand our brand, our vendors, and the pace we operate at and work seamlessly within our existing processes as an extension of our in-house team. From planning and execution through optimisation, their digital campaign support is consistently reliable, effective, and easy to work with.”

Flexible, on-demand partner marketing support allows teams to scale activity, meet partner requirements, and protect rebate income without increasing permanent headcount.

When partner marketing support makes sense

External support is most valuable when:

  • Internal teams are stretched or at capacity
  • Multiple partner campaigns run simultaneously
  • Deadlines cluster at quarter- or year-end
  • Rebate income is commercially significant

In these situations, the cost of additional support is often outweighed by the revenue it helps protect.

Partner marketing rebate FAQs

Are partner marketing rebates guaranteed?
No. Rebates are conditional on delivery, timing and evidence. Even small gaps can affect payment.

What happens if a campaign misses the deadline?
In many cases, missing a deadline can invalidate the entire rebate claim.

Who is responsible for evidencing partner campaigns?
Responsibility should be clearly defined, but in practice this is often where problems arise.

Can rebate income be delayed even if campaigns run?
Yes. Delays in submitting evidence or reporting can delay payments by weeks or months.

In summary

Partner marketing rebates can deliver valuable income, but only when campaigns are delivered properly and evidenced correctly.

Capacity gaps, unclear ownership and quarter-end pressure are the most common reasons rebate income is lost. Businesses that plan for these risks and allocate resources accordingly are far more likely to secure the revenue their partnerships promise.

If you’d like to firm up your rebates, you can read more here or contact us today to find out more. 

Access to Work funding could be the transformation your business needs. Whether you’re increasing the diversity of your team, tapping into a vital skill set or adapting for an existing employee, applying for funding could be the solution.

In this blog, we look at Access to Work funding and how it can transform your business.

What is Access to Work funding?

Access to Work is a government scheme aimed at enabling people with disabilities of all kinds to get more from their working lives. Under the Equality Act 2010, employers have to make “reasonable adjustments” to accommodate their team members’ needs. However, some adaptations fall outside this, like specialist equipment. This is where Access to Work funding comes in. It can cover solutions such as coaches, sign language translators and mental health support services. It can also pay for travel support and adaptations for premises. And it also covers the cost of disability awareness training for colleagues of people receiving Access to Work funding.

You can apply for Access to Work funding to support the needs of disabled people you already employ or are about to employ. You can also apply if one of your existing team members becomes disabled and needs extra support to continue in their role. If you’re self-employed and have a disability, you can apply to Access to Work to fund the additional support you need to run your business.

How can Access to Work help transform your business?

Access to Work breaks down the barriers to employing someone with the right skills and experience.  And with exactly the right person in the job, you can take your business to the next level. 

Employ the best person for the job

For example, you might be looking for a new team member. You find a really strong candidate, but they have a disability which means they need specific computer software to do their job. Only your budget can’t cover the cost of the software. This is where Access to Work comes in – it could pay for the software, enabling you to employ a person who could make a tangible difference to your business. 

Gain new perspectives

Everyone has something to bring to the workplace. And when you diversify your workforce, everyone benefits. Employing people who have a different experience of the world is a great way to learn about different perspectives and transform what you offer. 

This could lead to your business offering new products and services. Or it might change your marketing – even your operation – for the better. 

Raise standards in equality, diversity and inclusion

It’s easy to think we’re all the same – and in lots of ways, we are! But when we work with a more diverse group of people, we can all grow as human beings. Becoming more inclusive is a valuable type of business transformation, raising standards in corporate practice and generating business growth. 

How can Get Ahead help with Access to Work

Get Ahead supports businesses with Access to Work in three ways. 

  1. Our team of experts can support businesses to apply for Access to Work funding, freeing up business leaders to concentrate on their core tasks. 
  2. We can also provide the support you might be looking to fund, like business coaching, diary management, note taking and more. 
  3. Our HR team can help employers navigate the Equality Act 2010 so you know you’re complying with UK law. They can also support you in developing inclusive job adverts, policies and handbooks so you can attract and keep the right candidates to transform your business. 
Access to Work with Get Ahead

Get Ahead can help you get the most from Access to Working funding. To find out more, explore our Access to Work pages. Follow us on social media too and find out what we’re up to!