Terms and Conditions for Collaboration
Education Campaign
PLEASE NOTE: It is your sole responsibility to review and understand your employer’s policies regarding your eligibility to participate in trade programs such as this one. If you are participating in violation of your employer’s policies, you may be disqualified from entering or receiving marketing fund awards. Microsoft disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for disputes arising between an employee and their employer related to this matter, and marketing fund awards will only be distributed in compliance with the employer’s policies.
By registering for the Collaboration Partner Engagement Program for Public Sector Partners (the “Program”), you agree that you have authority to engage your company in this Program and you accept that you and all participants that register for this Program within your company hereafter are subject to receive email communications regarding this Program and the related information contained within this Program, as well as telephone communications from a dedicated Tele Partner Account Manager. Parties can choose to opt-out of any further communication once registered, but they will be removed from the Program when they do so.
Eligibility
This Program is open only to qualified, sales-team-nominated Registered, Certified and Gold Partners actively enrolled in the Microsoft Partner Program with a valid Partner Program Number(each, a “Partner”), who: (1) provide services to Public Sector entities; (2) are located in the 50 United States and District of Columbia; and (3) are authorized to sell and/or service Microsoft software. Employees of Microsoft, their affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of each are not eligible to participate. Void where prohibited by law.
Registration Period
This Registration Period starts at 8:00 a.m. on January 23, 2007 and ends at 5:00 p.m. PT on February 23, 2007 (“Registration Period”).
How to Participate
To register for this Program, you must complete and submit a Collaboration Proposal for Education via www.microsoftps.com by the close of the Registration Period on February 23, 2007.
In order to be considered for a marketing funds award, each submitted Collaboration Marketing Proposal for Education (each, a “Proposal”) must include clear, realistic and measurable marketing objectives for influencing sales of Collaboration solutions within the Education market.
There is no limit to the number of Proposals that a Partner may submit. However, if your Proposal is selected to receive a marketing funds award, you must agree to execute your campaign (as described in your Proposal) entirely by June 1, 2007, and report at various check points on the execution of your campaign periodically– providing final results to Microsoft by no later than June 15, 2007. Participation will be gauged throughout the campaign execution timeframe and Partners that fail to participate as promised (i.e., execute their Proposal accordingly) will be removed from the Program and barred from receiving additional funding for these or other related offers.
Proposal Recommendations
It is recommended that your Proposal include estimated response rates that reach planned objectives. Partner-led events, either live or via webcast, are also recommended, and, if included, should be included as a tactic and executed using the Partner Led Events Tool at www.microsoftpartnerevents.com. Tradeshows are not acceptable events for this purpose; however, the Partner-led event can be held in conjunction with a complementary association or trade group (e.g., government or education user groups, industry association functions, etc). There will be a list of six (6) additional tactics from which a Partner should choose a combination of at least two (2) to drive attendance to their Partner-led event. The list of tactics to choose from includes:
- Direct Mail
- E-mail
- Telemarketing
- Web marketing (should include method for driving traffic, specific call to action and web form for collecting information, etc)
- Advertisement (media placement should be disclosed)
- Customer Newsletter
There will be a number of additional tactics listed in the template as “good ideas” for improving the strength and performance of a Proposal. The more integrated the campaign, the more likely the event will be successful and ROI will be achieved. The list of recommended additional tactics includes, but is not limited to:
- Offer for assessment or consultation
- Offer for architectural design session
- Use of Microsoft incentive offer
- Use of Microsoft Public Sector demo
- Use of customer evidence
- Use of marketing through or with an association or consortia organization
Core product messaging will be provided by Microsoft through the public sector team. It is the responsibility of the Partner to layer its own value message, geared specifically to their public sector market on top of the core message and include this in its Proposal. Partners are welcome to use Microsoft Services for Partners for direct mail or develop their own custom creative.
PLEASE NOTE: Providing gifts, as further defined below, to any government entity or publicly-funded institution, will not be approved by Microsoft as part of a Proposal. For purposes of this Program, a “gift” is any item of value (based on its market value, not its cost to you).
Questions on this requirement should be directed to the Microsoft Public Sector Marketing Team.
Marketing Funds Award Judging Criteria / Notification
On or around the close of the Program Registration Period, a panel of qualified judges consisting of Microsoft employees will review all eligible Proposals received and select up to thirty-one (31) Proposals to receive marketing funds awards based on the criteria set forth below:
Criteria
Overall Plan Score 11%
Specific Plan Elements 89%
Measurable campaign objectives 6%
Focused definition of target companies 6%
Focused definition of target audience 6%
Clarity of message; integration of Microsoft messaging 6%
Strong call to action 6%
Includes a promotional offer 6%
Partnering with other partners 6%
Quality of database/list 6%
Integrated media elements 6%
Use of additional recommended tactics 6%
Clear start and completion dates 6%
Spending portion of own budget on campaign 6%
(1=10%, 2=20%, 3=30%, 4=40%, 5=50%)
Expected Average ROI 22%
(<5:1=6%, <10:1 but >5:1=11%, >10:1=22%)
The decisions of the judging panel are find and binding. All marketing funds award recipients will be notified via their Tele Partner Account Manager.
If Microsoft does not receive a sufficient number of Proposals meeting the requirements stated in these Program Terms and Conditions, Microsoft reserves the right to select fewer than 31 Partners to receive marketing funds awards.
Marketing Funds Award Allocation
Marketing funds awards will be allocated to the top Proposals as follows:
(1) First Place Award. $15,000 in marketing funds
(10) Second Place Award. $5,000 in marketing funds
(20) Third Place Award. $3,000 in marketing funds
Any applicable taxes, or any expenses no listed herein, are the sole responsibility of the Partner.
All marketing funds award disbursements will be delivered via a Microsoft approved third party vendor as follows: sixty percent (60%) of the total funding will be dispersed within 30 days of period of time] of completion of marketing funds award selection, notification and eligibility confirmation and the remaining forty percent (40%) percent will be dispersed after submission of elements evidencing execution (e.g., telemarketing script, direct mail sample, event presentation materials, etc.) and reporting of final campaign metrics, which shall be no later than June 15, 2007. Funding is not contingent on results met, but on completion of the Plan as promised and reporting by the stated deadline.
Partners agree to abide by these Program Terms and Conditions and by the decisions of Microsoft, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to this Program. This Program is governed by the laws of the United States. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. Marketing funds award recipients may be required to execute an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release within seven (7) days following attempted notification. Non-compliance within this time period may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate Partner. Return of any marketing funds award / marketing funds award notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate Partner. By accepting marketing funds award, Partner grants to Microsoft and its designees the right to use and publish Partner’s company name, trademarks and logos in connection with this Program online and in print in any and all media now or hereafter known worldwide in perpetuity, without additional compensation, notification or permission, unless prohibited by law. By entering, Partners release and hold harmless Microsoft, their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents from any and all liability or any injuries, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with this Program or any marketing funds award received.
If, for any reason, this Program is not capable of running as planned for any reason, Microsoft reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend this Program.
Microsoft may disqualify a Partner from participating in this Program or receiving marketing funds if, in its sole discretion, Microsoft determines such Partner is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of this Program by deception or other unfair practices, or intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass us, any other Partner or if it is otherwise not in compliance with the these Program Terms and Conditions. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY A PARTNER OR OTHER INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS PROGRAM IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, MICROSOFT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.