Research finds almost 75% of Microsoft partners dependent on funding, but few prioritize maximizing it

Nearly three-quarters of U.S. Microsoft partners receiving Microsoft funding say they would reduce or stop marketing activity if that support were removed, according to new research published in Microsoft Partner Marketing, Measured, a study of 251 US Microsoft partner decision-makers commissioned by Resultful.  

The finding exposes a weak point in an otherwise healthy picture of U.S. partner marketing. Partners are investing close to 5% of revenue in marketing on average, and 20% say their own marketing generates more than 40% of the new business they win. 

Despite that, many remain heavily reliant on Microsoft Co-op and marketing development funds to sustain those efforts, yet making better use of Co-op ranked last among 11 priorities.  

The disconnect matters as partners face increasing pressure to win new business and demonstrate what their marketing investment has delivered. For firms relying on Microsoft funding to maintain current activity, losing that support would weaken one of the main routes for generating future pipeline.  

Nathan Selby, CEO and founder of Resultful, said:  

“There's nothing wrong with using Microsoft funding. The concern is how many partners told us their marketing would slow down or stop without it. Marketing is now a proven growth engine for many partners, which makes understanding the true impact of Co-op funding more important than ever.

“The most surprising finding was that improving the use of Co-op funding ranked near the bottom of partner priorities. If that funding is critical to sustaining marketing activity, partners need a much clearer picture of what it's delivering and how exposed they would be if it changed.” 

Microsoft Partner Marketing, Measured: USA Edition 2026 is available to download now.