Full Alliances Program
Business Playbook

Your AWS program standing starts in Partner Central. Tier advancement, funding eligibility, and co-sell priority all depend on your profile and setup being complete and accurate. This is your internal baseline and your external AWS-facing record.

• Confirm you are on the correct Partner Path Foundation

  Software Partner Path for ISVs. Services Partner Path for MSPs and channel partners. Wrong path = wrong requirements tracked and wrong funding programs visible.
• Partner Central company profile fully completed

  Company description, solutions listed, customer references uploaded, certifications tied to employees (not contractors), and all contact information current. Incomplete profiles are deprioritized in co-sell reviews.
• All AWS certifications mapped to current employees

  Certifications must be tied to named individuals who are currently employed. Expired certs and departed employees are a tier advancement blocker that goes unnoticed until it matters.
• ACE Terms and Conditions accepted in Partner Central Foundation

  Required before you can submit any opportunities, request co-sell support, or apply for MAP. If this hasn't been done, do it now.
• PDM (Partner Development Manager) identified and introduced

  If you have no assigned PDM, contact AWS Partner Support to request one. Funding approvals, tier advancement, and co-sell priority are all easier with an active PDM relationship.
• Partner Central admin access limited to appropriate personnel

  Broad admin access creates compliance risk. Limit admin rights to the alliances team and document who has access.

ACE is your external co-sell record with AWS. It determines which partners get co-sell attention, funding priority, and tier credit. It is also an internal discipline: consistent, accurate submissions signal a partner running a real business, not just filing paperwork.

• Minimum ACE submission cadence established: at least 2 per month Operating Standard

  Consistent submissions matter more than volume. A partner submitting 2 strong opportunities per month gets more co-sell attention than one submitting 20 sloppy ones per quarter.
• ACE submission standards documented for your sales team

  Minimum fields: customer name, AWS account ID, estimated ARR, close date, opportunity stage, and a description of the AWS use case. Submissions missing these fields are ignored.
• Stale opportunity audit done: opportunities older than 90 days reviewed

  Close out dead opportunities and update stages on active ones. AWS reviews pipeline health as a signal of partner co-sell maturity. A pipeline full of stale opportunities is worse than a small active one.
• Co-sell request process defined: when to request, what to include

  A co-sell request with no context gets deprioritized. Define internally what a co-sell-ready opportunity looks like before requesting AWS involvement.
• ACE pipeline reviewed weekly with the alliances team

  Weekly ACE review keeps the pipeline honest. Review: what was submitted, what needs updating, what co-sell requests are pending, and what's stalled.
• ACE pipeline metrics included in monthly executive reporting

  Track: total opportunities, active co-sell, average deal size, AWS-influenced pipeline, and acceptance rate on co-sell requests.

MAP and MDF funds deplete throughout the AWS fiscal year. Internally, this means planning your go-to-market calendar quarterly. Externally, it means your applications are submitted with enough lead time to get approved before budget runs out.

• MAP eligibility confirmed for active migration engagements Every Quarter

  MAP cannot be applied retroactively. Review your pipeline each quarter and confirm ACE opportunities exist for eligible migration engagements before the migration begins.
• MDF applications planned 6–8 weeks before activity start date

  Early applications have more budget available and more time for back-and-forth if revisions are needed. Planning your go-to-market calendar quarterly makes this automatic.
• PDM briefed before every MAP or MDF application is submitted

  Every funding approval requires internal AWS sponsorship. Your PDM is that sponsor. Applications submitted without PDM awareness have lower approval rates.
• MDF activity plans include specific pipeline outcomes, not awareness goals

  "Increase brand awareness" is not an MDF-eligible outcome. "Generate 15 qualified ACE submissions from a targeted executive event" is. Every application must answer: how does this activity result in AWS ARR?
• Proof of execution documentation assigned before the activity runs

  Assign someone to collect photos, attendee lists, receipts, and outcome documentation during the activity. Retroactive documentation is the most common reason approved MDF funding is lost.
• Funding tracker maintained: activity, amount, status, POE due date

  A simple spreadsheet tracking every in-flight and completed funding application prevents things from falling through the cracks. Review it monthly.
• Other program funding reviewed: POC credits, ISV Accelerate MDF, CEI, SCA

  MAP and MDF are the most visible programs but not the only ones. Ask your PDM quarterly what other funding programs your profile qualifies for. Many partners miss ISV Accelerate MDF ($25K) and POC credits entirely.

Co-selling with AWS requires two things working together: an internal motion your sales team runs consistently, and external AWS alignment so field teams know who you are and bring you into relevant deals.

• Ideal Co-Sell Profile (ICP) defined for AWS field alignment

  Document the customer profile AWS field teams should look for on your behalf: industry, company size, AWS spend level, and the pain points your solution addresses. PDMs and PSMs cannot refer you to accounts without this clarity.
• AWS one-pager built: solution brief designed for AWS field team consumption

  One page, no jargon. Cover: what problem you solve, which AWS services are involved, customer profile, and a concrete example of a win. This is what your PDM shares with AWS account teams.
• Monthly PDM touchpoint scheduled and maintained

  PDMs manage 100+ partners. The ones they advocate for stay visible. A monthly 20-minute call covering pipeline updates, wins, and upcoming activities is the minimum to stay on their radar.
• AWS field team introduction process established

  Define the process for getting introduced to AWS account executives and field reps for target accounts. Use your PDM systematically rather than starting from scratch on every deal.
• Co-sell win documented and shared with AWS within 30 days of close

  Every co-sell win submitted to AWS as a customer success story builds your co-sell track record. Partners with documented wins get higher co-sell priority in future reviews.
• Co-sell pipeline metrics tracked separately from overall sales pipeline

  Track: AWS-sourced pipeline, AWS-influenced pipeline, co-sell acceptance rate, co-sell win rate, and average deal size for co-sell vs. non-co-sell. Without this data, you can't optimize the motion.

Tier advancement requires both internal program management and external AWS validation. Internally: certifications tracked, customer references in progress, revenue measured. Externally: PDM endorsement secured, ACE pipeline active, partner profile complete.

• Written gap analysis against next tier completed and owned Starting Point

  Document every open requirement: certifications, customer references, revenue thresholds, and ACE activity. Assign a status and an owner to each item. Review the list every 30 days.
• Certification roadmap built and assigned by role

  Map which certifications each team member should hold based on their role and the tier requirements you're targeting. Assign owners and deadlines. Drift happens when no one is tracking.
• Customer references pipeline built and maintained

  Most partners are short on customer references because they wait until advancement time to ask. Build the habit of requesting references at project close. Have 2–3 references in progress at all times.
• PDM advancement endorsement requested and confirmed

  PDMs have internal influence on tier advancement reviews. Ask your PDM directly: "What do you need to see to support our advancement to [tier]?" Then deliver exactly that.
• Revenue threshold tracking set up in your CRM against AWS ARR goals

  Track AWS-influenced ARR monthly. Know exactly where you stand relative to the revenue threshold for the next tier. A gap discovered at advancement review time is a gap discovered too late.
• 90-day advancement sprint planned with specific deliverables per milestone

  Break the advancement roadmap into 90-day cycles. Each cycle should have 3–5 specific deliverables that close open requirements. Review at the end of each cycle and reset for the next.

ISVs have a distinct program path with specific external milestones: FTR approval, ISV Accelerate enrollment, and Partner Revenue Measurement. Each unlocks the next. Most ISVs take 12+ months longer to complete this sequence than necessary.

• FTR checklist type confirmed: partner-hosted (SaaS) or customer-deployed ISV

  Using the wrong checklist is the single most common reason FTR submissions are returned immediately. Confirm your delivery model before downloading the checklist.
• FTR gap audit completed across all three domains: security, reliability, operational excellence

  Run the gap audit before starting remediation. Security (IAM, encryption) is where most ISVs have the most work. Don't start the submission process without knowing every open item first.
• 10 ACE opportunities shared as FTR prerequisite

  Accepting ACE T&Cs and sharing 10 qualified opportunities is required before requesting the FTR. Submit real opportunities with accurate detail, not placeholder submissions.
• ISV Accelerate enrollment initiated after FTR approval

  FTR is the gate to ISV Accelerate. Once approved, enroll immediately. The program provides co-sell access to AWS account executives and unlocks the ISV Accelerate MDF benefit.
• Partner Revenue Measurement implemented

  Required for ISV Accelerate MDF access ($25K). Set this up as early as possible. It is a foundational tracking mechanism that benefits all downstream program activity.
• AWS Marketplace listing reviewed and optimized

  Review: title, description, pricing model, categories, and search tags. A listing that exists but isn't optimized is nearly invisible in the Partner Solutions Finder and Marketplace search.

A QBR with your PDM is a business review, not a status update. It covers your internal program performance and your external AWS standing. Come with data, come with specific asks, and leave with commitments on both sides.

• QBR metrics package prepared before the meeting Every Quarter

  Include: ACE pipeline summary, co-sell wins this quarter, AWS-influenced ARR, funding captured and in-flight, certification status, and tier advancement progress. One page or slide per section.
• Specific asks prepared for the PDM before the QBR

  Come with 2–3 concrete asks: target account introductions, co-sell support on specific deals, funding program guidance, or field event invitations. PDMs respond to specificity. Open-ended check-ins produce nothing.
• Next quarter go-to-market plan shared with PDM at QBR

  Share your planned events, campaigns, and co-sell activities for the next quarter. This allows the PDM to flag relevant AWS resources, event invitations, or funding windows you might not know about.
• QBR follow-up sent within 48 hours with action items and commitments

  Verbal commitments in meetings evaporate. A follow-up email with specific action items, owners, and deadlines holds both sides accountable.

Run this audit annually to reset both tracks: your internal program operations and your external AWS profile completeness. It surfaces issues that accumulate quietly and ensures nothing is blocking tier advancement, funding, or co-sell eligibility.

• Full Partner Central profile audit: accuracy, completeness, solution listings

  Review every field. Solutions that are outdated, certifications that have lapsed, and contact information that is wrong all affect how AWS reviews your profile.
• Certification audit: active vs. expired, tied to current employees

  Run the certification report in Partner Central. Expired certifications and certs tied to departed employees silently erode your tier standing.
• ACE pipeline full audit: close stale opportunities, update active ones

  Go back 12 months. Close anything that has not moved in 90+ days. Update stages and expected close dates on everything active. A clean pipeline is a credible pipeline.
• Funding history reviewed: what was captured, what was missed, and why

  Build a year-over-year funding capture view. Identify missed opportunities: expired windows, late applications, programs you were not aware of. Use it to build next year's calendar.
• PDM relationship assessed: engagement frequency, response quality, mutual value

  Is your PDM actively advocating for you? Are they responsive and adding value? If not, you may be eligible for a reassignment request. This is more common than most partners realize.
• Tier advancement requirements fully audited against current standing

  Run the official tier requirements checklist in Partner Central against your current status. Document every open item with a realistic close date. This becomes your 12-month advancement roadmap.