The Integration Kickstarter Fund (IKF) is a budget that we can award to partners who build an integration into our platform. The funding is available to all technology and agency partners and to apply for it you must create a pitch to tell us how and why you think you'd be a suitable recipient.
A payment from the IKF is a one-time award for building the integration and there are no recurring payments.
Eligibility
To be eligible to receive a payment from the Integration Kickstarter Fund, you must:
Already have active mutual customers with Dotdigital or be willing to refer customers to Dotdigital.
Be able to clearly state the type of integration you are looking to create.
This doesn’t need to be a deeply technical explanation, but you should provide a clear overview of use cases and how your integration caters to these.
Be willing to use Dotdigital API’s and state clearly who will be building the integration.
Will you build the integration in-house or use a third party?
Agree with the Integration Kickstarter Fund terms and conditions.
Your partner manager provides you with a copy of these terms for review.
Understand that verification by Dotdigital is required once the integration has been completed.
The process
If you believe that your organisation is a suitable candidate for an award from the fund, then the first step is to speak with your Partner Manager (PM) at Dotdigital.
Once you have agreed with them to make an application to the fund, they complete the application form on your behalf and share this with our Technology Partner Engineer (TPE) for review. The TPE and PM discuss the application for suitability and take the opportunity to raise and discuss any potential technical issues.
If the TPE and your PM agree that the proposed integration may be suitable for an award from the fund, then:
Your PM creates a pitch presentation to be presented to the IKF panel for consideration. They review this presentation with the TPE who suggests any amendments that may be required and then arranges the IKF panel meeting.
Your PM presents the pitch to the IKF panel. The panel then communicates their decision verbally and in writing.
If you're successful, your PM notifies you as soon as possible so that you can start work on the integration. Our Technology Partner Engineer is available to help you if you need it.
If you're unsuccessful, your PM provides you with the reasons why your application was rejected, in writing, and can also advise on the possibility to reapply at a later date.
Development and verification
Once you receive confirmation that your grant request has been accepted, you can begin development of the integration. If you need any assistance from Dotdigital, our Technology Partner Engineer is on hand to help with any questions you might have.
Once you have completed development, you must notify your Partner Manager and the Technology Partner Engineer. The TPE then sends you the verification form to complete.
Learn more about our integration verification process.
Once you return the form, and the TPE is happy that all sections have been completed satisfactorily, a call is arranged for you to demo the integration and answer any final questions from the Dotdigital team.
Once the verification process is successfully completed, you can raise the invoice for the agreed amount awarded to you from the IKF. The invoice is checked and signed off by our team, and payment is made to you.