Otters
    Capability

    Market Development Funds, every pound tied to a goal

    Market development funds (MDF) are budgets a vendor provides so a partner can invest in agreed activity. Otters puts the whole lifecycle in one place: budgets, allocations, requests, approvals, receipts and results. Vendors see exactly what is committed and what is available. Partners see exactly what they can spend and on what.

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    Why partner funding goes wrong

    Partner funding usually lives in three places: a spreadsheet, an inbox and someone's head. Nobody knows what is left, approvals stall, receipts go missing, and at the end of the quarter no one can prove what the spend achieved.

    Collaboration fails on friction, not intent. Two partners agree on a plan, then lose a fortnight to "how much budget is left?". Otters removes that question by making funding visible and self-service, with every amount connected to a goal.

    For vendors: control and evidence

    • Set up funds with real structure. Name, description, budget, currency and a fixed period. Once a fund is live its start date is locked, so historical reporting stays trustworthy.
    • Allocate to partners. Give each partner a clear budget from a fund, and see at a glance who has what.
    • See the money live. Committed, spent, reserved and remaining — for every fund and every partner.
    • Approve with context. Each request shows the partner, the amount, the goal it funds and how much of that fund is left.
    • One place for receipts. Every receipt across every partner in a single filterable view.
    • Prove the return. Spend is attached to goals, and goals are attached to deals, so you can show what the funding produced.
    • Closed periods stay closed. Completed and archived funds remain fully readable but can no longer be edited.

    For partners: a wallet, not a waiting game

    • A wallet that answers the only question that matters. What can I spend right now? Available, reserved and spent are shown separately, so there are no surprises.
    • Request funds against a specific goal. The fund's description and remaining balance stay visible while you choose.
    • Upload receipts as you go. Against the right activity, at the moment you have them.
    • Clear status at every step. Requested, approved, spent — with no need to email anyone for an update.

    Guardrails

    Funding always has a purpose

    Money must be attached to a goal before it can be spent, so every pound has a reason.

    You cannot overspend

    When a goal reaches its approved budget, Otters says so plainly instead of letting the number drift.

    History stays honest

    Closed fund periods are read-only.

    Works across currencies

    Amounts convert properly when vendor and partner work in different currencies.

    Use cases

    • Joint co-marketing campaign. From request to receipt to influenced pipeline, with both sides looking at the same numbers.
    • Event sponsorship with a partner. Spend visible to vendor and partner in real time, not reconciled afterwards.
    • The quarterly MDF review. One screen: every open request and every fund balance.
    • Proving marketing return to finance. Receipts and linked outcomes instead of assertions.

    Funding sits next to the plan it pays for

    Funds in Otters attach to the goals inside your shared mutual action plans, and your assistant can report on fund return through the AI Hub.

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    Frequently asked questions

    What are market development funds (MDF)?

    Market development funds are budgets a vendor gives to a partner to spend on agreed activity such as campaigns, events or enablement. In Otters, a fund has a name, description, budget, currency and a fixed period, and each partner receives a clear allocation from it.

    How do partners request funds in Otters?

    A partner opens their wallet, sees what is available, reserved and spent, and raises a request against a specific goal. The fund's description and remaining balance are visible while they choose, and the status moves from requested to approved to spent without anyone chasing an update.

    How does a vendor approve a request?

    Each request shows the partner, the amount, the goal it funds and how much of that fund is left. Approval is a decision made in context rather than an investigation across spreadsheets and inboxes.

    Where do receipts go?

    Partners upload receipts against the right activity as they go. Vendors see every receipt across every partner in a single filterable view, so quarter end does not turn into inbox archaeology.

    Can a partner overspend a fund?

    No. Funding must be attached to a goal before it can be spent, and when a goal reaches its approved budget Otters says so plainly instead of letting the number drift.

    Does Otters handle more than one currency?

    Yes. Amounts convert properly when the vendor and the partner work in different currencies, so fund totals are real rather than cosmetic.

    What happens when a fund period ends?

    Completed and archived funds stay fully readable but can no longer be edited. A live fund's start date is locked, so historical reporting stays trustworthy.

    How do you prove the return on partner marketing spend?

    Because spend is attached to goals, and goals are attached to deals, you can show what the funding produced with receipts and linked outcomes rather than assertions.

    Stop rebuilding the numbers at quarter end

    See how vendors and partners run funds, approvals and receipts in one shared view.

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