Partner & Vendor Templates

Load this file for partnership intros, negotiation, SOWs, vendor management, and terminations.

Partnership Introduction — Cold Outreach

Subject: [Your Company] + [Their Company] — potential fit?

Hi [Name],

I've been following [Their Company] for a while — [specific thing you respect about them
or their product].

I'm building [Your Company], which [one sentence: what you do and for whom].
Our customers are [ICP] — which I suspect overlaps significantly with yours.

I think there's a potential [referral / integration / co-marketing / reseller] opportunity
worth exploring. No pitch — just a 20-minute conversation to see if there's something here.

Would you be open to connecting?

[Your name]
[Title], [Company]
[Email] | [Website]

Partnership Proposal — Follow-Up After Intro Call

Subject: [Your Company] + [Their Company] — proposed next steps

Hi [Name],

Great talking today. Here's a summary of what we discussed and a proposed structure:

THE OPPORTUNITY
[2–3 sentences: shared customer base, complementary products, why this makes sense now]

PROPOSED STRUCTURE
[Option A — Referral partnership]: We refer customers to each other.
  → [Your Company] pays [X]% / [Their Company] pays [X]%
  → Tracking: [UTM links / coupon codes / CRM tagging]

[Option B — Integration]: Our products connect via [API / native integration].
  → [Brief technical description]
  → Launch timeline: [X weeks]

[Option C — Co-marketing]: Joint content, webinar, or announcement.
  → Topic: [Idea]
  → Timeline: [Date]

SUCCESS METRICS
How we'll know it's working: [Referrals/month, pipeline generated, revenue shared]

PILOT PERIOD
90-day pilot with a review call at 45 days.

What would make this a yes for you?

[Name]

Vendor / Contractor Negotiation Email

Subject: Re: [Service / Proposal]

Hi [Name],

Thank you for the proposal — I've reviewed it and want to move forward,
but I need to work within some constraints.

OUR BUDGET
We have $[X] for this scope. Is there a version of this engagement that works at that number?

ALTERNATIVELY
If the budget doesn't work, could we:
• [Reduce scope to X deliverable]
• [Phase the project — start with X now, add Y in Q2]
• [Defer to [Date] when budget resets]

I want to work with you on this — let me know what's possible.

[Name]

Vendor Onboarding / Kickoff

Subject: [Project name] — kickoff details + what we need from you

Hi [Name],

We're ready to move forward. Here's everything to get started:

PROJECT OVERVIEW
[2 sentences: what we're building together and why]

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU BY [DATE]
• [Deliverable 1]
• [Deliverable 2]
• [Access or credentials needed]

WHAT YOU'LL HAVE FROM US BY [DATE]
• [Brief / specs / assets]
• [Feedback turnaround time]
• [Point of contact for questions]

COMMUNICATION
Primary contact: [Name] — [Email] — [Slack/preferred channel]
Meeting cadence: [Weekly check-in / async updates / milestone reviews]

TIMELINE
[Key milestone 1]: [Date]
[Key milestone 2]: [Date]
Final delivery: [Date]

Questions before we start? Reply here.

[Name]

Statement of Work (SOW) — Summary Template

STATEMENT OF WORK

Project: [Name]
Client: [Your Company]
Vendor: [Vendor Company]
Date: [Date]

SCOPE
[Vendor] will deliver:
• [Deliverable 1 — specific, measurable]
• [Deliverable 2 — specific, measurable]
• [Deliverable 3 — specific, measurable]

OUT OF SCOPE
The following are NOT included in this engagement:
• [Item 1]
• [Item 2]

TIMELINE
Start: [Date]
[Milestone 1]: [Date]
Final delivery: [Date]

FEES
Total: $[X]
Payment schedule: [50% on signing / 50% on delivery] or [Net 30 invoices]

REVISIONS
Included: [X] rounds of revisions
Additional revisions: $[X]/hr

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
All deliverables are owned by [Your Company] upon final payment.

CONFIDENTIALITY
Both parties agree to keep project details confidential.

Signatures:
[Founder] _____________________ Date: _________
[Vendor] ______________________ Date: _________

Vendor Feedback (Constructive)

Subject: Feedback on [Project / Deliverable]

Hi [Name],

Thank you for [deliverable]. Here's my honest feedback:

WHAT'S WORKING
• [Specific positive]
• [Specific positive]

WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE
• [Specific issue 1] — [What I need instead]
• [Specific issue 2] — [What I need instead]

PRIORITY
The most important fix before our next review is: [#1 item]

Can you send a revised version by [Date]?

[Name]

Vendor Termination — End of Contract

Subject: [Project] — Contract Conclusion

Hi [Name],

Our agreement for [scope] concludes on [Date], and I wanted to confirm
we won't be renewing at this time.

REASON
[Be honest and brief: "We're moving work in-house" / "Budget constraints" /
"We're going a different direction" — don't over-explain]

FINAL STEPS
• Outstanding deliverables due by: [Date]
• Final invoice: please submit by [Date]
• Access to be returned: [List any systems / credentials]

Thank you for the work on [specific project]. I'll happily serve as a reference.

[Name]

Vendor Termination — For Performance

Subject: Ending our engagement — [Project]

Hi [Name],

After our conversations on [Date] and [Date] about [specific issues],
I've made the decision to end our engagement effective [Date].

This is based on: [specific unmet deliverable or timeline — not personal]

NEXT STEPS
• Work in progress: please deliver by [Date] in current state
• Payment: we will pay for work completed through [Date]: $[X]
• Outstanding invoice: [Accepted / Disputed because X]

I wish you well on future projects.

[Name]

Integration / Technical Partnership Inquiry

Subject: API / integration inquiry — [Your Company] + [Their Company]

Hi [Name / Developer Relations],

I'm the founder of [Company] — we [one sentence: what you do].

Our customers frequently use [Their Product] alongside ours, and I'd like to
explore a native integration or API partnership.

Specifically, we're interested in: [what data or functionality you want to connect]

We have [X] customers who use both products — and I think a tight integration
would meaningfully improve their workflow.

Is there a developer relations or partnership contact I should talk to?

[Name]
[Title], [Company]
[Email] | [Website] | [API docs if relevant]

Reseller / Channel Partner Agreement Summary

RESELLER AGREEMENT SUMMARY

Reseller: [Partner Company]
Vendor: [Your Company]
Effective: [Date]

GRANT OF RIGHTS
[Your Company] grants [Partner] a non-exclusive right to resell [Product]
to end customers in [territory / vertical / segment].

PRICING
Reseller cost: [X]% of list price (i.e., [X]% margin)
List price: $[X]/[month/year]

RESPONSIBILITIES
Reseller:
• Market and sell [Product] to end customers
• Provide first-line support
• Comply with [Company] brand guidelines

[Your Company]:
• Provide product, documentation, and training
• Provide second-line support to reseller
• Pay commissions within [30] days of customer payment

COMMISSION STRUCTURE
New customers: [X]% of first-year revenue
Renewals: [X]% of renewal revenue

TERM
[1 year], auto-renewing, with [30]-day termination notice by either party.

Signatures:
[Founder] _____________________ Date: _________
[Partner] _____________________ Date: _________