Apart from the Partner Connect Program, if you are certifying a Kubernetes Operator there are other programs you can pursue in parallel to your Red Hat certification.
Red Hat Marketplace operated by IBM
Red Hat® Marketplace is an open cloud marketplace that makes it easier to discover and access certified software for container-based environments in public clouds and on-prem. With automated deployment, software is immediately available to deploy on any Red Hat® OpenShift® cluster, providing a fast, integrated experience.
There are some additional technical requirements needed to be implemented for your Operator to qualify for the Red Hat Marketplace. Read the documentation carefully.
For more information about Red Hat Marketplace and getting started visit this link: Red Hat Marketplace
IBM Cloud Paks
With Red Hat OpenShift at the core, IBM Cloud Paks accelerates new and existing clients' journeys to the cloud, while delivering business value. IBM is a thought leader in application and integration modernization, with a worldwide presence that includes a global sales force with enterprise customer relationships in every country and local technical skills.
Once your software is certified, you can promote your offering on the IBM Marketplace — with more than 37M visits each month -- and leverage IBM sellers, Business Partners, client centers, Garages, and technical expertise worldwide.
Red Hat Operator certification is a prerequisite for becoming Certified for IBM Cloud Paks. The subsequent steps are:
Identify the IBM Cloud Pak with which your software has the most affinity
Decide to partner
Meet the technical certification criteria
Demonstrate the value of your software running with the Cloud Pak
Create sales enablement collateral and go to market
For more information about IBM Cloud Pak Certification visit this link: IBM Cloud Paks