Explore updated performance requirements for the SMB Management specialization
Microsoft is updating performance criteria for the Small and Midsize Business (SMB) Management specialization to better align with how partners go to market. Starting March 27, 2026, we're reducing the monthly active user (MAU) growth requirement from 35% to 15% and increasing the deployment requirement from 10 to 15 deployments. The revised criteria, which are based on partner feedback, emphasize new customer deployments while maintaining a focus on overall performance. The updates help ensure the SMB Management specialization continues to represent partners who meet the highest standards for service delivery and support. Review your current progress toward the SMB Management specialization in Partner Center and adjust your deployment and growth strategy to align with the updated criteria.
Stand out in the marketplace with a Microsoft Copilot specialization
The Microsoft Copilot specialization demonstrates your experience and capabilities with Copilot, including Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Chat, Copilot Studio, and agents. Partners with this specialization can help their customers: Explore AI Advisory Services for Microsoft Copilot. Adopt Copilot. Deliver data security and deployment. Enable extensibility with agentic focus. To earn this specialization, you must first attain one of three Solutions Partner designations: Business Applications, Modern Work, and/or Security. If your organization has already attained one or more of these designations, please review the Microsoft Copilot specialization criteria—which include performance metrics, skilling requirements, and customer references—and begin to work toward meeting them. You can check whether you currently meet the requirements by viewing your Partner Center dashboard. The requirements include: Performance requirements 1,000 monthly active users (MAU) growth of M365 Copilot in the trailing 12 months (TTM) (Claiming partner of record (CPOR), Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) Tier 1, CSP Tier 2) AND 5 net customer growth for Copilot in TTM (CPOR, CSP Tier 1, CSP Tier 2) Skilling requirements 5 people with MS-102: Microsoft 365 Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert AND 5 people with, cumulatively: SC-401: Implement information protection in Microsoft 365 OR APL-4002: Prepare security and compliance to support Copilot AND 5 people with APL-7008: Create custom agents with Microsoft Copilot Studio Customer references Provide three customer references, which must include at least one example of transforming business processes with agent implementation. Learn moreUpdated requirements for Finance, Sales, Service, and Supply Chain specializations
To empower more partners to qualify for specializations, we’ve adjusted the Performance and Knowledge requirements to earn certain Business Applications specializations. Updated Finance, Sales, Service, and Supply Chain requirements The Performance and Knowledge threshold requirements have been changed. The requirements are the same across all four specializations: Performance 3 large deployments (previously 5) >0% monthly consumption value (MCV) growth rate (previously >30%) Baseline of 25,000 MCV Knowledge 5 unique individuals with intermediate certifications (previously 15) No minimum number of individuals required to earn each certification (previously 3) 2 unique individuals with expert certifications (previously 5) Additionally, specific to the Sales specialization, the intermediate certification Customer Experience Analyst Associate has been added to replace the expired certifications. Your partner admin can check to see if you meet these new requirements and apply for the audit. If you’ve already earned one of the specializations, check to see if you meet the updated requirements before applying for renewal. Full details on the requirements can be found on the individual specialization websites: Finance Sales Service Supply Chain
BAPA Incorrect Template link
Where can I locate the correct link to download the template for Dynamics 365 success by design performance. The link provided on the post sales engagement page (https://dynamicspartners.transform.microsoft.com/benefits-skilling/partner-activities/post-sales?section=activities-overview) reverts to Preview: Partner Activities - Post Sales - Value Realization - POE Template.pptx which is incorrect https://aka.ms/PostSalesValueRealizationPOERegaining access to partner account?
Hello, I'm posting this question here in case someone has gone through a similar experience and already has a solution. I have a partner account for over 15 years. A few months ago I got an email that I had to link a Partner Center account to Microsoft billing profile. Mind you this is an old account and I had no billing profile for it, so I set out to create one. The partner center however did not allow to create a billing profile because -I assumed- it was missing a business registration number. So I added that and waited a day to get it approved. However with the approval, whoever approved the change, they took away my admin access from the partner account. I'm at the point where I have to renew the plan and I have absolutely no way to fix this. All my services from Azure, VisualStudio and O365 are lapsing. I have contacted support and their answer is a single sentence that they cannot help me and have to close the ticket as per internal policy. Plus they say that I cannot join the program because I failed an internal standard review. First of all, I have not contacted support to join anything. Secondly, I have not received notification of any review or results of any reviews. None of the support phones actually function as support as they all recite the link to the online support. My online tickets are also moving nowhere. I have one that is open for about a month now. They confirmed that I have no access to the account but asked me to create a video showing that that I have no access... This is strange to the point of being absurd. Is there anything that can be done?
