Requirements for becoming a Solutions Partner with certified software for Industry AI

Appropriate roles: Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program partner admin | Referrals admin | Co-sell Solutions admin

This section presents information about the general eligibility requirements, benefits, and enrollment steps.

General eligibility requirements

  • Microsoft Marketplace readiness: Like Solutions Partner with certified software designations for solution areas, your solution must be published and/or transactable (if applicable) on Microsoft Marketplace to be eligible for a certified software designation for Industry AI.
  • Interoperable with the Microsoft Cloud: The solution must meet technical requirements for the solution area on which your solution is built (that is, Azure, Business Applications, Modern Work, Security). These requirements are the same as the requirements for the certified software for solution area designations. To learn more about the program and its requirements, see the Solutions Partner with certified software partner playbook.
  • Proven customer success: Your application is evaluated by its demonstrated track record of customer success, as measured by commercial performance and deployments, such as Marketplace Billed Sales (MBS) and other designation-relevant measures, as well as evidence of customer satisfaction, such as a minimum of two artifacts of evidence from customers. Partners need to demonstrate their solution’s clear track record of enterprise customer success by submitting a minimum of two artifacts of evidence from customers. Submitted case studies should detail the use of one or more AI capabilities in industry-specific ways.
  • Alignment to Microsoft Industry Clouds: For the solution to qualify for a certified software designation for Industry AI, it must align to at least one of the customer scenarios as defined for each of the Microsoft Industry Clouds.
  • Meet additional industry-specific AI technical requirements: Your solution must also pass a technical review audit demonstrating the use of one or more Microsoft AI capabilities. The capabilities include plugging into an existing Microsoft Copilot, use of generative AI to build an industry specific copilot, an industry application built on Fabric, and/or the development of an industry foundation model.
Category Metrics Learn more
Microsoft Marketplace Solutions must be Azure IP co-sell eligible. Co-sell requirements - Partner Center
Customer Success Solutions and partners must satisfy the following criteria:
  • Partner criteria: Commercial performance measured by the same criteria as the FY24 IP co-sell Top Tier marketplace performance criteria, namely that partners must meet one of the following criteria over a trailing 12-month period:
    • USD1 million marketplace billed sales (MBS) transactions
      OR
    • 12 net-new customer adds to the marketplace of greater than USD10,000 each.

      Where "Net-new" means net-new to the Microsoft commercial marketplace (not net-new to Microsoft) and/or net-new to the specific partner.
      OR

    • 30 marketplace transactions with eight unique customers.

      Where a marketplace transaction refers to your Microsoft commercial marketplace sale or deal with a customer and must be at a minimum value of USD100. The transaction doesn't refer to the individual billing event with a customer (that is, not counting each billing event for a subscription as multiple transactions).
      OR

    • USD30 million Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitments (MACC) with at least five marketplace transactions.

      Where a marketplace transaction refers to your Microsoft commercial marketplace sale or deal with a customer and must be at a minimum value of USD100. The transaction doesn't refer to the individual billing event with a customer (that is, not counting each billing event for a subscription as multiple transactions).
      OR

    • USD200 million Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitments (MACC) with at least one IP Co-sell eligible and transactable listing
  • Solution criteria: Customer satisfaction measure by the following criteria for the solution:
    • Two artifacts of referenceable customer evidence (including, but not limited to, case studies), relevant to the particular industry.
  
Alignment to Microsoft Industry Clouds For the solution to qualify for a certified software designation for Industry AI, it must align to at least one of the customer scenarios as defined for each of the Microsoft Industry Clouds. Industry checklist
Interoperable with the Microsoft Cloud Partners must ensure their solution meets specific technical requirements - according to the relevant solution area on which your solution is built (that is, Azure, Business Applications, Modern Work, Security) - in order to attain a certified software designation.

The partner will also be eligible for benefits based on the Cloud Solution Area the designation is built on.

 Requirements for becoming a Solutions Partner with certified software for a solution area
Industry-specific AI technical requirements Your solution must also pass a technical review audit demonstrating the use of one or more Microsoft AI capabilities namely:
  • Copilot agents: Partner has built industry-specific Copilot Agents
  • Fabric Solutions: Partner has built products/services on Fabric or embedded Fabric's capabilities applications. The solution manages a customer’s data in Fabric and/or builds foundation for AI capabilities
  • AI Model or Service: Partner has built an industry-specific AI model or June 2025 Solutions Partner with certified software designations playbook // 21 service hosted by Azure.
 Industry AI Playbook

Audit requirements

To qualify for the Solutions Partner with certified software for Industry AI designation, your solution must complete all three of the following audit sections in Partner Center before it can be scheduled for audit:

Screenshot of the Audit tab in Partner Center showing the Customer Evidences, CSA Technical Audit, and AI Pattern Technical Audit subsections.

Customer Evidences

Submit referenceable customer artifacts (such as case studies) aligned to Microsoft solution plays and industry scenarios. A minimum of two evidence documents is required. Customer evidence reviews are completed by a third party and a fee applies.

  • Recommended file types: *.pdf, *.doc, *.docx, *.ppt, *.pptx
  • Other supported file types: *.xls, *.xlsx, *.jpg, *.png, *.mp4
  • Maximum file size: 500 MB

CSA Technical Audit

Screenshot of the CSA Technical Audit subsection in Partner Center, prompting the partner to select their Cloud Solution Area (Azure, Business Applications, Security, or Modern Work).

Pass the technical audit for the underlying Cloud Solution Area (Azure, Business Applications, Modern Work, or Security) on which your solution is built. Select your Cloud Solution Area and the corresponding technical audit interface loads automatically.

Note

The Business Applications-based solution requires the audit to be passed only once per solution. If you've already passed the Business Applications technical audit for your solution, you don't need to repeat it for the Industry AI designation. Audits for all other Cloud Solution Areas (Azure, Modern Work, and Security) are independent of their standalone solution area audits and must be completed separately for the Industry AI designation.

AI Pattern Technical Audit

Screenshot of the AI Pattern Technical Audit subsection in Partner Center, where the partner uploads evidence for the Industry AI Pattern their solution is built on.

Pass the AI pattern technical audit demonstrating the use of one or more Microsoft AI capabilities — Copilot agents, Fabric solutions, or an AI model or service — applied to your industry scenario. Review the available patterns at https://aka.ms/AIPatternsforIndustryAI.

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