You're on Microsoft Marketplace. Now put it to work.
If your software is listed on Microsoft Marketplace, Microsoft has paths for selling it, getting resellers to sell it, and being referred to Microsoft customers. This page maps every path open to software and AI companies, which ones must come first, the paths next door for companies that also deliver services, and what decides which fit you.
For a founder or CEO, or a head of partnerships, at a software or AI company — startup, ISV, AI-native or data provider — already on Microsoft.As of
What changed for software and AI companies?
No marketplace fee or referral-requirement change appears in the September and October 2026 Partner Center announcements reviewed for this page. These two changes touch software companies indirectly.
- Dec 31, 2026Copilot Business promotional pricing ends: Matters indirectly if resellers sell your product alongside Copilot.Verified Nov 4, 2026
- Sep 15, 2026Azure Expert MSP closes to new enrollment: Matters if you also run managed services.Verified Nov 4, 2026
Which paths are yours, and which are next door?
Every path below is open to software companies today, including ones that rarely decide a deal. Program names are Microsoft's own, and Microsoft's pages used here name no separate track for AI-native companies.
Your paths as a software company
| Path | What it gives you | Role it needs | Works with others? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transactable offer on Microsoft Marketplace | What it gives youList and sell software with a 3% standard store service fee; publishing costs nothing | Role it needsSoftware | Works with others?Check with Microsoft |
| Private offers | What it gives youCustom-priced offers for a named customer, with multiyear contracts up to five years | Role it needsSoftware | Works with others?Check with Microsoft |
| Private offers for Cloud Solution Providers | What it gives youLets resellers sell your software | Role it needsSoftware, Resell | Works with others?Check with Microsoft |
| Multiparty private offers | What it gives youSell with channel partners in one deal | Role it needsSoftware, Resell | Works with others?Check with Microsoft |
| Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace (no cost) | What it gives youAzure sponsorship at milestones, referral participation and a route to a certified software designation | Role it needsSoftware | Works with others?Sequence: needs active Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program membership; comes before referral listing |
| Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace Premium | What it gives you$1,550 a year; technical consultations, a named Engagement Manager, Partner Marketing Center Pro and development sandboxes with up to $30,000 of internal-use rights for new Premium partners | Role it needsSoftware | Works with others?Sequence: the paid tier of the same enrollment; reverts to the no-cost offer if not renewed |
| Referral-ready status (Microsoft's own program name is “co-sell ready”) | What it gives youEntry status for Microsoft referrals: publish the offer on Microsoft Marketplace and list a sales contact for each geography | Role it needsSoftware, Services | Works with others?Sequence: software companies need the no-cost Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace enrollment first; services partners need one Solutions Partner designation |
| Azure IP referral-eligible status (Microsoft's own program name is “Azure IP co-sell eligible”) | What it gives youDeeper referral eligibility for Azure-based software; needs $100,000 of Azure consumed revenue or marketplace billed revenue, technical validation and a transactable offer | Role it needsSoftware | Works with others?Sequence: adds four requirements on top of referral-ready status |
| MACC-eligible offers | What it gives youOffers count toward customers’ Azure consumption commitments | Role it needsSoftware | Works with others?Sequence: needs Azure IP referral-eligible status first |
| Solutions Partner with certified software | What it gives youDifferentiated badging for software; Azure route needs referral-eligible status, a technical review and one trailing-12-month criterion such as USD 4 million of marketplace billed sales | Role it needsSoftware | Works with others?Sequence: Azure IP referral-eligible status comes first |
Which of these fit depends on whether your product runs on Azure, how much you already bill through Microsoft Marketplace, whether resellers or other channel partners are in your deals, and which geographies you want Microsoft introductions in.
Next door: paths when you also deliver services
| Path | What it gives you | Role it needs | Works with others? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional service offers | What it gives youServices offers are transactable if you have transacted large service deals outside Microsoft, or if services are worth more than 10% of the total deal value | Role it needsServices | Works with others?Check with Microsoft |
| Tagged consulting offer on Microsoft Marketplace | What it gives youRequired before any Business Applications specialization | Role it needsServices | Works with others?Sequence: comes before a Business Applications specialization |
| Azure specializations (AI Platform, Analytics, Infrastructure and Database Migration, Azure Virtual Desktop, SAP on Azure) | What it gives youDeep-expertise label; audit required; up to 5 Azure specializations draw benefits | Role it needsServices, Software | Works with others?Sequence: needs an active aligned Solutions Partner designation |
Whether these pay off depends on whether customers pay you for implementation or consulting, how large those services are next to your software deal, and whether you want a visible designation beside your listing.
Why do two similar companies choose differently?
Illustrative.
A 40-person AI software company on Azure vs. a 15-person data software company that also implements
Company A is a 40-person AI software company on Azure with one listed offer and three enterprise customers asking to buy through their Microsoft contracts. Its paths are a transactable listing, private offers for those customers, the enrollment that sits in front of referral listings, and the Azure IP status once its Azure revenue is high enough. Company B is a 15-person data software company that also implements its product for customers. It holds the same listing paths, plus the services-offer test and a tagged consulting offer, which Microsoft requires before any Business Applications specialization.
Microsoft has the paths. Playmaker finds yours.
You’ve just seen how much Microsoft offers: programs, funding, listings, specialists and the many ways they combine. All of it is real, and much of it can run at the same time. Which of it fits your company depends on your tier, your roles and your deals.
Playmaker does that work for you:
- Ranked by revenue. It looks at your company and orders the Microsoft plays by revenue expectancy, so you spend your time on the plays that matter most.
- A recipe for each play. Every play comes with the steps to run it. You know what to do next, not just what exists.
- Built for your mix. Reseller and services, a Marketplace listing and Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace, several funding programs at once. Playmaker works out how they fit together for your company, not for a generic partner.
- Ready in 3 minutes. Generate your playbook in 3 minutes, then refresh it as your deals change.
What does your playbook show?
Frequently
asked questions
The short answers for software and AI companies on Microsoft. Playmaker shows you the rest in 3 minutes.
Publishing costs nothing, and Microsoft charges a 3% standard store service fee when customers buy a transactable offer. Renewals sold as private offers carry a 50% reduced agency fee.
You publish the offer on Microsoft Marketplace and list a sales contact for each geography, and software companies also need active Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace enrollment. It makes your offer eligible to be referred; it does not promise introductions.
Azure IP referral-eligible status is a prerequisite for an offer to count toward customers' Azure consumption commitments, and it needs $100,000 of Azure consumed or marketplace billed revenue among other requirements.
Yes. Software offers and professional service offers are separate offer types, and services offers have their own transactability test.
At a list price of $1,550 a year it adds technical consultations, a named Engagement Manager, Partner Marketing Center Pro and development sandboxes, and it reverts to the no-cost offer if not renewed.
Sources
The Microsoft pages this page reads, each accessed Nov 4, 2026. Program names and terms belong to Microsoft.
Microsoft, Azure and Copilot are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. WorkSpan is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft.
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