What is the Cloud Solution Provider authorization?

Appropriate roles: All partners interested in Partner Center

This article provides an overview of the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) authorization. It explains the different operational models and their requirements, and provides details about going to market through this sales motion.

The CSP authorization helps you achieve more growth opportunities, valuable relationships, and customer success by unlocking the industry-leading cloud partner program within the powerful Microsoft ecosystem.

• Engage deeper with your customers: Gain a better understanding of their business and needs.
• Increase profits: Offering deployment and support expertise, whether as a direct bill partner or through an indirect provider, opens up new revenue streams.
• Add value: Offer customers industry-specific solutions bundled with Microsoft products.
• Own the end-to-end customer lifecycle: You're well positioned to meet customer demand for managed services.

Verification eligibility requirements for CSP partners

The following eligibility criteria apply to all CSP partners, regardless of their authorization type:

• Pass the business verification process. As part of the CSP authorization process, partners must pass business verification including, without limitation, email ownership, identity verification, employment verification, and other due diligence. For more information on each verification check, see Verify your account information.

• Maintain active verification status. To remain eligible for CSP transactions, partners must pass business vetting annually. For more information about your verification status, see Verify Your Account Information.

• Update partner profile. Partners must ensure that their legal business profile, including company name, company address, and primary contact details, is kept up to date in Partner Center. For more information about updating your legal details, see Verify your company profile.

What are the different types of CSP authorization?

There are two sales models for CSP authorization: the indirect model and the direct-bill model.

Indirect model

Microsoft built a global network of qualified distributors (formerly known as indirect providers) who help CSP indirect resellers grow their cloud businesses successfully. By joining as an indirect reseller, you can accelerate your go-to-market with minimized operational complexity and investment.

As an indirect reseller, you can work with distributors who can deliver the tools and resources to help you manage your customer relationships. With the indirect model, you can purchase from a distributor who can collaborate with you for marketing, customer support, and billing. Eligibility for direct bill status requires that you transacted as an indirect reseller for the previous 12 months.

Indirect model requirements

• An active membership in the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program (MAICPP) and Partner Location Account (PLA) ID for the location you want to sell in
• The ability to accept/sign legal agreements on behalf of your organization
• A partnership with an authorized distributor

Direct-bill model

In the direct-bill model, partners purchase Microsoft products and subscriptions directly from Microsoft and sell them directly to their customers through their in-house sales staff. The direct bill model requires partners to sell to, bill, manage, and support their customers autonomously. Partners who already operate with, or are willing to develop, the appropriate sales, billing, and support infrastructure can choose the direct model.

Direct-bill model requirements

• An active membership in the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program (MAICPP) and a Partner Location Account (PLA) ID for your business address.
• At least the prior 12 months as an authorized indirect reseller.
• Have at least USD one million in CSP trailing 12 months (TTM) transactional revenue at the Partner Global Account (PGA) level. (Partners can review their TTM revenue in the CSP Revenue Details report in the downloads hub of Partner Center Insights workspace.) The sales that make up your USD one million TTM revenue are subject to review and verification by Microsoft, and you might be asked to provide additional information. The revenue requirement is calculated based on cloud revenue and excludes perpetual software in CSP.
• A passing score on a capabilities assessment covering areas of CSP such as billing, provisioning, customer support, compliance, and security. Each applicant that meets the basic eligibility requirements is contacted by Microsoft’s partner assessments consultant for next steps. For details on the capabilities covered in the assessment, see Requirements for CSP Direct-Bill Partners.
• Demonstrate that you provide at least one managed service, IP service, or customer solution application. For more information, see adding managed services.
• At least one MAICPP Solution Partner designation.
• Complete all mandatory requirements of the Partner Center security score.
• Purchase of a Microsoft Advanced Support for Partners plan or a Microsoft Premier Support for Partners plan.

Where can I sell through the CSP program?

Your market includes the countries/regions where you can sell CSP offers. Your company's location determines your market. For more information, see Cloud Solution Provider program regional markets and currencies.

Before you can order CSP offers on behalf of a customer, the customer must accept the Microsoft Customer Agreement. You can find the applicable agreement for your customer's location at Microsoft Customer Agreements by region and language.

What can I sell through the CSP authorization?

You can sell the full range of Microsoft cloud services and various other offers, including server and perpetual software.

Related content

• Review requirements for each CSP model
• Apply to sell in Microsoft national clouds
• Learn about Microsoft Customer Agreements by region and language