Customer Assessment & POV: $12K to $20K for planning a customer's move to your solution on Azure
Updated 6 Nov 2026 · FY27 (1 October 2026 to 30 June 2027) · Reviewed by an ex-Microsoft team member
The short answer. Customer Assessment & POV pays $12,000 or $20,000 for planning a customer's move to your solution on Azure, before the migration itself. You need a certified software designation. And at least half of all your claims must be migrations, or new claims pause.
In plain words. When a customer is thinking about running your product on Azure, Microsoft pays you to do the planning and prove it works. That is the assessment and the "proof of value", or POV. You need a Microsoft certification, or a partner who can deliver the work for you. It is meant to lead to a migration, so Microsoft expects you to pair the two.
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Does this apply to you?
Probably yes, if:
- You hold a certified software designation in Azure, Security or Industry AI. This is a Microsoft credential your company earns with real work.
- You have a customer who plans to run your solution on Azure.
- That customer has a valid Microsoft customer ID (called a TPID).
Not yet, if you do not hold a designation. It is the gate to every customer incentive, so earning one is the next step. Joining, publishing and Azure sponsorship do not need it.
Be careful, if you plan to claim only assessments. At least half of your claims must be migrations, and if you do not pair every assessment with a migration, new claims pause.
What does it pay?
It is sized by the customer's planned Azure use in year one. Both sizes last 120 days.
- Standard: customer plans more than $15,000 of Azure use, paid $12,000
- Large: customer plans more than $250,000, paid $20,000
Amounts are for Market A countries. Market B countries are paid 80%.
Two ways to run it
You deliver it. You claim, and you need the designation. Nothing extra before you start.
A partner delivers it. A systems integrator does the work and claims. The partner needs a Microsoft Azure specialization, and you still need the designation. You must always pre-nominate the project with Microsoft before work starts.
Microsoft's documents are not fully clear on how the partner route combines with the designation. Confirm it with Microsoft before you rely on it.
What does it mean for you as a CEO?
Do not think of this as a stand-alone payment. It is the first half of a pair. A customer who plans a large Azure move can be worth $20,000 for the assessment and up to $200,000 for the migration, so up to $220,000 in total, within your company's cap.
How to claim it
- Nominate when the customer confirms.
- Customer consent. The customer agrees in Partner Center within 30 days, or the claim expires.
- Deliver and prove, and submit the claim: a customer survey, a partner survey, a claim invoice in USD, and your solution architecture showing the services.
- Get paid. Microsoft checks the proof for up to 30 days, then pays within 45.
Get the customer survey in the week the project ends, not months later.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a certification?
Yes, a certified software designation in Azure, Security or Industry AI.
What is a pre-nomination?
Telling Microsoft about a project before work starts. It is required for partner-led projects and high value migrations.
What happens if I only claim assessments?
At least half of your claims must be migrations. If you do not pair every assessment with one, new claims pause.
How long does it take?
120 days.
Want the full picture?
Everything here is also in our complete guide to Microsoft FY27 Marketplace incentives, with plain-words notes for newcomers. Get the complete FY27 guide
Not sure which incentive fits your company?
Ask for your free Microsoft Incentives Assessment: a personalized report of every incentive your company can claim, what each is worth, and the order to claim them. Free, no obligation. No Partner Center login needed to start. Ask for your free Assessment
The other FY27 incentives
- Azure sponsorship
- AI Build & Publish for Marketplace
- AI Build & Publish for the Agent Store
- Customer Migrate & Modernize
- Co-sell in FY27
Based on Microsoft's FY27 Partner Investments material and the Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace pages on Microsoft Learn. Microsoft may change its programs at any time, and every payout needs Microsoft's approval. Amounts are in USD.
