Big Changes Coming for Microsoft BizApps Partners During FY25

Microsoft have today announced some changes to partner engagements, effective 1st July 2024. This news comes about following all-time high partner engagement levels between Microsoft and the business applications partner community during this financial year (FY24). These levels of engagement led to a record number of workshops delivered to customers to ensure successful partner-led implementation and adoption of Dynamics 365 and Power Platform.

In response to partner feedback, Microsoft are introducing the following changes to how they support BizApps partners from FY25 and onwards:

Extending access to partner engagements to the full fiscal year

Partners will be able to participate in new FY25 engagements across the entire 12-month period, which begins on 1^st July 2024 and ends on 30^th June 2025. This means that you can claim and execute workshops at any point during Microsoft’s financial year.

Aligning the engagement portfolio with solution plays

Microsoft-funded engagements will be closer aligned to solution plays:

• ERP Vision & Value: Drive customer intent to modernise their on-premises ERP systems with Dynamics 365.  Develop a well-crafted vision of the customer’s future state with clear business outcomes and success metrics. 
• Customer Engagement Vision & Value: Build customer confidence by showcasing the vision and strategy for an AI-powered transformation through CRM migration to Dynamics 365.
• Copilot Studio Value Discovery: Showcase the value of Copilot Studio to enrich Microsoft Copilot experiences and unlock opportunities to align AI-enabled solutions to customers unique business needs and processes. 
• Low Code Vision & Value: Build customer intent to innovate with AI in low-code environments. Provide guidance on how to develop a transformation vision, prioritise scenarios, define value, and accelerate adoption.
• Low Code Solution Accelerator: Accelerate post-sales adoption of low-code solutions and ensure customer value realisation. Develop stakeholder buy-in through prioritised scenarios and demonstrated solution value. 

With these new engagements being introduced, the below engagements are being retired at the end of FY24:

• Solution Assessment 
• Dynamics 365 Sales – Needs Assessment 
• Dynamics 365 Success Planning
• Dynamics 365 Success by Design Performance Check
• Dynamics 365 Value Realization
• Power Platform Center of Excellence (Post-sales only)
• Power Platform Pro Dev Success Enablement

Providing more consistent access to engagements across markets

Microsoft will introduce caps on the number of workshops eligible for credit per partner in any single country, with cap limits announced on 1^st July 2024.

What does this mean to partners?

From 1^st July 2024, BizApps partners will no longer be able to submit new claims for any of the retired assessments listed above. Note: this does not affect active claims. Any prior approved workshops can still be completed in accordance with program rules.

However, Microsoft has (effective immediately) introduced a cap on the number of Envisioning and Business Value Assessment workshops that a partner is allowed to complete in any single country. These are: 

Need help submitting a new claim before the deadline? Get in touch with our team today before it’s too late!