Drive Innovation with the ISV Success Program
Estimated Read Time: 6 minutes
Intended Audience: ISVs / SDCs
Last Updated: July 29, 2026
Since launching in 2022, Microsoft’s ISV Success Program has been instrumental in helping Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), now Software Development Companies (SDCs) , build, publish, and scale their agents and applications on the Microsoft Cloud.
In this post, we’ll explore what the ISV Success Program offers, highlight the latest enhancements for FY27, and show how software development companies can leverage its resources to drive impact at every stage of the buyer’s journey.
What is the ISV Success Program?
The Microsoft ISV Success Program is a powerful initiative designed to empower software development companies to build, publish, and scale agents and applications on the Microsoft Cloud.
The program offers a comprehensive suite of benefits, including Azure credits and access to developer tools like GitHub and Visual Studio. Participants receive expert technical guidance, 1:1 consultation, and support for listing and promoting their solutions on Microsoft Marketplace. With go-to-market resources and Co-Selling opportunities, the ISV Success Program helps software businesses accelerate growth and reach a global audience through Microsoft’s trusted ecosystem.
What are Microsoft’s ISV Success Packages?
In early 2025, Microsoft announced changes to ISV success packages, formatting the program into three different levels:
- Core Package ($126K value in the first year): Includes essential tools like Azure credits, GitHub, and Visual Studio to help ISVs/SDCs get started.
- Expanded Package ($151K value in the first year): Provides additional technical support and AI integration resources for growing businesses.
- Advanced Package ($176K value in the first year): Offers enhanced engineering support, incentives, and go-to-market services for scaling globally, for SDCs with a certified software designation.
Microsoft’s AI Focus for Software Development Companies
Microsoft’s ISV Success Program has expanded its AI focus, supporting software development companies building AI-powered applications and agents with resources such as Microsoft Foundry, Azure AI services, GitHub Copilot-related support, expert consultations, and AI training.
How do Software Development Companies Apply?
To participate, software development companies must be building a B2B application or agent on, or integrated with the Microsoft Cloud.
To be eligible, companies must plan to publish their solution on the Microsoft Commercial Marketplace and engage in active or planned development projects.
To apply, software development companies can start from Microsoft for Software Development Companies, select Join ISV Success or Sign in, complete their company and app details, and continue through Partner Center to track their ISV Success journey and activate eligible benefits.
What are the Marketplace Benefits in the ISV Success Program?
Marketplace Rewards benefits vary based on the type of offer published in Microsoft Marketplace and the partner’s performance over time.
- Free Trial offers allow prospective customers to experience the solution before purchasing, helping software development companies drive awareness and adoption.
- Contact Me offers enable interested buyers to connect directly with the software development company to learn more, request demonstrations, or start a sales conversation.
- Get It Now offers are transactable offers that allow customers to purchase or deploy the solution directly through Microsoft Marketplace.
Partners with transactable Get It Now offers can unlock additional Marketplace Rewards benefits that scale as marketplace sales, customer adoption, and overall marketplace performance growth.
What are the 5 Benefit Stages of the ISV Success Program?
Participants in the Microsoft ISV Success Program access Marketplace Rewards, a suite of benefits for every stage of the SDC journey. As Partners achieve milestones, they unlock rewards to help convert leads, close deals, and accelerate growth. These benefits scale with success, offering tools, guidance, and visibility to thrive in the market.
There are benefits for each phase of the customer journey:
1. Awareness
2. Demand Generation
Once software development companies begin generating revenue through transactable offers, they unlock demand generation benefits to accelerate growth. These include marketing, sales, and technical support, along with high-impact promotions like homepage features and category spotlights, driving customer interest and expanding reach.
3. Co-Sell
As revenue grows, software development companies gain access to Co-Sell benefits that help scale their business. Through partner-to-partner guidance and strategic sales support, SDCs can tap into Microsoft’s global seller network to uncover new opportunities, reach more customers, and enter new markets.
4. Lead Development
In the Lead Development stage, SDCs access co-branded marketing assets and tailored campaigns to deepen engagement and drive conversions. Reduced Azure costs make it easier to offer trials and test drives, giving prospects a hands-on experience of the solution’s value.
5. Sales Enablement
The final stage, Sales Enablement, equips SDCs with the tools to scale efficiently. Partners receive unlimited access to sales resources and customizable marketing assets, enabling them to align go-to-market efforts, accelerate deal closure, and maintain brand consistency at scale.
Simplify Your ISV Success Journey
From ISV Success and Marketplace Rewards to co-sell and certified software designations, Microsoft offers multiple pathways to growth.
Get in touch with the Mavens to determine which opportunities are right for your business and build a strategy that maximizes your investment in the Microsoft ecosystem.
