The Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program (MAICPP) continues to help managed service providers (MSPs) and managed intelligence providers (MIPs) grow their businesses with benefits and resources. Microsoft occasionally updates MAICPP eligibility, adding new requirements and benefits, so it’s good to stay up to date if you’re in this program or looking to join. Below, we’ll detail what you need to know as a Microsoft Cloud Solutions Provider (CSP).
What Are the New Requirements for the MAICPP?
One major change is that partners who earn and maintain a minimum of 25 Partner Capability Score (PCS) points and $25,000 in trailing 12-month CSP revenue in an individual Microsoft AI Cloud Solution Partner designation are eligible for CSP designation incentives. This applies to Modern Work, Security and Azure.
Importantly, you no longer need the full 70-point Solutions Partner Designation to earn rebates.
Maintaining 25 or more points in a solution, paired with the $25K revenue threshold, is sufficient to qualify for incentives. This significantly lowers the barrier to entry and makes incentives more accessible for partners focused on skilling and specialization.
What Are the New 25-Point Requirements?
To maintain your Solution Partner designation or to be eligible for incentives in each applicable solution area, partners must earn a minimum of 25 PCS points combined across all three categories:
- Performance
- Customer Success
- Skilling
While all three contribute, Skilling is the fastest and most accessible way to achieve designation — especially with the enablement resources offered by Pax8 and Microsoft.
When Must These Points Be Earned?
Partners must earn and sustain their points throughout the program year. Letting certifications lapse or skilling points expire may drop you below 25, which impacts:
- Incentive eligibility
- Marketplace visibility
- Customer-facing badges
- Co-sell advantages
Why This Matters for Partners
Staying ahead of certification expirations is more important than ever, given the benefits provided by this program. These include:
- Access to software licenses (Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Power BI) and Azure bulk credits
- One-to-one consultation, including technical presales and deployment services and partner cloud support
- Go-to-market services, co-sell readiness support and a logo builder for branding
- The ability to earn Solutions Partner designations to showcase your expertise to customers
In December 2025, Forrester Consulting’s Total Economic Impact™ study, commissioned by Microsoft, revealed a three-year 217% return on investment from the program and a payback period of under six months. As Microsoft continues to refine its partner programs in FY26, these findings show the incentives this program provides are crucial to sustaining long-term cloud profitability.
How Eligibility Is Calculated
Microsoft uses a rolling qualification window that includes the current month, plus the previous five months. You only need to meet the 25-point requirement once within that window, but you must hit it.
For partners, this means:
- Waiting until your renewal month is risky.
- Certification expirations can cause sudden drops.
- Customer usage decline or churn late in the window can push you below eligibility.
- If your score falls under 25 at any point, you may lose eligibility for that month’s incentives.
To avoid gaps in eligibility, be sure to track your score monthly. Some practical targets to aim for are:
- 25 points = eligibility
- 35-plus points = stability and safety
One critical point to mention: You only earn incentives in the specific solution designation area where you hold 25 PCS points. For example, if you sell Azure but only have 25 points in Modern Work, you will not earn Azure incentives.
You must maintain 25 PCS points in each cloud you expect to earn rebates from.
How Pax8 Helps You Reach Eligibility Quickly
Pax8 provides the skilling resources, vouchers and practice enablement needed to build a strong, stable incentive path. We give partners multiple pathways to build and maintain PCS points, especially through Skilling.
1. Request a Free Microsoft Certification Voucher
Pax8 removes the financial barrier to exams by offering certification vouchers.
Request yours here.
2. Free Microsoft Certification Training in Pax8 Academy
Pax8 now offers more than 20 Microsoft certification courses within Pax8 Academy. Our syndicated, Microsoft-aligned training lets you access the knowledge, exam-readiness materials and guided learning paths you need to confidently prepare for and pass certification exams without leaving the Pax8 ecosystem. Peruse training materials here.
3. Join Pax8 Guided Growth
Our Guided Growth program is designed to strengthen your Microsoft practice and cloud readiness. While it isn’t a certification prep course, participants will receive a structured path through Microsoft’s core workloads, breaking them down into practical steps and a Microsoft certification voucher.
Explore Guided Growth here.
Together, these paths give Pax8 partners one of the fastest, most inexpensive ways to reach and maintain the 25-point requirement.
New Microsoft AI Certifications That Count Toward PCS Points
Microsoft has expanded its AI-aligned certification portfolio, and many now contribute directly to your PCS Skilling score. These certifications build capability in high demand areas such as Azure AI, Copilot, generative AI, security and cloud modernization.
- AI Business Professional:
Learn how to apply AI solutions to business challenges and drive innovation. - AI Transformation Leader:
Master strategies for leading AI adoption and transformation across organizations. - Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect:
As an AI-first solution architect, you lead the transformation of enterprise operations by envisioning and implementing AI-powered architecture.
Building Your Points and Your Practice
These certifications go beyond only earning PCS points and also help your practice set a long-term AI strategy.
Hitting 25 PCS points is the first big win — it unlocks incentives and lets you start earning rebates in a solution area. But it’s not the finish line, it’s the starting point on the path to becoming a full Solutions Partner.
Think of it this way:
- 25 points = You can start earning money
- 70 points = You earn money and receive the full partner recognition, benefits and market visibility Microsoft offers
Stopping at 25 leaves you exposed:
- One expired certification can drop you below eligibility.
- A dip in customer usage can cost you rebates for the month.
- You miss out on higher-value benefits tied to the full designation.
Continuing past 25 builds stability and unlocks long-term growth, providing:
- A buffer against score fluctuations
- Stronger customer outcomes that boost revenue and incentives
- Eligibility for the full Solutions Partner Designation that elevates your brand, co-sell opportunities and competitive position
Your Next Steps
Here’s what you should do now, if you’re in the MAICPP:
- Check your PCS score in Partner Center for each solution area.
- Identify the area closest to dropping below 25 points.
- Skill up through Pax8 and Microsoft Learn to build your safety buffer.
Your eligibility in this program is up to you. And Pax8 is here to give you the tools to stabilize it.
Ready to build your points? Get started at Pax8 Academy.
