Commercial transition
Who is affected
Microsoft partners pursuing Data & AI, Digital & App Innovation or Infrastructure SMB-track designation attainment.
Action required
Reassess SMB-track eligibility under the 80% customer-base test and verify every remaining qualification criterion before applying.
Evidence boundary
Removing the ACR threshold does not automatically grant a designation. Partners must still meet the remaining qualification criteria and the event is bounded to the three named solution paths.
Timeline
- Expanded SMB eligibility published
Microsoft removed the ACR threshold and established the 80% SMC-C and SMB customer-base boundary for the three paths.
Official sources
- Expanded SMB track eligibilityMicrosoft Partner Center · 2026-07-31 · Official partner-program eligibility announcement