Social impact and diversity business classifications and certifications

Appropriate roles: Account admin

Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

Help enable inclusive economic opportunity by answering some questions about your partner organization on your company profile.

This information will be used to provide aggregated insights to develop and improve Microsoft partner programs, to personalize content for your business, and to help enable a more diverse Microsoft partner ecosystem.

The information you provide might also be shared with customers or with internal Microsoft sales agents to support social value procurement as well as supplier diversity opportunities through AppSource or referrals.

Self-attestation in Partner Center

Partners can self-attest to relevant diversity business classifications by selecting the appropriate checkboxes in their Company profile. You can select more than one applicable classification; providing this information is optional.

Through the Standards of Business Conduct, Microsoft has established ethical business practices. Similarly, Microsoft expects our partners to embrace this commitment to integrity by complying with the Microsoft Partner Code of Conduct. Partners will be required to self-attest that the information provided is true and accurate.

Diverse-owned business classifications

Business must be at least 51% directly owned, managed, and controlled by one or more person(s) who is a citizen or permanent resident of the country/region in which your business is based, and meets one or more diverse-owned business classifications.

Diverse-led business classifications

If your business doesn't meet the 51% diverse-owned business classifications because institutional investors own a majority of the company's equity, you can self-attest to your business being diverse-led in Partner Center if the majority of the company's board, appointers of the board, and management who control day-to-day operations meet diversity classifications.

To self-attest to your business being diverse-led, you must meet all of the following attributes:

  • Diverse or minority group members retain no less than 30% of the entity's equity.
  • No more than 49% of the equity of the entity is owned by persons or entities other than:
    • Diverse or minority group member or;
      • An institutional investor.
  • Diverse or minority group members represent the majority of individuals that direct the day-to-day management or control of the operations of the entity; and
  • Diverse or minority group members constitute a majority of the Board of Directors or; Diverse or minority group members appoint a majority of the Board of Directors.

Third-party certifications

Businesses with relevant social impact or diverse business third-party certifications can also upload valid certification documentation directly in Company profile. This information will be vetted by Microsoft. Certifications that have expired or that are within three months of the expiration date won't be accepted.

Global classifications and certifications

Find social impact and diversity business classifications and certifications available for your region*:

* Other social impact and diversity business classifications and certifications might become available for partners in additional regions in the future.

Next steps

  • Visit your Company profile in Partner Center to self-attest as a diverse-owned or diverse-led business and upload relevant certification.
  • Complete your business profile in Partner Center to enable customers to discover your business on AppSource with your self-attestation and/or certification.