Microsoft Partner of the Year, US guide.
The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards (POTY) recognise partners who deliver exceptional customer outcomes across solution areas, industries and geographies. For a US Microsoft Partner, a POTY win - or even a finalist nomination - is one of the highest-signal accolades in the Microsoft ecosystem.
But POTY is not won by the strongest technical delivery. It is won by the strongest story. That is where most US submissions fall down: real, impressive customer outcomes, submitted in a way the judging panel cannot read.
What US POTY winners consistently do differently.
US winners lead with a single named customer, a specific measurable outcome, and a clear connection to a Microsoft solution area or FY priority. They quantify impact in USD, use Microsoft-native language for the workloads involved, and evidence the story with third-party proof - not marketing copy.
They also start early. Strong submissions are built over months, not the final fortnight before the deadline: customer references locked, quotes gathered, metrics validated, story arc rehearsed against the specific award category criteria.
How we build a US POTY submission
Category shortlist
Match your strongest US customer outcomes to the current POTY categories - solution area, industry and country awards - and pick the two or three where you have the strongest fit.
Customer story development
Interview the customer, gather the metrics in USD, secure the quotes, and build the narrative arc against the category judging criteria.
Submission writing and review
Written to Microsoft's word limits and rubric, reviewed against past US winner submissions, and gut-checked with a Microsoft POV before you hit submit.
Finalist and event support
If you get the call, we help with US press, LinkedIn, sales enablement and the on-the-ground activation around Microsoft's US event moments.