What does it mean to become an AWS Partner?
An AWS Partner is a company or organization that is officially recognized by Amazon Web Services for offering products, services, or expertise built on or integrated with AWS. These partners are part of the AWS Partner Network (APN) and can include:
Consulting partners: Help customers migrate, build, or manage workloads on AWS
Technology partners: Offer software solutions that run on or integrate with AWS
Training partners: Provide AWS-authorized training to individuals and organizations
Becoming an AWS Partner gives businesses access to special tools, training, support, and co-marketing opportunities from AWS. As an official partner, you can earn recognition, grow revenue, and collaborate directly with AWS teams.
How to become an AWS Partner
Step 1. Meet basic eligibility requirements
It’s important that you meet the following eligibility criteria before registering:
Have a registered business and official website
Have a team with foundational AWS knowledge
A company email address
An AWS account with admin access
If you’re missing any of the above, you can simply fix that and then move to the next step.
Step 2. Register on AWS Partner Central
Go to https://partners.amazonaws.com and sign in using your AWS account. Once done, click on “Join the APN” and fill in your company name, website, size, and AWS use case. Then submit the form to create your Partner Central profile.
Once accepted, you’ll get access to the Partner Central dashboard.
Step 3. Choose your AWS Partner Path
Once you’re inside the AWS Partner Central, choose the path that fits your business model. It could be one of the following:
Services Path – for IT services, cloud consulting, MSPs
Software Path – for building and selling SaaS or hosted apps
Training Path – for companies offering technical education
Distribution Path – for those selling AWS at scale
Each path has milestones for technical validation and partner advancement.
Step 4. Complete the required onboarding steps
Each path requires some onboarding tasks. Simply follow the instructions and complete them specific to your path. These may include:
Earning AWS certifications (Cloud Practitioner, Architect, Developer, etc.)
Completing AWS Partner training modules
Uploading customer references or case studies
Publishing solutions or service offerings
Once you’ve done this, you can advance through the partner tiers. Here are the 4 tiers they have:
Registered – Basic access after joining the APN
Select – Earned after completing certifications and business validation
Advanced – Requires higher revenue, customer success, and certifications
Premier – Top tier; requires global reach and significant AWS impact
Each tier offers more visibility, marketing support, co-selling, and credits.
