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Startup Support in Profile: Microsoft BizSpark

Posted by Michael under Business Growth, Entrepreneur Resources, Leadership

This global programme aims to let startups in the software based industries really boost their development efforts by providing three key benefits, for free!

What You Get

1. Software – startups who enrol in the programme are given free access to Microsoft’s development tools and platform technologies
2. Support – meaning that network partners around the planet are on call to offer advice, networking and development synergies
3. Visibility – a worldwide audience of potential investors, clients and partners are linked to the startups through Microsoft’s virtual networks.

There are other benefits too, such as technical training and access to Azure, Microsoft’s own cloud platform for problem-solving.

Are You Eligible?

To fit into the programme you have to:

• Be in the software development business
• Have existed as a commercial entity for fewer than 3 year
• Be generating annual revenue under USD 1 million. (and see the note below for regional variations and fine print details)

How To Join Up

You can sign up BizSpark through a valid BizSpark Network Partner or a Microsoft BizSpark Champ – either of which can provide you with a BizSpark enrolment code. The entry into the programme is free, but you will pay a USD $100  fee when you leave after three years.

What’s In It For Microsoft?

Well, they get in on the ground floor of a lot of innovative software based development, they hope that startups will go on to license themselves through Microsoft, and they benefit from offering peer-to-peer exchanges to the next generation of commercial enterprises which could lead to useful synergies and cooperative ventures for them.

Small print

Microsoft say that:

[a] Startups cannot be in the business of providing services to others such as hosting, web agency, system integration or outsourced development.
[b] Startups who are actively engaged in software development but have not yet completed the formalities of establishing a business are also eligible for entry into BizSpark.
[c] There are local variances calibrated to economic conditions in the startup’s place of business, below. If a Startups’ place of business is not listed below, then the revenue limit is USD $1 million.
USD $750,000 China
USD $500,000 Greece, Korea, Malaysia, Poland, Russia, Spain, Ukraine
USD $250,000   Egypt, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam 

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