Can't Deploy AI Models - Startups Sub With Many Workloads and 40K Credit is on Azure AI Foundry Free Tier -

Question

Hi I keep getting rejected to Add Quota in Azure AI Foundry because Im on their Tier 0 For some reason, I need to please be granted the ability to deploy the Tier 1 AI Models like GPT-6-Astra in my Azure AI Foundry but having a Founders Credit account it's not letting me no matter how many quota request forms I've filled in. I read this happens in Founders Credit accounts sometimes and If you could please help me get on Tier 1 or allow me to request quota of 500 tpm for GPT-6-Astra that would be great as we need it for testing our for our startup. The Azure AI Foundry Team sees the Subscription as "FREE" So No Quota Can Be Added to Allow Deploying an AI Model and I can't Move off of Tier 0 with Azure AI Foundry. This is a known bug can you help?

Answer 1

Hi Damian,

This is a common issue with Azure Founders Credit subscriptions. Even though you have startup credit, Azure AI Foundry still classifies Founders Credit subscriptions as Tier 0, and sadly in these cases Tier 0 cannot:

• deploy Tier 1 models (including GPT‑6 Astra)

receive quota increases

move off Tier 0 through the quota request form

be upgraded automatically by AI Foundry

The quota requests are being rejected because the system sees your subscription as “Free tier”, even though you have credit. So nothing you're doing wrong, its a limitation of the subscription type.

I've attached the general subscription troubleshooting reference if you'd like to learn some more: https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/cost-management-billing/manage/troubleshoot-azure-subscription

To use Tier 1 models like GPT‑6 Astra, you’ll need either:

a paid Azure subscription (Pay‑As‑You‑Go or CSP), or

an upgraded Startup subscription (handled by the Azure Startups team)

A Microsoft Moderator can escalate this to the Azure Startups / Subscription Management team to check whether your Founders Credit subscription is eligible for a tier upgrade. Don’t post your Subscription ID or Tenant ID publicly , wait for a moderator with the blue Microsoft badge to request them privately.

To flag your post for review: Use the three‑dot menu (…) → Report → Other and mention that your Founders Credit subscription is stuck on Tier 0 and cannot request quota.

Hope this helps, all the best with your AI work.

David.