Find social impact and diverse businesses
Inclusion is innovation and many customers are looking to find partners that align to their business values, and surfacing new partners that can bring new perspectives with certifications for black or women-owned businesses (as an example). With the Microsoft commercial marketplace, you can take steps to find partners that share and prioritize these values.
Follow these steps to discover diverse and inclusive partners in the marketplace partner directory on Microsoft AppSource:
Navigate to marketplace's partner directory: This is a comprehensive listing of all Microsoft partners with a business profile page in Partner Center.
Choose a location that supports diverse-owned businesses and social impact business discoverability: Select a location using the 'Filter' bar on the left-hand side of the page (see blue bubble 1 in the following image). As of January 2023, diverse-owned businesses and social impact business discovery is available in several countries/regions, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, United States, andUnited Kingdom.
Use the Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) filters: These filters allow you to limit your search results to partners that are either diverse attested or diverse certified. For more information on these categories, see Social impact and diversity business classifications and certifications. You can find more specific information on the listed countries/regions by clicking on the partner names. (see blue bubble 2 in the previous image).
Refine your search results: Narrow down your search based on criteria such as Microsoft Solution Partner designation or specialties, solution category, industry, product, and service.
Review partner business profiles: Each partner in the partner directory has a profile that outlines its services, expertise, and values. Take the time to read these profiles to learn more about a partner's commitment to diversity and inclusion. Look for partners that explicitly mention these values in their profiles or have specific initiatives that promote them.
Reach out to potential partners: Select the Contact Me button to fill out the form and get in touch with partners of interest. You need to sign in to AppSource to access this form. Ensure that the form is properly filled out to submit successfully. Use this opportunity to ask about their values, policies, and initiatives related to diversity and inclusion.
If you are interested in purchasing solutions from an ESG partner, search for its solutions in AppSource App Gallery, or on the Azure Marketplace. Often, you find offers that you can transact immediately through the marketplace.
At the Microsoft commercial marketplace, we believe that diversity and inclusion are fundamental to creating a thriving and equitable business community. We encourage you to use these tips to find partners that share these values and can help your organization succeed.