If you’re a tech startup considering IBM Cloud for your stack, IBM’s Partner Plus is the umbrella program to know. Instead of offering a basic credit program like you might be familiar with from other cloud providers, IBM has created a full partnership track to unify how companies build with, sell, or service IBM technology. 

Partner Plus is IBM’s global partner framework with three motions (Build, Sell, Service) and four tiers (Registered, Silver, Gold, Platinum) that unlock bigger incentives, technical enablement, and go-to-market support as you advance. Training and badging are the common currency for expertise; validated solutions and revenue proof help you climb tiers. There’s also a New Partner Accelerator that front-loads education and resources so newcomers can reach first wins faster. 

Key promises IBM highlights:

• Incentives & deal support (with a clearer line of sight into what you can earn).
• Insider access to roadmaps, experts, and enablement content through the Partner Portal. 
• Marketing & demand gen programs once you reach the right tier.

Before Partner Plus, startups typically entered via “Startup with IBM / IBM for Startups”, which emphasized cloud usage credits (commonly marketed as “up to $120,000” in IBM Cloud credits) with time-boxed monthly allocations. That program was credit-centric and ran largely in parallel to IBM’s broader partner machinery. 

Today, startup benefits are routed through Partner Plus (Build track) and coordinated via the Partner Portal/IBM contacts. To be clear, credits still exist, but they’re aligned to partner status and onboarding rather than a standalone funnel.

Who qualifies? 

Early-stage companies building products or services on IBM Cloud/Watsonx can join under the Build motion. IBM doesn’t provide any insight into any specific revenue, company age, or previous-usage criteria, but in general, it seems like the acceptance rate into the basic registered tier is quite high. If you’re not sure if you qualify, it’s still worth a shot. An IBM Partner manager will evaluate your company specifics to determine if you’re eligible for higher tiers. They’ll also work with you to create a game plan to reach the higher tiers if you’re not there yet. 

Where to Start

1. Create a Partner Plus company profile and select Build as your motion.
2. Enroll your team in the New Partner Accelerator’s learning paths (sales + technical).
3. Complete initial badging (fundamentals first) to unlock tools like Software Access Catalog and pre-sales resources.
4. Work with your IBM contact to map credits/trials and an enablement plan; some credit workflows are facilitated by IBM or through an IBM partner manager. 

Prepare to have the following details when you create your company profile: legal entity details, company description, solution overview, and use-cases on IBM tech. You’ll need to sign an Embedded Service Agreement (ESA) in order to access cloud credits.

The Benefits

• Cloud credits & software access. Startups can still access IBM Cloud credits. Availability and amounts are coordinated via Partner Plus and your IBM contact. New business partners may also see smaller starter credits for initial exploration. 
• Enablement & badging. Directed learning journeys, role-based tracks, and digital badges—accelerating your path to tier advancement.
• Go-to-market & demand gen. Co-marketing, access to IBM events (e.g., Think Partner Day), software evaluation rights for your prospects (up to 90 days for eligible tiers), and joint storytelling once validated.
• Recognition & community. Visibility through IBM Partner Plus Awards and case-study opportunities as you grow. You’ll also be able to join the IBM Partner Plus directory. 

Tip: When you read “up to $120,000” in credits, treat it as ceiling language. Expect IBM to confirm the exact structure (monthly caps, duration, and eligible services) during onboarding. Until you apply yourself, it’s hard to know how many credits you’ll actually receive.

1. Lead with the product and workload shape. Be explicit about which IBM services you’ll consume at what stage (e.g., VPC, Kubernetes, Cloud Databases, Watsonx.ai/Assistant), expected burn, and milestones. This will help you and your IBM representative cleanly plan out your credits and find opportunities for additional support. 
2. Badge early, badge together. Knock out the foundational Partner Plus badges during week one; this unlocks catalog access and keeps you on a tier-advancement path that opens co-marketing later.
3. Ask for the right enablement. If you’ll be selling to regulated customers, request references and best-practice architectures from IBM’s case-study library to accelerate security/procurements.

IBM’s Partner Plus is a much more hands-on program than previous startup programs like Startup with IBM. Instead of offering only credits, they’ve developed a clear skills-plus-progression ladder with incentives and real GTM support. If you’re interested in building with specific IBM cloud services like Watsonx, you’ll likely find lots of value in the program. However, know that you’ll be locking yourself into building on IBM the further you progress in the program. If you’re still playing around with different cloud providers, stick with IBM’s free tier in the meantime.