APN Customer Engagements Program

Collaborate with AWS to drive successful customer engagements

What is the ACE Program?

The APN Customer Engagements (ACE) Program enables AWS Partners to build, grow, and drive successful customer engagements with AWS Sales. It provides Partners with a platform to collaborate with AWS Sales and Marketing teams, request funding, and technical support to help you co-sell with AWS.

All AWS Partners can participate in the ACE Program, irrespective of where you are in your AWS Partner journey. Discover ACE Program sales motions, benefits, and how to become eligible for ACE Program benefits below.

Hear from AWS Partners leveraging ACE

ACE Sales Motions

The ACE Program supports these sales motions to help you grow your business.

AWS Partner Opportunity Referrals

All AWS Partners can submit sales opportunities to seek AWS Sales support. Once an opportunity is validated, you can collaborate with AWS Sales to help build your business.

AWS Opportunity and Lead Referrals

AWS Partners who participate in various APN Programs and meet ACE Program criteria can become eligible for AWS referred opportunities and leads to help you co-sell.

ACE Program Benefits

Engage with AWS Sales teams

For every AWS validated opportunity, you receive an introduction to AWS Sales to engage on the customer opportunity.

Evangelize your customer successes

You can manage your opportunity pipeline and share customer successes to provide visibility and build trust with AWS Sales. Eligible Partners are able to participate in joint or AWS led customer campaigns.

Receive technical support and resources

Receive technical support and gain access to tools and resources for your AWS validated opportunities including AWS Compete, or Cloud Economics resources.

Accelerate through the AWS Partner Journey

Opportunities submitted through the ACE Pipeline Manager and successfully launched are also accounted towards specific AWS Partner Program requirements enabling you to grow as an AWS Partner.

Get Started

All AWS Partners can leverage the ACE Program by accepting the ACE terms and conditions when they access the ACE Pipeline Manager in APN Partner Central. You will need to accept the ACE terms and conditions when you access the ACE Pipeline Manager in APN Partner Central. ACE Program does not require any other application process.

Follow these steps to begin collaborating and co-selling with AWS.

First, share AWS Partner opportunities with AWS Sales

Start your ACE journey by submitting sales opportunities in the ACE Pipeline Manager to seek AWS Sales support.

Step 1: Access ACE Pipeline Manager
Step 2: Submit Opportunities
Step 3: Keep Opportunities Up-to-Date
Step 4: Launch the opportunity

Step 1: Access ACE Pipeline Manager
- Learn about sharing opportunities through ACE Pipeline Manager by watching the "Introduction to ACE" Webcast
- Access ACE Pipeline Manager on APN Partner Central to submit opportunities to AWS.
Note: ACE Pipeline Manager can only be accessed by your partner alliance lead. Your alliance lead can grant you permissions in the Opportunity Management tool on Partner Central by adding you as a user in the tool.
Step 2: Submit Opportunities
- Read through ACE Pipeline Manager User Guide in APN Partner Central to learn about what accounts for an AWS validated opportunity.
- You can submit new opportunities through the ACE Pipeline Manager on APN Partner Central by accessing the "My Customers" tab, and accepting ACE Program terms and conditions. Select "+ new" to submit an opportunity.
- Enter your new opportunity details in the submission form provided. You will receive a notification in APN Partner Central that your opportunity has been submitted.
- Upon opportunity validation, you will receive an email introducing you to the AWS Sales team and can communicate directly with them.
Step 3: Keep Opportunities Up-to-Date
- Regularly update customer opportunities throughout the opportunity life cycle in the ACE Pipeline Manager to maximize visibility with AWS Sales.
Step 4: Launch the opportunity
- Ensure you launch the opportunity in APN Partner Central to count towards your AWS Partner Program requirements and highlight your win to AWS Sales.

Then, become eligible for ACE Program benefits

In order to take advantage of the relationship you are building with AWS Sales on every validated opportunity, continue your ACE journey by following these steps.

Step 1: Become Eligible to Receive ACE Benefits
Step 2: Receive ACE Benefits

Step 1: Become Eligible to Receive ACE Benefits
- AWS Advanced and Premier Consulting Partners automatically meet ACE requirements upon accepting ACE terms and conditions. You can now leverage the ACE benefits and expand your engagement with AWS.
- All other AWS Partners will need to complete the following to receive ACE benefits.
  - 10 AWS validated opportunities over a rolling 12-month period in ACE Pipeline Manager
  - Demonstrate your expertise and proven customer success by qualifying for one or more of the AWS Partner Programs listed below. You should also have an active APN Partner Solutions Finder Directory (PSF) Listing
    
    AWS Competency Program
    
    AWS Managed Service Provider Program
    
    AWS Public Sector Program
    
    AWS Service Delivery Program
    
    AWS Service Ready Program
    
    AWS Well-Architected Partner Program
    
    APN Global Startup Program
Step 2: Receive ACE Benefits
- Expand engagements with AWS Sales, engage in joint marketing campaigns, and leverage funding benefits.
- Access and accept shared leads and opportunities through the ACE Pipeline Manager on APN Partner Central by accessing the "My Customers" tab.
- AWS Partners can receive customer leads generated through APN Partner Solutions Finder or 'contact us' requests from the APN Blog posts or public customer references in which you are featured.

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