Startups: Companies that are in their initial stages of business and typically developing a business model and seeking financing.
A direct escalation cannot be performed here. The supported path is to submit a Microsoft for Startups Program Support request through the Azure portal.
For the new Azure Portal experience used by startups that joined after May 29, 2026:
- Sign in to the Azure portal.
- Navigate to the Microsoft for Startups startup homepage.
- In the Overview tab, look for Your Microsoft Team.
- Select Get program support.
If that section is missing, use the Azure support flow for Azure technical or subscription-related issues:
- In the Azure portal, select the ? icon in the top-right corner.
- Select Help + support.
- Select Create a support request.
- Complete the form and attach relevant screenshots or documents.
Relevant scope guidance:
- Microsoft for Startups Program Support handles program onboarding, Azure credit activation, benefit redemption, billing profile issues, entitlement corrections, and portal access problems.
- Azure Support handles Azure service errors, outages, subscription issues, billing problems, and critical production incidents.
- Program Support does not directly handle Azure service outages, production debugging, architecture design, or performance tuning.
For a verification failure with no reason shown and no visible Get program support entry, include these items in the support request:
- Screenshot of the “We couldn’t verify your startup” message
- Business registration documents
- Proof of domain ownership
- Any registration or address documents that match the startup profile details
If unsure which team to contact, start with Microsoft for Startups Program Support for program or benefit questions.