AWS MSP Partner Checklist: Your Complete Guide to Becoming an AWS- Validated MSP

Becoming an AWS Managed Service Provider (MSP) Partner is one of the most effective ways for cloud-focused providers to gain credibility, scale revenue, and align with customer demand. But the process is rigorous, requiring certifications, documented processes, audits, and proof that you can deliver the full cloud lifecycle.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know: what the AWS MSP Program is, why it matters, the step-by-step path to qualification, and a detailed AWS MSP checklist you can use to prepare.

AWS MSP Partner Checklist at a Glance

Why Become an AWS MSP Partner?

Joining the AWS MSP program opens doors that go far beyond technical validation, giving MSPs a competitive edge in how they win, keep, and grow customer relationships.

By qualifying, MSPs gain access to a range of opportunities that directly impact growth and customer trust.

Here are the biggest ones. 

Market Credibility

The MSP Partner designation validates your technical depth, operational maturity, and customer focus. Clients know you’ve been through AWS’s toughest program.

Pro Tip: Highlight your AWS MSP status in proposals, sales decks, and your website. It can shorten sales cycles by proving authority upfront.

Co-Selling With AWS

Once validated, you’ll be eligible for co-selling opportunities with AWS field teams, increasing your exposure to enterprise prospects.

Pro Tip: Build relationships with AWS Partner Development Managers early. They’re often the bridge to joint opportunities once you’re validated.

Access to Funding Programs

AWS offers proof-of-concept credits, marketing development funds, and technical support, all of which lower sales barriers and help MSPs scale faster.

Pro Tip: Track which clients align with AWS-funded initiatives and co-market those projects to stretch your budget further.

Differentiation

With dozens of MSPs competing for customer spend, AWS validation helps you stand out. It’s a proof point that few competitors can match.

Pro Tip: Pair the AWS MSP badge with customer case studies to double down on differentiation. Prospects trust proof in numbers and stories.

Increased Customer Trust

Buyers want reassurance that their provider follows AWS best practices for security, automation, and cost management. The MSP badge provides exactly that.

Pro Tip:  Use the AWS MSP designation as a conversation starter during renewals; it reinforces why clients should stay with you over switching providers.

Together, these benefits position the AWS MSP Program as a true growth engine, fueling credibility, visibility, and long-term customer loyalty.

How to Qualify and Become an AWS MSP Partner 

Becoming an AWS MSP Partner involves more than ticking boxes; it requires a demonstrated track record of technical expertise, customer success, and operational excellence. The process combines prerequisites (like APN tier and certifications), documentation and references, and finally, a third-party audit that validates your maturity.

Here’s what it takes:

APN Tier

You must already be enrolled in the AWS Partner Network (APN) at the Advanced or Premier Tier.

What this means: These are the highest partner levels in AWS, requiring proof of customer success, technical capability, and revenue.

How to get there: Start by joining the AWS Partner Network as a Registered Partner, then work your way up by submitting case studies, building certified staff, and demonstrating AWS revenue.

Example: A mid-sized MSP that has successfully migrated three enterprise clients to AWS with documented results could apply to advance from the Select to Advanced tier.

Pro Tip: Track your APN scorecard quarterly. Gaps in certifications or case studies can delay your tier advancement.

Certifications

AWS requires a minimum number of certified professionals to prove your team has the depth to handle complex customer environments.

• AWS Solutions Architect – Professional: Focuses on designing distributed systems on AWS. Think of it as proof that your team can handle large, scalable migrations.

• AWS DevOps Engineer – Professional: Centers on CI/CD, automation, and monitoring, showing your team can run operations, not just migrations.

• Associate-level certifications: SysOps, Developer, and Architect certifications establish a foundational bench of skills for day-to-day support and project delivery.
  

Example: An MSP with 4 Solutions Architects (Professional), 2 DevOps Engineers (Professional), and 6 Associates would meet and exceed the baseline requirement, signaling to AWS auditors that the team has both depth and breadth to manage enterprise-scale workloads.

Pro Tip: Balance your certification mix. Too many Associates and not enough Professional-level engineers can weaken your audit submission. Aim for a pyramid structure, a broad base of Associates, a strong middle of Professionals, and a handful of Specialists to cover niche services like security or databases.

Customer References

You’ll need validated customer case studies that show you’ve migrated, optimized, and supported AWS environments end-to-end.

Example: Documenting how you migrated a financial services client from on-prem to AWS, automated their scaling with Lambda, and delivered 20% monthly cost savings.

Pro Tip: Choose references that reflect different industries and workloads, as it proves versatility and breadth of expertise.

Operational Maturity

Your MSP practice must show that you can run a fully managed AWS environment with 24/7 monitoring, automation, security, and cost management.

Example: Using monitoring tools to track performance, automation frameworks to handle provisioning, standardized compliance controls for security, and FinOps practices for ongoing cost optimization.

Pro Tip: Auditors want to see documented processes (runbooks, escalation paths, governance frameworks) that prove your team can consistently deliver.

The Path in Practice

Enroll in the APN and achieve Advanced or Premier status.

Why: This shows AWS you’ve achieved scale and credibility. 

How: Build your customer base, earn certifications, and submit reference workloads.

• Build up certifications and case studies.
  Best ones: Solutions Architect – Professional and DevOps Engineer – Professional are gold standards. For case studies, focus on high-impact migrations and cost optimization wins.

• Prepare documentation, tooling evidence, and customer reporting.
  What kind: Monitoring screenshots, automation workflows, security compliance docs, cost optimization reports (such as savings plans or AWS cost optimization).

• Undergo the AWS MSP audit.
  How it works: A third-party auditor reviews your certifications, processes, tooling, and case studies against the AWS MSP checklist. Expect interviews, evidence reviews, and tool demonstrations.
  
  
• Receive your MSP Partner designation once approved.
  How long: Timelines vary, but from the designation application, it typically takes 3–6 months, depending on readiness.
  

Source: Amazon

By meeting these requirements and preparing thoroughly for the audit, MSPs can turn the AWS MSP Partner designation into both a validation of excellence and a launchpad for new growth.

The AWS MSP Partner Checklist

Before applying, MSPs should validate their readiness against this detailed AWS MSP Partner checklist:

AWS Certification Benchmark

Your team must hold a mix of Associate- and Professional-level AWS certifications to prove technical competence across the lifecycle. This ensures you have both specialists for complex projects and generalists for daily operations.

Example: A balanced roster might include 4 Solutions Architects (Professional) to lead migrations, 2 DevOps Engineers (Professional) to manage automation and CI/CD, and 6 Associates (SysOps, Developer, Architect) to support ongoing workloads.

Pro Tip: Go beyond the minimum requirements. Maintaining a “bench” of certified engineers gives you flexibility during audits, employee turnover, or rapid onboarding of new customers.

24/7 Support Operations

AWS requires evidence that you can monitor and support client environments continuously, not just during business hours. This includes staffing models, escalation procedures, and documented SLAs ,  but automation is just as important. Automated alerting and remediation scripts help reduce response times and minimize the pressure on human teams.

Example: A follow-the-sun model with teams in North America, Europe, and Asia providing uninterrupted coverage, supported by automation that detects performance issues and resolves common incidents before escalation is needed.

Pro Tip: Don’t only focus on headcount. Show how you integrate automation into your support model to maintain stability and scale effectively. Documented workflows that combine automated responses with human escalation prove your team can consistently deliver outcomes.

Monitoring and Automation Tooling

MSPs must demonstrate that they utilize monitoring tools and automation frameworks to manage customer environments efficiently and proactively. Manual processes are a red flag.

Example: Implementing monitoring tools to track system health, an alerting framework to flag issues in real time, and automation scripts to provision resources and apply patches consistently.

Pro Tip: In your audit prep, don’t just list the tools. Show how your monitoring and automation framework reduces manual intervention, integrates with your support model, and directly improves customer outcomes.

Security and Compliance Controls

Security is non-negotiable. AWS wants assurance that your MSP practice enforces identity management, vulnerability scanning, and compliance with industry standards like SOC 2, HIPAA, or ISO 27001.

Example: IAM role-based access with MFA enforced, vulnerability scans scheduled weekly, and quarterly SOC 2 audits reviewed by leadership.

Pro Tip: Link your compliance processes to AWS best practices. Mapping controls to the AWS Well-Architected Framework shows auditors that you align with native standards.

Documented Processes

Repeatable processes are as important as tooling. Auditors will review documentation that proves you can deliver consistent results across all customers.

Example: Standardized runbooks for onboarding new clients, rolling out security patches, and handling service outages. Each runbook includes step-by-step procedures, ownership roles, and escalation criteria.

Pro Tip: Keep documentation version-controlled (e.g., in GitHub or Confluence) and tied to training logs. This proves your team doesn’t just “have docs” but actively maintains and uses them.

Cost Optimization Practices

You must demonstrate FinOps maturity by actively monitoring and reducing customer costs while maintaining performance. Cost optimization is a core part of AWS’s MSP requirements.

Example: Conducting monthly reviews where you right-size EC2 instances, apply Reserved Instances or Savings Plans, and present a report of realized savings. Tie recommendations back to the client’s business goals.

Pro Tip: Incorporate AWS cost optimization reports into Quarterly Business Reviews. Position cost savings as part of a broader strategy to reinvest in innovation, not just a one-time win.

Customer Reporting

Transparency builds trust. AWS requires MSPs to provide clients with regular, detailed reporting on system health, performance, security posture, and spend.

Example: A customer dashboard that includes uptime SLAs, performance benchmarks, and cost optimization trends, distributed monthly to all stakeholders.

Pro Tip: Automate reporting delivery and personalize insights for different stakeholders (e.g., technical dashboards for engineers, cost/performance summaries for executives). This turns reporting from a compliance exercise into a value-added service.

What Is the AWS MSP Audit and How to Prepare?

The final step in becoming an AWS MSP Partner is passing a rigorous third-party audit. This process validates that your team, tooling, and operations truly meet AWS’s high standards for service delivery and customer success. Preparing thoroughly is essential to avoid delays and increase your chances of approval.

The Third-Party Validation Process

AWS-approved auditors perform the MSP audit. They review your documentation, interview staff, and assess your operational maturity throughout the entire customer lifecycle, from migration to optimization.

Example: An auditor may ask your support team to walk through how a real customer incident was detected, escalated, and resolved using your documented processes.

Pro Tip: Train staff on how to answer questions consistently. Auditors look for alignment between your documented policies and what your team says in interviews.

Required Evidence

Auditors will expect tangible proof that your MSP practice aligns with AWS requirements. This typically includes documentation such as policies, runbooks, governance frameworks, and SLAs; tooling evidence like screenshots of monitoring and automation workflows; and customer case studies that demonstrate migration, operations, and cost optimization.

Example: Submitting a case study for a retail client that includes the migration strategy, supporting screenshots of automated provisioning workflows, and evidence of monthly optimization reports.

Pro Tip: Bundle all evidence into a structured “audit binder” or digital folder. Well-organized submissions reduce back-and-forth and make a stronger impression.

Timelines

The audit process typically takes 4–8 weeks once scheduled, but preparation can stretch several months depending on your readiness. Delays often come from incomplete documentation or missing case studies.

Example: An MSP that started gathering case studies six months in advance was able to pass its audit in four weeks, while another that waited to compile documents during the audit saw delays of over two months.

Pro Tip: Build a prep timeline backward from your desired designation date. Allocate extra time for filling certification gaps and collecting customer approvals on case studies.

Running a Pre-Audit Gap Assessment

Before scheduling the official audit, run your own internal gap assessment to spot weaknesses early. This means auditing your own processes, checking staff certifications, and validating your case study library.

Example: A mock internal audit that flagged two expiring certifications and missing escalation runbooks — both issues were corrected before the official audit.

Pro Tip: Involve multiple departments (engineering, compliance, account management). A cross-functional review often identifies gaps that a single team might miss.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Applying

Even well-established MSPs can stumble during the AWS MSP Partner application process. Most failures come from overlooked details, incomplete preparation, or weak evidence. Avoiding these common mistakes can save you months of delays and give your application a stronger chance of success.

Weak or Missing Documentation

Auditors expect polished, standardized documentation,  not ad hoc notes. If your runbooks, SLAs, or governance policies aren’t current or detailed, you risk rejection.

Example: An MSP that provided a generic one-page escalation policy instead of a step-by-step runbook for incidents failed to meet the maturity threshold.

Pro Tip: Keep your documentation version-controlled and reviewed quarterly so it’s always audit-ready.

Insufficient Certified Staff

Meeting the minimum certification numbers is a hard requirement. Falling short can halt your application.

Example: An MSP with 3 Solutions Architects at the Associate level but only 1 at the Professional level was flagged as lacking the depth to handle enterprise migrations.

Pro Tip: Build redundancy. Have more certified staff than required, so turnover or expirations don’t derail your application.

Lack of Customer References

AWS requires recent, validated case studies to prove you’ve delivered across the full lifecycle. Applications often fail when MSPs can’t secure customer approval to share details.

Why this happens: Clients may be under NDAs, reluctant to share financial outcomes, or simply too busy to validate the reference.

Pro Tip: Start gathering case study approvals early, ideally as part of project closeout, so you’re not scrambling when the audit begins.

Limited Automation

Manual processes undermine claims of operational maturity. AWS expects automation to handle provisioning, scaling, patching, and monitoring.

Example: An MSP that relied on manual ticket creation for patching was flagged as too reactive compared to peers using automated workflows.

Pro Tip: Document automation outcomes, not just tools. Show how your scripts or workflows reduce resolution time or improve cost efficiency.

Failure to Map Offerings to AWS Best Practices

Auditors want to see alignment with AWS Well-Architected principles and other validated frameworks. If your services don’t clearly connect, you risk appearing incomplete or inconsistent.

Example: An MSP offering monitoring but without tying alerts back to cost optimization was marked as failing to meet AWS’s “continuous improvement” criteria.

Pro Tip: Map each service you provide directly to an AWS best practice and include it in your audit binder. This makes your value story easier to follow and harder to dispute.

Ready to Prove You’re AWS MSP Material?

Becoming an AWS MSP Partner isn’t only about meeting technical requirements; it’s about showing operational excellence, customer success, and the ability to scale with confidence. 

From certifications and automation to 24/7 support and validated case studies, the journey demands preparation and rigor. Passing the audit and avoiding common pitfalls can transform the AWS MSP designation into a true growth engine. 

With the right foundation and tools like Cloud cost management for MSPs to strengthen your FinOps maturity, your practice can stand out, earn customer trust, and unlock new opportunities in the cloud economy.