Continued sponsored use of Microsoft 365 from our credits after the first year

Hi Martin Frasch,

Thank you for reaching out to us on the Microsoft Q&A forum.

The Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub provides a one-year subscription to Microsoft 365 Business Premium for up to 50 users. However, this benefit is limited to one year from the activation date. Unfortunately, Azure credits provided through the Founders Hub cannot be used to pay for non-Azure products, including Microsoft 365 subscriptions. As a result, you cannot use your Azure credits to cover the cost of Microsoft 365 Business Premium once the free year ends. These credits are specifically designated for Azure services and cannot be applied to Microsoft 365 licenses, Azure Marketplace purchases, or support plans.

To address this, you may consider reaching out to Microsoft for Startups support or your Microsoft representative to explore whether there are any exceptions or additional benefits available for extending your Microsoft 365 subscription under your program tier. If this is not an option, you could reduce costs by scaling down to a more affordable plan, such as Microsoft 365 Business Basic, or by temporarily reducing the number of licensed users.

Although Azure credits cannot directly cover Microsoft 365 costs, you can use them to offset other Azure expenses, freeing up budget for your Microsoft 365 licenses. Additionally, as a startup in the Founders Hub, you may qualify for further discounts or trials for Microsoft 365. Be sure to check with Microsoft support to explore all available options for reducing your subscription costs.

For reference, Microsoft 365

Please reach out to us if you have any other queries.

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