AWS ISV Accelerate Program Guide

The AWS ISV Accelerate Program (ISVA) is AWS’s co-sell program that connects qualified independent software vendors (ISVs) with AWS field sellers and co-sell incentives. This guide explains what the program is, its benefits, the eligibility requirements, how enrollment works, and how to manage co-sell opportunities once you are enrolled.

What Is the AWS ISV Accelerate Program?

ISV Accelerate (ISVA) is AWS’s co-sell program for independent software vendors. It creates direct financial incentives for AWS field teams — account managers, solution architects, and specialists — to actively engage with qualified ISV partners on customer opportunities. For enrolled partners, this typically translates into more AWS-sourced leads, faster sales cycles, and larger deals.

Program Benefits

Enrolled partners gain access to AWS’s global sales organization of more than 10,000 account managers, solution architects, and specialists. AWS reports that partners in ISV Accelerate see:

• 40–60% faster sales cycles when AWS account managers actively co-sell.
• 25–40% larger average deal sizes, attributed to AWS field credibility and existing customer relationships.

The program works by changing AWS seller behavior through direct sales compensation: AWS account managers who engage ISVA partners on customer opportunities become eligible for sales credits and quota retirement, which makes partner engagement financially rewarding rather than optional.

How AWS Rewards Co-Sell: The Field Incentive Structure

Several incentives are tied to the AWS field team so they are motivated to co-sell with enrolled partners:

• ACE Opportunity Credits — AWS sellers receive credit for registering, validating, and progressing joint opportunities in ACE.
• ISVA-Specific Incentives — Enhanced compensation rates for ISVA partner opportunities compared with non-ISVA partners.
• SaaS Co-sell Benefit (SCB) — The primary incentive for AWS seller quota retirement.
• Marketplace Transaction Bonuses — Additional credits for deals closed through AWS Marketplace, with credit multipliers for multi-year contracts.

Eligibility Requirements (ISVA Requirements Checklist)

To qualify for the AWS ISV Accelerate Program, partners must meet and maintain all of the following requirements:

• One or more software products listed as generally available (GA) on AWS Marketplace.
• Achieve APN Customer Engagements (ACE) program eligibility.
• Achieve Software Path status of Validated or Differentiated.
• Amazon Payee Central setup is required (see the linked setup guide below).
• A minimum of 5 launched opportunities (ACE or Marketplace Private Offers) transacted within the past 12 months (not For Visibility Only).
• A minimum of 15 qualified opportunities in ACE within the past 12 months (not For Visibility Only).
• At least 1 individual who has completed the “Co-Selling with AWS” learning module.
• At the time of enrollment reporting, at least $2,000 in recognized AWS Account revenue.

🔗 Amazon Payee Central is a required step. Completing your Payee Central account is one of the eligibility requirements above, and it is also how AWS disburses the funding and co-sell incentives tied to the program. See How to Set Up Your Amazon Payee Central Account.

How to Enroll: Program Access

The ISV Accelerate program is invite-only. Partners receive an invitation to enroll once they meet the eligibility requirements above. There is no open application form — the path to enrollment is meeting and maintaining the requirements checklist, after which AWS extends an invitation.

Managing Co-Sell Opportunities in ACE

Once enrolled, you manage co-sell opportunities through AWS Customer Engagements (ACE) in AWS Partner Central. AWS monitors how actively partners maintain these opportunities, so the practices below are required to remain in good standing.

Creating opportunities

Create opportunities for AWS sales engagement in the ACE Opportunities and Leads tab in AWS Partner Central.

Response requirements

• Accept or reject AWS-sourced opportunities within 72 hours (3 business days).
• After 5 days of inactivity, an opportunity automatically leaves your dashboard.

Update cadence

Update all active ACE opportunities every 14 days (bi-weekly). The required update fields are: opportunity stage, next steps, target close date, estimated AWS MRR (deal sizing), and any blockers.

Compliance and enforcement

• Maintain good-faith collaboration with AWS on joint projects, opportunities, and initiatives, and comply with the APN Terms and Conditions and the ACE Terms and Conditions.
• AWS tracks the number of days since your last opportunity update. Opportunities not updated within 14 days receive automated reminders.
• Chronic non-compliance (more than 30 days without updates) triggers a program review.
• Failure to meet operational standards can result in program suspension or removal.

Related: AWS Partner Funding

ISV Accelerate partners can also access AWS cash funding through the Partner Funding Portal in AWS Partner Central, including Marketing Development Funds (MDF) and Partner Opportunity Acceleration (POA) funds for proofs of concept (POCs) and migrations. These funds are disbursed through Amazon Payee Central, which is another reason a completed Payee Central account is required.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the AWS ISV Accelerate Program?

The AWS ISV Accelerate Program (ISVA) is AWS’s co-sell program for independent software vendors. It gives qualified ISV partners access to AWS’s field sales organization and creates financial incentives for AWS account managers to co-sell partner solutions, which typically results in more leads, faster sales cycles, and larger deals.

What are the requirements to join AWS ISV Accelerate?

Partners must have at least one generally available (GA) product on AWS Marketplace, achieve ACE program eligibility, reach Software Path status of Validated or Differentiated, complete Amazon Payee Central setup, have at least 5 launched and 15 qualified ACE opportunities in the past 12 months, have one person who completed the “Co-Selling with AWS” learning module, and report at least $2,000 in recognized AWS Account revenue at enrollment.

Is Amazon Payee Central required for ISV Accelerate?

Yes. A completed Amazon Payee Central account is one of the ISV Accelerate eligibility requirements, and it is also how AWS disburses the cash funding and co-sell incentives tied to the program. See the Payee Central setup guide for the steps.

How do I enroll in the ISV Accelerate Program?

ISV Accelerate is invite-only. There is no open application form — partners receive an invitation to enroll once they meet and maintain the eligibility requirements. The practical path to enrollment is completing every item on the requirements checklist.

What does “not For Visibility Only” (not FVO) mean in the opportunity requirements?

For Visibility Only (FVO) opportunities are shared with AWS for awareness rather than active co-sell. Opportunities marked For Visibility Only do not count toward the minimum of 5 launched and 15 qualified opportunities required for ISV Accelerate eligibility — only actively co-sold opportunities count.

How often do I need to update ACE opportunities to stay compliant?

Update every active ACE opportunity at least once every 14 days. Opportunities not updated within 14 days receive automated reminders, and more than 30 days without updates triggers a program review. Sustained non-compliance can lead to suspension or removal from the program.