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Microsoft for Startups (new Azure portal): where do I access the Essentials benefits (Microsoft 365, GitHub, Visual Studio)?

Patrick shone 0 Reputation points
2026-06-12T07:35:43.9566667+00:00

I was recently approved for Microsoft for Startups and have my startup Azure credits showing in the new Azure portal experience (the Microsoft for Startups "Build your startup" page).

I can't find the Essentials software benefits anywhere in the new portal — specifically Microsoft 365 Business Premium, GitHub Enterprise, and Visual Studio. The program page shows my credit balance, the AI app templates, and a "Tools" section (learning paths, GitHub Copilot, and "Set up your Azure account"), but no benefits catalogue or any option to activate these benefits. The older program-support link (aka.ms/startuphelp-mfs-portal) routes to the previous Founders Hub portal, which I can't sign in to, since I joined through the new Azure portal flow.

Two questions:

  1. Are the Essentials software benefits (Microsoft 365 Business Premium, GitHub Enterprise, Visual Studio) available on the new post-May-2026 Azure portal experience? If so, where exactly do I access and activate them? And if they are simply still syncing after approval, how long should that typically take to appear?
  2. If the Microsoft 365 Business Premium benefit is available, can it be redeemed into an existing Microsoft 365 tenant, or does activating it provision a brand-new tenant? (Our existing Microsoft 365 is currently managed through GoDaddy, so I'd like to plan the transition correctly before making any changes.)

Thanks in advance.

Azure | Azure Startups
Azure | Azure Startups

Startups: Companies that are in their initial stages of business and typically developing a business model and seeking financing.

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  1. kagiyama yutaka 3,605 Reputation points
    2026-06-12T10:26:47.31+00:00

    I think Essentials (MS365 BP, GitHub Enterprise, Visual Studio) are still part of the program, and in the post‑May‑2026 Azure portal the place to handle any benefits is the MS for Startups page, using Program Support when a software benefit does not appear, because MS has not said where Essentials shows up in the new portal.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-06-12T07:35:58.8233333+00:00

    The available information only confirms that, after approval, credits and “program benefits” are managed through the Azure Portal for startups that joined after May 29, 2026, but it does not enumerate or describe where to find specific Essentials software benefits (Microsoft 365 Business Premium, GitHub Enterprise, Visual Studio) in the new experience, nor how they are redeemed or whether they can be applied to an existing tenant.

    From the context:

    • Startups that joined after May 29, 2026 manage their Microsoft for Startups subscription, credits, and benefits directly in the Azure Portal experience described as the Microsoft for Startups program page and the “Build your startup” page.
    • After application approval, startups “unlock expanded credits (up to $150,000) and the full Microsoft for Startups benefits package,” and can “find, activate, and manage benefits” in the Azure Portal.
    • Program Support is the channel for help with “benefit redemption, billing profile issues, entitlement corrections, and portal access problems,” and all such support requests must be submitted through the Azure Portal using the “Get Program Support” button under the “Your Microsoft Team” tile.

    The context does not specify:

    • Whether the Essentials software benefits (Microsoft 365 Business Premium, GitHub Enterprise, Visual Studio) are included or how they surface in the new post–May 29, 2026 Azure Portal experience.
    • Any UI location, menu name, or tile name where those specific benefits appear.
    • Any timing/SLA for when non-credit benefits appear after approval.
    • Whether Microsoft 365 Business Premium can be redeemed into an existing tenant, or whether redemption always provisions a new tenant, including any behavior specific to GoDaddy-managed tenants.

    The only supported next step for both of the questions asked is to contact Microsoft for Startups Program Support from within the new Azure Portal experience so that Program Support can:

    • Confirm which benefits are available to the specific startup account in the new experience.
    • Investigate missing or non-visible benefits in the “Build your startup” page or related tiles.
    • Provide tenant-specific guidance on Microsoft 365 Business Premium redemption and any implications for an existing GoDaddy-managed tenant.

    To do that, use the Azure Portal Microsoft for Startups experience and select the “Get Program Support” button under the “Your Microsoft Team” tile, then submit a support request describing that Essentials benefits are not visible in the new portal and that guidance is needed on Microsoft 365 Business Premium redemption into an existing tenant.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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