The Google Cloud Partner Network

What is the Google Cloud Partner Network?

Google announced it on December 16, 2025, for every partner type and size, from ISVs to global system integrators. The new program and its portal were set to launch in the first quarter of 2026.¹ By April 2026, Channel Dive described a program rebuilt around co-selling, post-sales services and collaborative software development.⁴

Before it, Google partners worked in Partner Advantage.³ The new program goes from two tiers to three, and Google says it shifts from measuring program work to valuing customer outcomes.¹

In practice, Google is moving away from tracking traditional requirements such as business plans and customer stories. It wants to recognize pre-sales influence, co-innovation and post-sales support, along with skills and customer results.¹

What are the new Google Cloud partner tiers?

Select, Premier and a new Diamond tier. Each tier reflects joint customer successes, based on customer outcomes across Google Cloud and Google Workspace.¹

Diamond is the top. Google calls it intentionally selective, reserved for the few partners who consistently deliver exceptional customer outcomes.¹

Google's announcement gives no thresholds. Some press reports print numbers. I leave them out until Google publishes them.

If you held a tier before, don't assume you keep it. TechRadar reported that existing partners move to the new system over six months and are not guaranteed to retain their current tier.² Google's own post describes a six-month transition window from the Q1 kickoff.¹

How do competencies replace specializations?

Google's new competency framework replaces its specializations and measures two things. Capacity is knowledge and skills, validated by technical certifications and sales credentials. Capability is real-world success, measured by pre-sales and post-sales contributions to validated closed and won opportunities.¹

A competency doesn't depend on your tier. You can earn one without any tier requirement, and Advanced Competency adds a second, higher level.¹

For marketing, this changes what customer stories are for. They used to help meet program requirements.¹ Now the win counts on its own, and the story goes back to its first job, which is selling.

How are customer wins credited?

Automatically. Google says it will apply every successful customer engagement toward a partner's progress in all eligible tiers and competencies, which removes redundant reporting.¹

Google is also building AI into the core of the program to cut the administrative work of taking part.¹

My read: automatic credit rewards the work Google can see. Bring Google sellers into your deals early, and make sure each engagement is on record with Google.

What does Google give partners for marketing?

Partner Marketing Studio is Google's free marketing automation tool for partners. In February 2025 Google added Gemini. AI editing customizes campaigns by organizational maturity, persona or industry. AI creation writes new co-branded content, such as an email with a subject line, body copy and a call to action.³

At that point, access was for partners at the Partner and Premier levels of Partner Advantage.³ Check what your new tier includes in the Partner Network portal.

In April 2026, at Google Cloud Next, Google set aside USD 750 million for partners, for AI training and deployment, Channel Dive reported. Its examples: forward-deployed engineering for large global system integrators, help launching Gemini Enterprise practices, AI value assessment and agent prototyping tools, and agent-building projects for the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform.⁴

Google Cloud Marketplace changed for partners too. In May 2025 Google moved to a variable revenue share, from 3 percent down to as low as 1.5 percent for eligible partners and deals.⁵ With Marketplace Channel Private Offers, customers buy an ISV's solution through the channel partner they choose. That partner keeps the customer relationship, manages billing and invoicing, and recognizes the topline revenue.⁵

What should a Google Cloud partner do now?

1. 1Log in to the Partner Network portal and see which wins count toward your tier and competencies.
2. 2Pick the next competency to go after, from the certifications you hold and the deals you've closed.
3. 3Bring Google sellers into deals early, so the engagement is on record.
4. 4Get your Marketplace listing and private offers ready, alone or with a reseller.
5. 5If you build agents, read the terms of Google's AI partner funding before you plan the launch.

Google's tools adapt campaigns. A Quebec buyer still expects French written for them. My work with Google Cloud partners is on the Google Cloud partners page.