Guidance on Databricks Specializations and Migration Accelerators for Partner Tier Progression

[vamsi_simbus]

Hi everyone,

We are currently working toward progressing our tier in the Databricks Partner Network and had a quick question regarding the tier requirements.

Could someone clarify:
• What is the process for partners to achieve Databricks Specializations?
• What qualifies as a Migration Accelerator, and how can partners get it recognized?

Any guidance or resources would be really helpful as we plan our roadmap to move from Bronze to higher tiers.

Thanks in advance!

[Ashwin_DSA]

Hi @vamsi_simbus,

Thanks for the questions and for growing your Databricks practice as you move beyond Bronze in the Databricks Partner Network.

At a high level, each Brickbuilder Specialisation (industry or product) has a clear checklist that typically includes being in at least the Select/Silver or above program tier, a minimum number of technical delivery and sales/presales badges, several live joint customers, along with named customer stories, blogs/whitepapers per year, and an assessment where applicable. You track progress and manage submissions via the Databricks Partner Portal and its Analytics Dashboard. Status is earned and renewed annually based on what you complete in that fiscal year.

Here are some links for your reference.

• Partner Program tiers, benefits & overview
• Analytics Dashboard (track badges/customers)
• Customer Success Story submission 

For deeper program details (design, benefits, FAQs), see the Brickbuilder Specialisations guide linked from the Partner Portal marketing/enablement section.

And to your other question... a Migration Accelerator is a repeatable migration solution that helps customers move from legacy platforms (e.g. EDW, Hadoop, SAS, etc.) to the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform faster and with less risk. Check out example 1 and example 2.

To have your accelerator formally recognised, follow these steps:

1. Build and use the accelerator with real customer migrations.
2. Package your assets.
3. Meet the Data Warehouse Migrations and migration specialisation requirements.
4. Schedule an assessment to present your assets and demo to the Databricks team.
5. Work with the Databricks Brickbuilder & Partner Programs team for recognition as a Brickbuilder Migration Solution/Accelerator.

Completing these steps will contribute to tier requirements and may get your solution listed on Databricks.com.

For anything specific to your firm (current tier, in‑flight assets, or whether a given solution would qualify), the fastest route is via your Databricks Partner Account Manager or directly emailing partners@databricks.com

If this answer resolves your question, could you mark it as “Accept as Solution”? That helps other users quickly find the correct fix.

[vamsi_simbus]

Hi @Ashwin_DSA ,

Thank you for the detailed explanation and the helpful resources.

I had one follow-up question for clarification. To progress from Bronze to Silver (Select) in the Databricks Brickbuilder Partner Network, is it mandatory to complete Specializations and build a Migration Accelerator, or are those only required for higher tiers?

Also, are certifications and sales/presales badges sufficient for moving to the next tier, or are specializations/accelerators also expected at this stage?

The reason I ask is that the Partner PVS guide does not seem to have the most up-to-date information regarding these requirements.

Appreciate your guidance so we can align our roadmap correctly.

[Ashwin_DSA · Accepted solution]

Hi @vamsi_simbus,

To progress from Bronze to Silver (formerly Registered --> Select), Databricks mainly considers whether you have met the Silver PVS thresholds, along with the core enablement and customer impact criteria. Specialisations and Brickbuilder solutions/accelerators become increasingly significant as you aim for higher differentiation (Silver and especially Gold), but they are not listed as a simple "you must have X specialisation and Y accelerator before you can ever be Silver" rule in the public guides.

In practice... Badges and certifications alone are not sufficient. You also need genuine joint customer success and GTM activity. Working toward at least one Brickbuilder specialisation and a reusable migration offering/accelerator is strongly recommended and will support your PVS and differentiation as you advance into Silver and beyond. Nonetheless, the specific thresholds can vary depending on fiscal year and program updates.

In terms of your other questions about certifications & badges, they are necessary but not enough. They comprise the Readiness & Enablement portion of your PVS, but promotions depend on the overall PVS picture plus program achievements, not enablement alone. You will need a combination of the appropriate PVS level for Silver, a sufficient number of certified technical and sales/presales personnel, demonstrated joint customer wins / consumption, and some degree of GTM collaboration (registered or sourced deals, co-marketing, etc.).

Again, I'd recommend talking to your Databricks Partner Account Manager or directly emailing partners@databricks.com. They are very helpful.

Hope this helps.