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Get Certified in Small Business


Cisco Select Certification recognizes and rewards partners that have achieved the Cisco Small Business Specialization. Select reflects a partner's technological and business expertise specific to small and medium-sized businesses (fewer than 250 employees).


Apply for Select Certification


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After you gain certification, you can:

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Partner Benefits

With this entry-level certification, Select Certified Partners benefit from an increased level of support from Cisco, including:


Certification and specialization are based on meeting all requirements within a given country, or country grouping where relevant. All applicants must agree to the Cisco Channel Partner Program terms and conditions. To start the process:

Select Certification Requirements Basic Requirements

Specialization Requirements


Small Business Specialization
or
Small Business Foundation Specialization


Service and Support Requirements
Type Select
Legal agreement Valid resale agreement or Cisco Indirect Channel Partner Agreement (ICPA) in place
Demo capabilities Not required
Service contract Partner must sell services related to Cisco product through distribution
Customer service and callback 8x5 basis (8 hours a day, 5 days a week)
Escalation process Not required
Support laboratory Not required


Customer Satisfaction Requirements
Note: Participation in the Cisco partner customer satisfaction survey is not required for Select Certification.
Type Select
New Certification Not required
Recertification Not required


Cisco Select Certified Partners who move to either Cisco Gold or Cisco Silver Certification must:

  • Have at least 15 valid responses
  • Meet the theater customer satisfaction target

Note: If a partner does not remain in compliance with the applicable specialization or certification requirements, Cisco reserves the right to revoke the specialization or certification. A partner must notify Cisco of its noncompliance promptly, but in no event more than 30 days after partner first becomes aware of its noncompliance. Upon Cisco's receipt of such notice, partner may qualify for an extension of time in which to renew its compliance with the applicable specialization or certification requirements. Partner's failure to provide such notice may disqualify partner from receiving such an extension. If no extension is granted or if partner fails to comply with the certification or specialization requirements by the end of the extension period, Cisco reserves the right to revoke the applicable specialization or certification immediately. Additional information regarding noncompliance may be found in the Audit and Policies Document.


Your company must be a Cisco Registered Partner before you apply for specialization or certification. Follow these steps to apply:

  1. Visit the "Become a Registered Partner" page if you are new to the Cisco Channel Partner Program and have not registered.
  2. Verify that the certified individuals fulfilling job roles are allocated to your company with their CSCO testing number. Partner Administrators and internal Cisco employees (associated through the CAM Assignment tool) are able to verify this information using the Partner Self Service tool . (It takes five to ten business days on average for Cisco to receive the exam results data from its respective testing agencies.)
  3. Complete and submit the Specialization application.
    If you encounter any issues in the application or renewal process, please open a case with the Partner Relationship Team.


To renew a specialization:

  1. Begin the recertification process 90 days before your anniversary date.
  2. Verify that you are in compliance with the current specialization requirements.
  3. Submit your application using the Certification and Specialization Application online web tool.

You must meet all requirements to submit your application. If you encounter any issues in the application or renewal process, open a case with the Cisco Partner Relationship Team.


If you fail to submit a recertification application within 30 days after your anniversary date, you will lose your specialization.


Note: If a partner does not remain in compliance with the applicable specialization or certification requirements, Cisco reserves the right to revoke the specialization or certification at any time. Partners must notify Cisco of its non-compliance promptly, but in no event more than thirty (30) days after partner fi rst becomes aware of its non-compliance. Upon receipt of such notice, partner may qualify for an extension of time in which to renew its compliance with the applicable specialization or certification requirements. Partner's failure to provide such notice may disqualify partner from receiving such an extension. If no extension is granted or if partner fails to comply with the certification or specialization requirements by the end of the extension period, Cisco reserves the right to revoke the applicable specialization or certification immediately. Additional information regarding non-compliance may be found in the Audit and Policies Document.