As you heard on the 15th April from Bindi Karia of Microsoft BizSpark, Northern StartUp 2.0 has been appointed as your local BizSpark Network Partner.

Microsoft’s BizSpark program for start-ups is quick and easy way to gain access to great software and production licenses. If you are a start up then you need to check out the great benefits of this program.

Tech startups have lots to gain from this. Whether you're developing the latest Iphone 4 apps or building the next YouTube, you're missing out if you've not got in on this already.

Here's the criteria:

- Actively engaged in development of a software-based product or service that will form a core piece of your current or intended business.
- Your company is privately held, and in business for less than 3 years.
- Has less than US $1 million in annual revenue
- Member of the Northern StartUp 2.0 Community

What do you get?

Here's what you get from the program:

- Development Tools, Platform Technologies and Production Licenses
- All the software included in the Microsoft® Visual Studio® Team System Team Suite (VSTS) with MSDN Premium subscription
- Expression Studio Version 2
- VSTS Team Foundation Server (standard edition)
- Production use rights to host a “software as a service” solution (developed during participation in the BizSpark Program, on any platform) over the Internet, with regard to the latest versions of Microsoft products including:
- Microsoft Windows Server® (all editions up to and including Enterprise)
- Microsoft SQL Server (all editions)
- Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server
- Microsoft System Center
- Microsoft BizTalk Server

In addition to the core program offering, BizSpark startups will be eligible for other Microsoft offerings, including Microsoft Azure Services Platform - The Azure Services Platform is the collection of Foundational, Developer and Live Platform Service such as Windows Azure, Live Mesh, Compute Services, Storage Services, Workflow Services, Identity Services, Connectivity Services, SQL Data Services. All developers will have access to the Azure Services Platform developer tools which includes the local development fabric.

What’s the catch?

There isn’t one! After three years we will require you pay $100USD exit fee, that’s it! If you want to continue with the software and licenses, you simply pay for your MSDN subscriptions the regular way, and if you want to keep using your production licenses, you pay for those using the Service Provider Licensing program.

What is the community saying about the program?

Don’t just take our word for it, find out what the community think! Click here, more details here and leave your comments here

How do I sign up?

Simply email Manoj with the following details:

- Confirmation that you meet each of the qualification criteria for the Programme including that you a Member of Northern StartUp 2.0
- Company name
- Years of trading
- Your turnover

We will then do the rest.