Copilot Training RFP: 15 Questions That Make Vendors Show Their Work (Plus a Scoring Sheet)
The short answer: send every Copilot training vendor the same 15 questions, score each answer from 0 to 5, and add it up out of 100. Set the weights before you open a single proposal, so nobody can tune them to fit the vendor they already like. Both the questions and the scoring sheet are below, as tables you can copy.
The credential facts come from Microsoft. It documents only 1 trainer credential (and it isn't a "Copilot trainer" badge). The questions and weights are an example for you to adjust, not a tested method.
Microsoft credentials a Copilot training vendor may claim (and what they prove)
Start here. A vendor can put a Microsoft badge on a slide as proof of training quality, and most of these badges don't measure that. Here's what each one does measure, from Microsoft's own pages (checked 8 November 2026).
| The vendor says | What Microsoft's page says it measures |
|---|---|
| "We're a Microsoft Solutions Partner" | A score for the company: at least 70 out of 100 across partner performance, skilling and customer success. For Modern Work, it counts customer growth, certified staff and Copilot usage. It says nothing about how well anyone teaches. |
| "We hold the Microsoft 365 Copilot specialization" | A deployment and advisory credential. It needs 1,000 monthly active users of Copilot growth in 12 months, net customer growth of 5, certified staff and a third-party audit. There is no end-user training requirement. |
| "We're Microsoft-accredited adoption and change specialists" | That specialization retired on 25 June 2026. Holders keep it only until their anniversary date. |
| "Our trainers are Microsoft Certified Trainers" | MCT is an annual membership for people who train Microsoft customers. Microsoft's Training Services Partners must use MCTs to deliver its official courseware. Joining now needs the AB-730 or AB-731 certification. Renewal in 2026 needs at least 6 deliveries, and custom content counts. Microsoft doesn't say you need an MCT to teach Copilot in general. |
| "We deliver Microsoft's executive Copilot course" | Microsoft retired its 2 "Interactive Experience for Executives" courses, MS-4008 and MS-4012, on 31 December 2025 and named no replacement. |
So don't ask for "Microsoft-certified Copilot trainers" in your RFP. Microsoft documents nothing like that. Ask what a credential proves and who holds it instead (question 1 below does exactly that).
The 15 questions for your Copilot training RFP
Send these exactly as written, with 1 written answer per question and the same deadline for every vendor. They're Copilot-specific on purpose. Want the thinking behind choosing a provider? That's my guide to choosing a corporate AI training provider. This page is the document you actually send.
| # | Ask the vendor | A good answer | Red flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Which Microsoft credentials do you hold, and what does each one prove? | Names each one exactly and says what it measures, as in section 1. | "Microsoft-certified Copilot trainers." Microsoft documents no such credential. |
| 2 | Which Copilot will the exercises run on: free Copilot Chat or the paid licence? | Knows they differ and plans around what your people really have. | A demo built on a licence most attendees don't hold. |
| 3 | What will people do with their own hands in the session? | Real tasks on their own files in Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams. | Slides and a live demo, with no hands-on time. |
| 4 | How will you protect our data in a live session? | Knows Copilot surfaces whatever a user can already open, so they ask about oversharing first and use prepared files. | Opens a live tenant and hopes. |
| 5 | What do you tell people about web search and what leaves the tenant? | Explains that Copilot sends Bing a short generated query, usually not the whole prompt, that these queries fall outside the EU Data Boundary, and that admins can switch web search off. | "Nothing ever leaves." |
| 6 | What do you teach that isn't in Microsoft's published Copilot Success Kit? | Says what they add: your roles, your documents, your workflows. | Reads the kit back to you with their logo on it. |
| 7 | When was this material last reviewed? | A review date on every deck and a routine for Microsoft changes (the =COPILOT() function in Excel was retired on 14 September 2026). | Screenshots from last year. |
| 8 | Is this Microsoft's official courseware or your own? | Knows which. Training Services Partners must use an MCT to deliver official courseware. | Promises an official executive course (see section 1). |
| 9 | Who exactly will deliver, and how many sessions like this have they run? | A named trainer, a number and a reference you can call. | "Our team," plus a stock bio. |
| 10 | What do you measure before and after? | A baseline taken from your own admin data before the first session. | Feedback forms only. |
| 11 | Which numbers will you report, and where do they come from? | Names the Copilot Dashboard and the admin center usage report, and what each one counts. | "Hours saved" with no definition. Dashboard assisted hours are modelled estimates. |
| 12 | What will we actually see for a first group of 20 people? | Knows the Dashboard hides groups under the minimum group size (10 by default, 5 at the lowest) and is reduced below 50 licences. | Promises team-by-team charts for a small group. |
| 13 | What happens after the session? | A dated follow-up, a place to ask questions and a plan for your AI champions. | A thank-you slide. |
| 14 | How does a session for executives differ from one for teams? | Different jobs and a different room: decisions for one, daily tasks for the other. | The same deck with a new title. |
| 15 | What exactly is in the price? | Preparation, materials and follow-up, itemised. | 1 per-head number that hides add-ons. |
The Copilot training vendor scoring sheet (100 points)
Agree the weights before the first proposal lands, while nobody has a favourite yet. These weights are an illustrative example. They aren't Microsoft's and they aren't a tested method, so change them to fit your company. Use 1 spreadsheet column per vendor.
| Criterion | Questions | Weight | What a 5 looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copilot depth | 2, 6, 8, 14 | 15 | Knows licences, free Chat and your roles, and adds something beyond Microsoft's published material. |
| Hands-on with your own work | 3 | 15 | Most of the session is your people doing real tasks. |
| Data handling | 4, 5 | 15 | Asks about oversharing before day one. |
| Measurement | 10, 11, 12 | 15 | A baseline, named sources and honest limits. |
| Trainer proof | 1, 9 | 15 | A named trainer, real numbers, a reference. |
| Content freshness | 7 | 10 | Dated material and an update routine. |
| Follow-up | 13 | 10 | A dated plan for champions and questions. |
| Price clarity | 15 | 5 | Everything itemised. |
| Total | 100 |
1Score each criterion from 0 to 5
Weighted points = weight × score ÷ 5. So a weight of 15 and a score of 4 gives 12 points. The maximum is 100.
2Compare price after the score
Look at price only once you have the totals (yes, that takes some willpower).
3Consider a knockout rule
One example: a vendor who claims a Microsoft credential that Microsoft doesn't document gets 1 chance to correct it in writing. After that, they're out.
Before you send the Copilot training RFP
Send it to 3 vendors. That's enough to compare, and few enough that you'll read the answers. In the EU, add your own questions on the AI Act, starting with my page on Copilot training and the EU AI Act.
Full disclosure: I'm a trainer, so I'm one of the vendors this document is aimed at. I have no commercial interest in Microsoft. Weigh my criteria accordingly.
Questions about choosing a Copilot training provider
What are the selection criteria for a Copilot training provider?
8 criteria, in the example weighting on this page. Copilot depth, hands-on work with your own files, data handling, measurement and trainer proof get 15 points each. Content freshness and follow-up get 10 each, and price clarity gets 5. The weights are an illustrative example to adjust, not Microsoft's and not a tested method.
Does a trainer need to be Microsoft certified to teach Copilot?
Not as far as Microsoft documents. It requires its Training Services Partners to deliver official courseware through Microsoft Certified Trainers, but it doesn't say you need one to train your staff on Copilot in general.
Is there an official Microsoft Copilot trainer certification?
Microsoft documents none. The only trainer credential on its pages is the Microsoft Certified Trainer program, which covers official courseware. Partner designations score a company on customer growth, certified staff and usage, not on training quality.
How do I compare Copilot training quotes?
Score the answers first, then look at the price. Question 15 makes each vendor itemise what the price includes, so you're comparing like with like.
Want to be one of the 3 vendors?
I run live online Copilot workshops for groups of up to 25 people, from 1.5 to 4 hours. Score me on this sheet like anyone else.