What Is a Competency (Partner Program)?
A competency is a vendor credential certifying that a partner has the skills, certified staff and track record to deliver in a defined solution area. Closely related to a specialization, it is the unit many programs use to recognize capability - and competencies frequently serve as the requirement a partner must hold to reach a tier or qualify for a rebate.
Why it matters to IT channel partners. Competencies translate skills into program standing. Holding the right competencies keeps a partner eligible for the tier, pricing and incentives its practice depends on, while a missing or lapsed competency can disqualify it from a rebate it would otherwise have earned. Knowing which competencies each vendor requires, and what holds them, is core to protecting payout. Rebates-On tracks the requirements behind each one.
Further reading: Where competencies gate the rate, the lever is what your team can do rather than what it sells. How four vendor programs each decide what to pay
Related terms
FAQ
They overlap. Both credential the partner organization in a solution area; vendors use the terms differently, and some programs require competencies as the path to a specialization or tier.
Keep every competency current and its rebates intact → Explore Rebates-On