Microsoft licensing guidance

Microsoft EES vs CSP for UK Schools: Which Route Fits?

EES and CSP are not simply two versions of the same Microsoft licence.

Enrollment for Education Solutions (EES) is Microsoft's education subscription enrolment for qualifying larger education organisations. Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) is a Microsoft partner purchasing channel through which qualified education customers can buy eligible Microsoft offers.

For standalone EES, Microsoft currently requires an education organisation to meet one of its qualifying tests, including having 1,000 or more Education Qualified Users or students.

That does not mean CSP is automatically the answer for every smaller school, or that CSP is always cheaper or more flexible. The right route depends on your organisation, products, current agreement, quantities, term and renewal timing.

For the wider Microsoft school licensing options, see Microsoft EES licensing for UK schools.

Written by Paul Moore, Education Licensing Consultant

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EES vs CSP at a glance

Question	EES	CSP
What is it?	A Microsoft education subscription enrolment for qualifying education organisations.	A Microsoft partner sales and purchasing channel through which customers can acquire eligible Microsoft cloud services and other offers.
Does the EES 1,000-user threshold apply?	Standalone EES currently requires one of Microsoft's qualifying tests, including 1,000 or more Education Qualified Users or students, or the related Education Platform Product criteria.	The standalone EES 1,000-user test is not the CSP admission test. Microsoft must qualify the customer for the education segment and the specific offer must be available to that customer.
How are quantities handled?	Education Platform Products use an organisation-wide Education Qualified User count, with student counts applying separately where Microsoft's programme rules require them.	Licence-based offers are purchased as subscriptions with specified licence quantities. Rules depend on the individual offer.
Typical term structure	One- or three-year licensed periods.	Term duration and billing frequency depend on the specific offer. Microsoft supports monthly and annual billing structures across licence-based subscriptions.
Can quantities change?	Microsoft's current EES model provides annual true-up or true-down capability, subject to programme requirements and the minimum count.	New-commerce licence counts can generally be increased during the term. Reductions are more restricted: Microsoft currently limits reductions to the applicable seven-day cancellation or reduction window, otherwise they normally need to wait until renewal.
Best starting fit	A qualifying larger education organisation that wants an organisation-wide education enrolment and annual count structure.	An education customer buying eligible Microsoft subscriptions through a partner, particularly where standalone EES qualification or structure does not fit the requirement.

This is a decision guide, not a quotation. Product availability, education qualification, term options and pricing should be confirmed against the school's actual requirement before an order is placed.

When does EES make sense?

EES is worth evaluating where the organisation meets Microsoft's qualification requirements and an organisation-wide education enrolment suits how Microsoft products are being licensed.

Microsoft currently describes EES as providing:

One- or three-year licensed periods
An annual Education Qualified User count for Education Platform Products
The ability to adjust licence counts annually through true-up or true-down
Anniversary ordering for three-year enrolments

A useful first question is therefore not "Is EES cheaper?" It is: "Does our organisation qualify for EES, and does its organisation-wide structure match how we need to license Microsoft products?"

One definition matters here. Microsoft's current definition describes an Education Qualified User as an employee or contractor, excluding students, who accesses or uses an Education Platform Product for the institution. Student counts are handled separately in the relevant EES qualification and Student Option rules.

When does CSP make sense?

CSP can be relevant where a school wants to acquire eligible Microsoft cloud subscriptions through a Microsoft partner and the EES structure is not the right fit.

It is important to understand what CSP is. As Microsoft sets out in the Cloud Solution Provider authorisation documentation, CSP is a purchasing and partner channel. It is not a Microsoft 365 plan, and it is not a single discount level.

The products a school can buy depend on its education qualification and the offers currently available for that customer segment.

CSP is flexible — but not in every direction

This distinction is important because older licensing explanations often describe CSP as though licence numbers can always move freely up and down.

Under Microsoft's current new-commerce rules, licence quantities can generally be increased during the subscription term. Reductions are more restricted.

Microsoft currently states that licence quantities can normally be decreased only within the first seven days after the relevant licences are purchased or added, except where law requires otherwise. Once that window has passed, the next reduction opportunity is generally at renewal.

That means a school expecting major staffing changes should look at the actual subscription term and renewal position before assuming CSP will allow an immediate reduction.

What about renewal commitments?

EES and CSP should both be reviewed before the renewal date rather than treated as open-ended purchasing arrangements.

For a three-year EES enrolment, Microsoft requires anniversary orders on the first and second anniversaries.

For CSP subscriptions, the relevant term, billing frequency, renewal instructions and cancellation rules depend on the actual new-commerce offer. This is why the existing agreement and renewal date are important when comparing the two routes.

Is EES or CSP cheaper?

There is no responsible blanket answer. The result depends on factors including:

The products being licensed
Education qualification
Quantities
Current agreement
Term
Billing structure
Available academic offers
Renewal timing

The useful comparison is a like-for-like review using the school's actual requirement.

What information should you gather for a comparison?

Before asking SAM UK to compare the routes, gather:

School or organisation name
Organisation type
Approximate staff or relevant user count
Student count where relevant
Current Microsoft agreement, if known
Current Microsoft products or tiers
Current licence quantities, if known
Renewal date
Whether the requirement is new or a renewal
Any expected increase or decrease in users
The Microsoft services the school actually needs

If you do not know whether the current agreement is EES, OVS-ES, CSP or another route, say "unsure". Do not delay an enquiry simply because an agreement acronym is missing.

What if neither route looks right?

EES and CSP are not the only Microsoft education purchasing structures.

The main SAM UK school-software page explains the wider options, including OVS-ES and the routes relevant to different school sizes. See the wider Microsoft licensing options for UK schools.

If you are managing licensing for an academy trust rather than one school, see software licensing for academies and MATs.

Frequently asked questions

Does every UK school qualify for standalone Microsoft EES?

No. Microsoft currently requires a qualifying education organisation to meet its EES eligibility criteria, including the 1,000-or-more Education Qualified User or student tests and related Education Platform Product criteria. Schools that do not meet the standalone EES requirements should review the other education licensing routes available to them.

Is CSP a type of Microsoft 365 licence?

No. Cloud Solution Provider is Microsoft's partner sales and purchasing channel. The actual licence is the Microsoft product or subscription bought through that channel.

Can a school reduce CSP licence numbers at any time?

Not generally under Microsoft's current new-commerce rules. Licence numbers can normally be increased during the term, but decreases are usually limited to the applicable seven-day window after purchase or addition. After that, reductions normally need to wait until renewal, subject to the exact offer and applicable law.

Is EES always cheaper than CSP?

No blanket comparison is reliable. Pricing depends on the products, quantities, education eligibility, term, available offers and the school's existing agreement. Compare the actual requirement rather than assuming one route is always cheaper.

Can SAM UK help if our school is below the standalone EES threshold?

Yes. SAM UK can review the school's current requirement and the education licensing routes that may apply. See the main school licensing page for the wider options beyond standalone EES.

Official Microsoft information

Last reviewed: 23 August 2026. Next review due: February 2027.

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If you are approaching a renewal or deciding how to buy Microsoft licensing for a school, send us your current agreement details, approximate numbers and renewal timing.

We can review the requirement against the available routes before a quotation is prepared.

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