Buyer’s guide · Claude Partner Network
How to hire a Claude partner, and what to ask before you sign
Any firm bringing Claude to market can join Anthropic’s partner network for free, so the badge alone tells you very little. Here’s how to vet a partner on what it has actually put into production.
Updated October 2026 · 8 min read
The short answer
Hire on proof, not the badge. Ask how many people on your project hold a current Anthropic certification, which Claude deployments the firm has live in production, and whether a customer will vouch for it. Then check the firm’s tier in Anthropic’s Claude Partner Hub, which publishes every partner’s certified team, deployments and public references.
What a Claude partner actually does
A good partner gets Claude from a promising pilot to something your business runs on. Anthropic’s own framing: the real work is in the integration, the evaluation, and how people’s work changes. In practice that’s four jobs.
01
Pick the right first use cases
Find the workflows where Claude saves real hours, and the ones that aren’t worth automating yet.
02
Connect Claude to your systems
MCP connectors, data access, permissions and security review, so Claude works with your CRM, docs and tools.
03
Train your people
Hands-on sessions and boot camps so teams actually use it, before you hand work to autonomous agents.
04
Run and improve it
Measure what’s working, fix what isn’t, and roll proven workflows out to more teams.
Membership vs. tiers: what the badge does and doesn’t tell you
Anthropic launched the Claude Partner Network in March 2026 and added a tiered Services Track in June. Joining is free and open to any firm bringing Claude to market; new firms start at Registered. The tiers above it are earned, and every firm is measured against the same published bar, whatever its size.
| Tier | Certified people | Customers live on Claude | Public customer stories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered | Entry level for new members. Free to join; no deployment proof required. | ||
| Select | 10+ | 2+ in the last 12 months | 1+ |
| Preferred | 100+ | 15+ | 3+ |
| Global Premier | 1,000+ | 100+ across 3+ regions | 15+, plus a joint business plan |
Two things buyers miss. First, certifications belong to individual people, not firms, so ask who on your project is certified. Second, a bigger tier means a bigger practice, not a better fit: a ten-person specialist can be the right partner for a mid-size rollout. Anthropic verifies standing every quarter and lists each firm’s tier, certified team, deployments and references in the Claude Partner Hub directory.
Source: Anthropic, Introducing the Services Track and Partner Hub. Full requirements at claude.com/partners.
7 questions to ask before you sign
- 1
Which Claude deployments do you have live in production, and can I talk to one of those customers?
Demos are easy. Production is where governance, permissions and adoption get solved.
- 2
Who exactly will work on my project, and which of them hold a current Anthropic certification?
A firm’s certified headcount doesn’t help you if your team gets the uncertified people.
- 3
What’s your tier, and can I see it in the Claude Partner Hub?
The directory is public. If the claim and the listing don’t match, ask why.
- 4
What will be live after 30, 60 and 90 days?
You want named workflows running for named teams, not a strategy deck at day 90.
- 5
How will you connect Claude to our data and tools, and how do you handle access and security?
Listen for specifics on connectors, permissions and what data Claude can and can’t see.
- 6
How do you get our people to actually use it?
Most stalled rollouts fail on adoption, not technology. Ask what the training looks like.
- 7
Who owns what you build, and what happens when the engagement ends?
Your prompts, skills, agents and connectors should be documented and yours to keep.
Red flags
The badge is the only proof. Membership is free, so it’s a starting line, not a credential.
Every example is a demo. If they can’t name a production deployment, you’d be their first.
Unlimited scope for a flat fee. Vague scope usually means vague results. Ask what’s in and what’s out.
No plan for training. A system nobody uses isn’t a deployment.
What it costs and how long it takes
Most Claude engagements fall into one of three shapes. Ranges below are OneWave’s; other partners price differently.
Training or boot camp
1–3 days · [FROM $PRICE]
Hands-on Claude training for a team, built around your own workflows.
Pilot build
[N] weeks · [FROM $PRICE]
One or two workflows connected to your systems and running with a real team.
Ongoing retainer
Monthly · [FROM $PRICE/mo]
A standing team that builds, trains and expands Claude across departments.
Why OneWave
A hands-on Claude partner that builds, not just advises
- Partner with Anthropic and OpenAI[CONFIRM TIER: Registered / Select] in the Claude Partner Network.
- Certified on your project[N] Anthropic certifications across the team that does the work.
- MCP-first implementationClaude connected to your CRM, docs and data, not a chat window off to the side.
- Training that sticksAgentic boot camps and team trainings, from aerospace engineers to PE investment teams.
- Built in the openOur free Claude Skills library has passed 50,000 downloads.
- Live in production[CUSTOMER STORY: one line on a client and the outcome, with sign-off]
“[CLIENT QUOTE about what OneWave put into production.]”
Questions buyers ask
Is the Claude Partner Network free to join?
Yes, for firms. Any organization bringing Claude to market can apply at no cost and starts at the Registered level. That’s why membership alone isn’t a quality signal.
What’s the difference between a Claude partner and a certified consultant?
A partner is a firm in Anthropic’s program. A certification belongs to an individual who passed an Anthropic Partner Academy exam, such as Claude Certified Architect, Foundations. Firm tiers are built partly on how many certified people a firm has.
Where can I find and compare Claude partners?
Anthropic’s Claude Partner Hub has a public directory showing each partner’s tier, certified team, customer deployments and public references. Start at claude.com/partners.
How often do partner tiers change?
Anthropic verifies standing quarterly and processes promotions on January 1 and July 1. A firm only moves down at the annual review, after 90 days’ notice.
Do we need a partner to use Claude at all?
No. Plenty of teams start with Claude on their own. A partner earns its fee when Claude needs to connect to your systems, run in production, or roll out across many people quickly.
Talk to a Claude partner who’ll show you what’s live
A 30-minute call. Bring one workflow you want off your team’s plate; we’ll tell you honestly whether Claude can take it and what it would take.
Book a discovery call