Google Cloud Partner Awards 2026 Update: New Dates & How to Prepare

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  • November 4, 2025

On November 3rd, Google Cloud officially released their 2026 Partner of the Year Awards Guidebook - the official start to this year’s award season.

These awards are prominent accolades for Google Partners and signify recognition for innovative business impact, customer success, and application of Google products and solutions. 

This guidebook will give you a look into the program overview, categories and criteria, and how to apply. 

This year’s winners will receive numerous benefits including: 

  • Partner of the Year trophies 
  • Promotional badges 
  • Recognition in Google’s Partner Directory 
  • Press and social media features 
  • Access to an awards celebration at Next ‘26

Here are some key dates to consider:

  • November 3rd: December 12th: Applications Open
  • December 13th: March 3rd: Judging
  • Early March: Winner notifications
  • April 3rd: Press release drafts due
  • April 21st: Public announcements at Next ‘26

At Orange Bridge, we’ve guided high-profile Google Partners through multiple award seasons, helping teams translate their innovations and customer impact into compelling award submissions that align closely with specific Google Cloud transformation criteria and resonate with judges. 

Our experience indicates that Google Partners who start earlier achieve the best results. Now that the submissions are open, it’s time to review the criteria and start developing meaningful strategic messaging around Google’s priorities. 

We’ll be sharing our insights and more developments in the coming weeks on how you can interpret Google’s criteria and strengthen your award submission strategy. 

 

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