OpenAI launches $150 million Partner Network, aiming to certify 300,000 consultants by year-end

OpenAI has launched the OpenAI Partner Network, its first formal global partner program, backed by a $150 million investment, the company said on June 14, 2026. The program goes live in July 2026.

The network is structured in three tiers — Select, Advanced and Elite — with progression tied to sales performance, technical capability, co-selling engagements and deployment experience. OpenAI aims to certify 300,000 consultants by the end of 2026 and will direct the $150 million to partner enablement, offsetting service-delivery costs and market development funds, OpenAI said.

Specialization tracks cover Codex, cybersecurity, the API and agent transformation. An Elite-tier track called Forward Deployed Experts provides on-site training by OpenAI engineers. Launch partners include BCG, Accenture, Bain, McKinsey through QuantumBlack, PwC, Artium and Eliza. OpenAI highlighted customer collaborations including Agilent with BCG, eBay with Artium, Paychex with Bain — which it credited with an 80% reduction in customer wait time — and T-Mobile with Accenture on IntentCX customer experiences.

Colleen Kapase, OpenAI's vice president of global strategic partners, said the company has "900 million weekly active users of OpenAI technology." That figure is a company claim and was not independently verified.

OpenAI cast the move as a shift in enterprise strategy, arguing that implementation, rather than model capability, is now the primary barrier to adoption — a characterization from the company rather than an established market finding. The 300,000-consultant target is a goal, not a current count, and OpenAI did not say how progress would be measured.