✦Quick answer
In 2026, Salesforce simplified its Consulting Partner Program from four tiers (Base, Ridge, Crest, and Summit) to two: Select Partner and Summit Partner. Select confirms proven, baseline delivery capability, while Summit is the highest tier, reserved for partners with verified customer outcomes, high satisfaction scores, and demonstrated expertise in priority areas such as Agentforce and Data 360.
BEFORE 2026
FROM 2026
Salesforce also replaced its old Navigator badges with a smaller set of outcome-based competencies, each earned at one of two levels:
Together, the tier and the competencies now tell you far more about a partner than the old badge system did.
| Select Partner | Summit Partner | |
|---|---|---|
| Position | Proven delivery tier | Highest tier |
| Replaces | Former Base and Ridge tiers | Former Summit tier (and top-performing Crest partners) |
| What it confirms | Meets Salesforce's core delivery and satisfaction standards | Consistently verified outcomes across a broader set of competencies |
| Typical strength | Focused expertise in specific clouds or use cases | Multi-cloud, enterprise-scale, and AI-driven programs |
| Best fit | Clearly scoped, single-cloud implementations | Complex, multi-cloud, integration-heavy, or Agentforce initiatives |
!Here's the catch most buyers miss
A tier badge tells you a partner cleared Salesforce's bar. It doesn't tell you whether the people assigned to your project have solved a problem like yours.
A Select Partner with deep, verified experience in your exact use case can outperform a Summit Partner treating your project as a low priority.
This guide explains:
On March 2, 2026, Salesforce reduced its Consulting Partner Program from four tiers (Base, Ridge, Crest, Summit) to two tiers (Select and Summit), and replaced roughly 170 legacy Navigator badges with 28 outcome-based competencies. Advancement now depends on verified customer outcomes, satisfaction scores, and competency certification, not certification counts and deal volume.
| What Changed | Before March 2026 | From FY27 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Partner tiers | Four: Base, Ridge, Crest, Summit | ✓Two: Select and Summit |
| Expertise credentials | ~170 Navigator badges | ✓28 core competencies |
| Competency levels | One badge per specialization | ✓Two levels: Accredited and Expert |
| How partners advance | Points from certifications and deal volume | ✓Verified outcomes, CSAT, and competency certification |
| Scoring | Points-based Trailblazer Scorecard | ✓Trailblazer Score, reweighted toward outcomes |
| AI and Agentforce | Minor factor | ✓Central to Summit qualification |
| Former Tier | Status Under the New Program |
|---|---|
| Base | Reassessed; partners meeting the new standards become Select |
| Ridge | Reassessed; typically Select |
| Crest | Reassessed; Select or Summit depending on verified outcomes |
| Summit (FY26) | Retained Summit status into FY27 |
If a firm still calls itself one of these, that label comes from an older version of the program and is no longer an official Salesforce designation:
✓The only reliable source for a partner's current status is its live Salesforce AppExchange listing.
Salesforce describes the shift as part of its move toward the "Agentic Enterprise." According to Nick Johnston, SVP of Global Consulting Partners and Partner Sales, specialization is becoming the defining currency of the AI era for the partner ecosystem.
$1B+
in partner incentives to move from generalists to verified specialists
✦What it means for buyers
Under the old points system, a partner could climb tiers largely by adding certifications and closing deals. The new model puts more weight on whether customers actually got results, which makes a partner's tier and competencies a more meaningful signal than before.
Select Partner
A Salesforce Select Partner is a consulting firm that Salesforce has verified as a proven delivery partner meeting its core performance and customer satisfaction standards. It's the entry and mid-level tier in the two-tier program, replacing the former Base and Ridge tiers.
What Select confirms
Real, Salesforce-verified delivery capability, not just program enrollment.
What it doesn't guarantee on its own
Depth in your industry, your specific Salesforce cloud, or complex AI and integration work. Competencies and project history tell you that.
A Salesforce Select Partner is often the right fit when:
Your project scope is clearly defined
You need a focused, single-cloud implementation, such as Sales Cloud or Service Cloud
The partner holds relevant competencies and can show comparable completed projects
Cost efficiency matters alongside quality
Your project needs a small delivery team of two to five consultants rather than an enterprise program office
Specialization often beats size.
Select Partner
✓Expert-level Service Cloud competency
✓A dozen similar service projects
Summit generalist
!Higher tier overall
!Strongest work lies in other clouds
For a Service Cloud project, the Select specialist can deliver better results. The key is matching their verified strengths to your exact requirements.
✦Before hiring a Select Partner, confirm:
Which competencies they hold, and at what level
Two or three projects similar to yours
Who from their team will actually deliver your project?
Summit Partner
A Salesforce Summit Partner is the highest tier in Salesforce's Consulting Partner Program. It's reserved for firms with consistently verified customer outcomes, high CSAT scores, and demonstrated competency in strategic priority areas, particularly Agentforce and Data 360.
The difference between Select and Summit comes down to the depth and breadth of evidence:
Summit typically spans multiple Salesforce clouds, complex integrations, and AI-driven delivery.
A Salesforce Summit Partner carries more weight when your project involves:
Multiple Salesforce clouds, such as Sales, Service, and Marketing Cloud together
Enterprise-scale or multi-region transformation
Complex integrations or data architecture, including ERP connections
Agentforce, Data 360, or broader AI initiatives
Regulated, high-stakes industries such as financial services or healthcare
Long-term, multi-phase programs rather than a single deployment
Beyond delivery depth, Summit Partners usually have closer access to Salesforce, including:
For large enterprises running business-critical programs, that relationship can help resolve platform issues faster and align your roadmap with Salesforce's product direction.
For a simple, single-cloud rollout, Summit status isn't a requirement. A well-matched Select Partner can be equally capable and more cost-effective.
Even with a Summit firm, confirm that the team assigned to you has delivered projects like yours, because the badge belongs to the company, not to every consultant on your project.
Salesforce Summit Partner
Codleo is a Salesforce Summit Partner. Talk to our architects about your scope, and we'll show you comparable projects and the exact team we'd assign.
Summit Partners generally have broader competencies, a higher verified customer-outcome bar, deeper Agentforce and Data 360 experience, and higher rates than Select Partners. Select is usually the better fit for clearly scoped, single-cloud projects, while Summit suits complex, multi-cloud, or AI-heavy transformations.
| Factor | Select Partner | Summit Partner |
|---|---|---|
| Program status | Proven delivery; meets core performance standards | Highest tier; strategic growth designation |
| Specialization depth | Often narrower, focused competency set | Broader, across multiple competencies and clouds |
| Customer outcomes bar | Meets Salesforce's baseline CSAT and verification standards | Higher, more consistently verified track record |
| Agentforce and AI delivery | Varies; verify directly | Central to maintaining Summit status |
| Enterprise-scale experience | Varies by partner | More commonly associated with large programs |
| Typical rates | Generally lower | Generally higher, especially at large onshore firms |
| Salesforce relationship | Standard support and co-marketing | Priority escalation and executive engagement |
| Best-fit project | Defined-scope, single-cloud implementations | Multi-cloud, complex integration, AI transformation |
| What to verify | ✓Relevant competencies, references, industry experience | ✓All of the above, plus verified Agentforce and Data 360 delivery |
✦Rates depend on more than tier
Delivery model makes a big difference: a Summit Partner using a hybrid model, with local project leadership and global delivery teams, can cost less than a smaller onshore-only Select firm. Always compare the full proposal, not just the hourly rate.
A Summit Partner with no experience in your industry, or whose best specialists are committed elsewhere, can still be the wrong choice. A Select Partner with deep, verified experience in your exact use case can outperform a Summit firm that treats your project as a lower priority.
✦How to decide
Salesforce now measures partner expertise through 28 competencies, which replaced the roughly 170 badges in the old Navigator program. Each competency is earned at one of two levels: Accredited, which confirms demonstrated capability, and Expert, which confirms scaled delivery excellence backed by multiple verified customer outcomes.
| Level | What It Means | What to Expect |
|---|---|---|
| Accredited | The partner has demonstrated real capability in this area | Solid delivery on standard projects within that competency |
| Expert | The partner has delivered at scale, with several verified outcomes | Deeper experience with complex or high-volume projects |
| Competency Area | Relevant For |
|---|---|
| ✦Sales Cloud | Lead-to-cash, pipeline management, forecasting |
| ✦Service Cloud | Customer support and case management |
| ✦Marketing Cloud | Campaign automation and customer journeys |
| ✦Data 360 | Unified customer data and identity resolution |
| ✦Agentforce | AI agents and autonomous workflows |
| ✦Experience Cloud | Customer and partner self-service portals |
| ✦Revenue Cloud and CPQ | Quoting, billing, and revenue operations |
| ✦Field Service | Dispatch, scheduling, and mobile workforce |
| ✦MuleSoft and Integration | System-to-system integration architecture |
| ✦Financial Services Cloud | Banking and wealth management workflows |
| ✦Health Cloud | Healthcare and life sciences |
| ✦Nonprofit Cloud | Nonprofit and NGO operations |
| ✦Manufacturing Cloud | Sales agreements and demand planning |
| ✦Commerce Cloud | B2B and B2C digital storefronts |
Two partners in the same tier can have completely different strengths:
Partner A
✓Service Cloud Expert
✕No Marketing Cloud experience
Partner B
✓Marketing Cloud Expert
✕No Service Cloud experience
So when you shortlist partners, don't ask how many competencies they have. Ask two sharper questions:
Map your clouds, integrations, and AI plans to the relevant competency areas.
For complex or business-critical work, Expert-level recognition in your core areas is a strong signal.
✦A partner's competency profile on Salesforce AppExchange is often a more useful decision tool than the tier badge on its website.
Salesforce evaluates consulting partners using the Trailblazer Score, a scorecard reviewed quarterly and built on measurable outcomes rather than certification volume. It scores partners across four pillars: Customer Success, Innovation, Growth, and Impact, for a maximum of 1,000 points.
| Trailblazer Score Pillar | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| 1Customer Success | CSAT scores, verified completed projects, and customer retention |
| 2Innovation | Adoption of newer Salesforce capabilities such as Agentforce and Data 360 |
| 3Growth | New business and expansion within existing accounts |
| 4Impact | Overall contribution to customer outcomes and ecosystem health |
The biggest change is who does the checking.
BEFORE
Testimonials the partner chose to publish
NOW
Data Salesforce itself has verified against real project outcomes
That makes a partner's tier and competencies a more trustworthy starting point than marketing claims on a website.
"Verified" doesn't mean "matched to your situation."
A partner with excellent satisfaction scores on retail projects isn't automatically the right choice for a complex financial services compliance program. Use the score to confirm a partner is credible, then use their comparable projects to confirm they're right for you.
✦Practical tip
Because tiers and competencies are reviewed quarterly, check the "last reviewed" or "last updated" date on a partner's AppExchange listing. A badge earned a year ago may not reflect where the partner stands today.
Agentforce and Data 360 expertise should weigh heavily in your partner decision only if AI agents or unified customer data are part of your near-term roadmap. For a straightforward Sales Cloud or Service Cloud implementation, proven experience in that specific cloud matters more than the number of AI projects a partner has completed.
AI or unified data on your roadmap
Weigh Agentforce and Data 360 delivery heavily
Straightforward Sales or Service Cloud
Prioritize proven experience in that specific cloud
Agentforce is now central to Salesforce's platform strategy and to Summit qualification. But a partner's AI credentials only matter to you if you plan to use them. If you do, certification alone isn't enough proof. You need evidence of agents running in production.
Which Agentforce use cases have you taken into production, not just demoed?
What measurable business outcome was each agent designed to improve?
How do you assess data readiness, including sources, quality, access, and integrations, before building?
How do you handle security, permissions, and AI governance?
How will the agent be tested before go-live, and against what scenarios and acceptance criteria?
Who monitors and improves agent performance after launch?
An AI agent is only as good as the data and processes it can rely on. If your use case depends on customer data spread across Salesforce and external systems, such as an ERP, ecommerce platform, or support tool, your partner needs more than Agentforce configuration experience:
In practice, the strongest Agentforce partners spend as much time on data readiness and guardrails as on building the agent itself. If a proposal jumps straight to agent design without assessing your data, treat that as a warning sign.
✦Codleo has delivered Agentforce projects alongside Sales Cloud, CPQ, and Health Cloud implementations, including:
Learn more about our Agentforce consulting services.
A Salesforce partner is an independent company that Salesforce has reviewed and authorized to sell, implement, customize, integrate, or support the Salesforce platform for other businesses. Salesforce lists partners on AppExchange, where it maintains their tier, competencies, and customer satisfaction data.
Because Salesforce doesn't implement the platform itself for most customers, the partner you choose is often the biggest single factor in whether your investment pays off.
Well-matched partner
Shortens time to value
Mismatched partner
Can mean months of rework
A typical Salesforce consulting or implementation partner offers:
Implementation
Setting up a new Salesforce org or restructuring an existing one
Customization
Custom objects, Flows, Apex, and Lightning components
Integration
Connecting Salesforce with ERP, finance, marketing, or ecommerce systems
Data migration
Moving records safely from legacy CRMs or spreadsheets
Optimization
Improving adoption, performance, and reporting
Managed services
Ongoing administration and support after go-live
Agentforce delivery
Designing, building, and governing AI agents
Partner TYPE
Describes what a company does
Partner TIER (Select or Summit)
Describes how well Salesforce has verified it does it
Knowing which type you need helps you compare the right firms.
| Partner Type | What They Do | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Consulting / Implementation Partner Where tier matters most |
Strategy, implementation, customization, integration, migration | Businesses deploying, migrating, or transforming Salesforce |
| AppExchange ISV Partner | Build and sell apps that extend Salesforce | Businesses needing a pre-built app or industry extension |
| Managed Service Provider | Ongoing administration, support, and release management | Companies already on Salesforce that need continuous care |
| Reseller Partner | Sell Salesforce licenses and guide edition selection | Businesses at the start of their license purchase |
| System Integrator | Connect Salesforce with ERP, marketing, and other platforms | Complex, multi-system environments |
Most buyers comparing Select and Summit are evaluating consulting partners, because that's where tier and competencies matter most. ✦Some firms, including Codleo, operate across consulting, implementation, and Salesforce managed services, so the same team can take you from go-live through long-term support.
No. A partner's tier confirms it has met a verified Salesforce standard, but it doesn't guarantee the right fit for your project. The experience of the team actually assigned to your engagement matters more than the badge on the company's website.
QUESTION 1 · What tier answers
Has this company cleared a verified bar?
QUESTION 2 · What your results depend on
Will the specific people on my project clear that bar for my problem?
✓You need a confident yes to both before you sign.
Use these six factors together. If even one is weak, a higher tier won't make up for it.
| Factor | What to Check |
|---|---|
| 1Requirement fit | Salesforce products involved, processes being transformed, integrations, data migration, AI scope, timeline, and support needs |
| 2Competency match | Which competencies apply to your project, and whether the partner is Accredited or Expert in them |
| 3Delivery evidence | Two or three completed projects similar to yours in scope, complexity, and industry, with measurable outcomes |
| 4Delivery team | Named solution architect, functional consultant, developer, integration specialist, QA lead, and project manager |
| 5Delivery model | A documented process from discovery and design through development, testing, deployment, training, and optimization |
| 6Long-term ownership | Who handles support, Salesforce releases, custom code maintenance, and knowledge transfer after go-live |
Score each shortlisted partner from 1 to 5 on these ten factors after every conversation.
| Evaluation Factor | Partner A | Partner B | Partner C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project fit | __ /5 | __ /5 | __ /5 |
| Relevant competency (Accredited or Expert) | __ /5 | __ /5 | __ /5 |
| Comparable completed projects | __ /5 | __ /5 | __ /5 |
| Customer evidence (CSAT and verified reviews) | __ /5 | __ /5 | __ /5 |
| Delivery team quality | __ /5 | __ /5 | __ /5 |
| Delivery process clarity | __ /5 | __ /5 | __ /5 |
| Industry experience | __ /5 | __ /5 | __ /5 |
| Integration and data capability | __ /5 | __ /5 | __ /5 |
| Post-go-live ownership | __ /5 | __ /5 | __ /5 |
| Commercial and pricing clarity | __ /5 | __ /5 | __ /5 |
| Total | __ /50 | __ /50 | __ /50 |
How to read the total:
41–50
Strong fit. Move to reference checks and commercial review.
31–40
Potential fit. Dig into the weaker areas before deciding.
21–30
Significant gaps. Ask the partner to back up its capabilities with evidence.
20 or below
Reconsider your shortlist.
✦One rule
Don't add points just because a partner is Summit tier. A Summit Partner scoring 2 out of 5 on relevant competency and comparable projects shouldn't beat a Select Partner scoring 5 out of 5 on the same factors. Score what matters to your project, not the badge.
In real Salesforce projects, the deciding factor is rarely the partner's tier. It's whether the delivery team has already handled a similar combination of Salesforce products, integrations, and business processes. These three Codleo engagements show what that looks like in practice.
The need: Connect Sales Cloud and Marketing Cloud around one core business process: matching client requirements with available property inventory.
What the team did: A three-person Codleo team set up Sales Cloud and Marketing Cloud end-to-end, aligning sales and marketing data around inventory matching.
The outcome: According to the client's verified Clutch review, inventory matching became significantly easier, and the client rated the engagement 5 out of 5 for quality, cost and value, and willingness to refer.
What it shows: A small team with the right multi-cloud experience can deliver more value than a larger team without it.
The need: Ongoing Salesforce support, data architecture cleanup and technical debt reduction, and help implementing Agentforce.
What the team did: Handled ticket-based development, improved resource-flow architecture, and cleaned up legacy code.
The outcome:
30%
better data accuracy
90+
Apex classes cleaned up
10
custom objects restructured
What it shows: For AI initiatives, cleaning up data and architecture first is often what makes Agentforce viable.
The need: Reflect the full sales-to-order lifecycle in Salesforce, including supplier information, quotations, approvals, and connected documents.
What the team did: Implemented Sales Cloud with a unified Supplier360 profile, automated quotation and document management with version history, configured approval processes, and integrated key systems.
The outcome:
What it shows: Industry process knowledge, not just product knowledge, is what turns a CRM into an operational system.
✦The lesson for buyers
In all three projects, success came from matching the team's past experience to the client's specific mix of products, integrations, and processes. That's the evidence to ask every partner for, whatever their tier.
The biggest red flags when hiring a Salesforce partner are generic claims without comparable projects, meeting only the sales team, using certifications in place of outcomes, a low price with vague scope, unclear governance, unverifiable case studies, and no plan for after go-live. Each one should prompt a direct question and a request for evidence.
| ✕Red Flag | ?What to Ask Instead |
|---|---|
| ✕Generic "we've done hundreds of projects" claims | "Show us two or three projects most similar to ours." |
| ✕You only meet sales, not the delivery team | "Who exactly will be assigned: architect, consultant, developer?" |
| ✕Certifications used as a substitute for results | "What measurable outcomes came from comparable projects?" |
| ✕Attractive price, vague scope | "What's explicitly included: integrations, testing, training, support?" |
| ✕Unclear delivery governance | "Who owns requirements, approves architecture, and escalates risk?" |
| ✕Case studies you can't verify | ✓Check verified reviews and CSAT on Salesforce AppExchange directly |
| ✕No post-go-live plan | "Who owns production issues and ongoing optimization?" |
A single red flag isn't an automatic rejection. It's a signal to dig deeper before you sign.
What projects have you delivered that are most similar to ours?
Which Salesforce competencies apply to our project, and are you Accredited or Expert in them?
Who will actually work on our project, and will those same people stay on after we sign?
What will you need from our team during discovery, testing, and training?
How do you handle scope changes, and what triggers a change request?
How will you manage integrations, data migration, and technical risk?
How will we measure success beyond "it went live"?
Can we speak with customers who had similar requirements?
If the project starts going off track, who gets escalated to?
What happens after go-live, including hypercare, documentation, and ongoing ownership?
Tip: Ask every shortlisted partner the same ten questions and record their answers in the scorecard above. Vague or inconsistent answers often reveal more than polished presentations.
Salesforce partner services typically cost $10,000–$30,000 for a single-cloud QuickStart, $40,000–$150,000 for a mid-size implementation with integrations, and $150,000–$500,000 or more for a multi-cloud enterprise transformation. Ongoing managed services usually run $2,500–$15,000 or more per month. These figures cover services only; Salesforce licenses are a separate, recurring cost.
| Project Type | Typical Partner Fit | Approximate Cost (services only) |
|---|---|---|
| Single-cloud QuickStart (Sales or Service Cloud) | SelectSummit | $10,000–$30,000 |
| Mid-size implementation with integrations | SelectSummit | $40,000–$150,000 |
| Multi-cloud enterprise transformation | Summit | $150,000–$500,000+ |
| Agentforce initiative | Summitor Select with Agentforce competency | $15,000–$40,000 first agent $80,000–$250,000+ multiple agents |
| Data 360 initiative | Summitor Select with Data 360 competency | $30,000–$75,000 simple $150,000–$400,000+ complex |
| Ongoing managed services | Either | $2,500–$15,000+ per month |
Directional US benchmarks. Actual costs depend on scope, data quality, integrations, and delivery model. For a full breakdown, including licenses, hidden costs, and a three-year cost model, see our Salesforce implementation cost guide.
The lowest quote isn't always the lowest total cost. Vague scope on integrations, data migration, testing, or post-launch support usually resurfaces later as change requests. When comparing proposals:
Line them up on the same scope before comparing prices
Look for costs broken out by phase, not a single lump sum
Check that discovery, testing, training, and hypercare are clearly included
Confirm the seniority of the team behind the price
Send us any proposal you've received, from us or another partner, and a Codleo Salesforce architect will review the scope, flag gaps and risks, and tell you whether the price is realistic, free of charge.
To verify a Salesforce partner's current status, look up the company on Salesforce AppExchange and check its tier, competencies and their levels, verified customer reviews, CSAT score, and the date the listing was last updated.
!Don't rely on badges shown on the partner's own website, which can be months out of date.
Search the partner's name on Salesforce AppExchange.
Check the current tier, Select or Summit, on the live listing.
Review the competency list and confirm Accredited or Expert levels for the areas that matter to your project.
Read verified customer reviews and the CSAT score, which Salesforce collects directly.
Check the listing's last-updated date, since Salesforce reassesses tiers and competencies regularly.
Ask the partner directly if anything on AppExchange looks outdated or unclear.
There's no universal rule. Choose a Select Partner for clearly scoped, single-cloud projects where cost efficiency matters, and give Summit more weight for multi-cloud, integration-heavy, Agentforce, or enterprise-scale programs. In both cases, verified competencies, comparable projects, and the named delivery team should make the final decision.
Consider a Select Partner when
✓Your scope is clearly defined
✓You need a focused, single-cloud implementation
✓Cost efficiency is a priority alongside proven competency
Give Summit more weight when
✓Your program spans multiple Salesforce clouds
✓Agentforce or Data 360 is central to your roadmap
✓Integration and data complexity is high
✓The project is business-critical or enterprise-scale
Whichever tier you lean toward, before signing:
Verify competencies on AppExchange
Ask for comparable project evidence
Interview the actual delivery team
Tier is your starting filter, not your final answer.
We deliver:
L1 to L5 support after go-live
We'd encourage you to evaluate us the same way you'd evaluate any partner: check our AppExchange listing, ask for projects similar to yours, and meet the team who would actually deliver your work.
Talk to a Codleo Salesforce architect. We'll review your requirements, share comparable projects, introduce the team we'd assign, and give you an honest view of scope, timeline, and budget.
Discuss Your Salesforce RequirementsPublish date: 5th October, 2026