Q3 2026 cohort applications now open · members-only · capped intake
Members-only · Vendor-verified credentials

Verified certifications,
delivered on retainer.

Microsoft, AWS, Fortinet and Cisco partner companies use Certbond to maintain their partner tier and flex delivery capacity — through retainer agreements with vendor-verified consultants who keep their day job and earn alongside.

Credly & vendor-API verified LinkedIn professional identity Capped, application-based membership

Verified across the certification ecosystems that matter

Microsoft Solutions Partner programs AWS Partner Network Fortinet NSE Cisco Specializations Credly digital credentials

How Certbond works

Two sides of the same trusted bond.

A retainer that protects your partner tier, while giving certified professionals a structured, vendor-compliant way to earn from their credentials.

Partner companies

  1. 01

    Tell us your partner program targets

    Microsoft Solutions Partner tiers, AWS Partner Network levels, Fortinet engagement scores, Cisco specializations — share what you maintain and what's at risk.

  2. 02

    Match with verified consultants

    Browse a curated, vendor-verified directory. Filter by certification, vendor stack, seniority and time-zone. Every credential is checked through Credly and vendor APIs before listing.

  3. 03

    Lock the retainer

    Sign a 3, 6 or 12-month exclusive retainer. The consultant registers their certifications with you for the term and stands ready when projects spike. Replacement guarantee built in.

IT consultants

  1. 01

    Apply for membership

    Submit your active certifications, your LinkedIn profile, and a few details about your professional history. Membership is capped — we approve in cohorts to maintain quality.

  2. 02

    Get verified

    Our team verifies every certification with the issuing vendor (Credly, AWS CertMetrics, Fortinet NSE, Cisco Certifications). KYC and LinkedIn identity check follow. Typical turnaround: 7 business days.

  3. 03

    Earn monthly, keep your day job

    Once matched, register your credentials with a partner company and earn a monthly retainer — plus market hourly when they call you in for delivery work. Designed to fit alongside existing employment.

For partner companies

Protect your partner tier without permanent hires.

Losing one certified architect can downgrade your Microsoft Solutions Partner tier overnight. Certbond gives you a trusted reserve of vendor-verified specialists, registered to your account on retainer — combining tier safeguards with on-demand delivery capacity.

  • Maintain Microsoft, AWS, Fortinet, Cisco partner tier headcount without permanent hires
  • Vendor-verified credentials only — no résumé fraud, no expired certs
  • Replacement guarantee within 7 days if a consultant steps away
  • Hourly billing for actual delivery work, transparent and pre-agreed
  • Compliance: Sumsub KYC, AML, GDPR, NIS2, EU data residency
  • Per-tier pricing visible inside your partner dashboard after onboarding
Apply for partner access

Cert tiers

Structured, not flat.

Retainer levels scale with certification depth. Partners see exact pricing inside the dashboard once approved.

Specialist

Associate-level credentials

Vendor-issued associate certifications across one major stack. Suitable for partner-tier baseline contributions and project execution roles.

Partner pricing inside dashboard

Principal

Expert / multi-vendor stacks

Multiple expert-level certifications across major vendors. Reserved for highest-impact tier contributions and architecture engagements.

Partner pricing inside dashboard

For IT consultants

Turn your certifications into a second income — without quitting.

If you hold senior Microsoft, AWS, Fortinet or Cisco certifications, Certbond lets you put them to work for vetted partner companies in exchange for a monthly retainer. You stay in your current job. We work around your schedule. Membership is application-based and capped to protect quality on both sides.

  • Earn a monthly retainer for keeping your certifications registered with a partner company
  • Keep your day job — Certbond is designed as a complementary income stream
  • Vendor-compliant: you remain employed, your cert simply counts toward the partner's tier
  • Application-based — your peers are vetted, your time isn't wasted
  • Paid in your local currency, on time, every month
  • LinkedIn-verified professional identity protects the network on both sides
Apply for membership

Members-only referral

Bring a colleague. Earn $30.

Verified members can invite colleagues with senior certifications. When your invitee is approved, matched, and remains active for six months, you receive a $30 reward — paid in your local currency. Keeps the network growing through trusted introductions, not open recruitment.

Referral program available to active members after their first match. Full terms inside the member dashboard.

Built for compliance

Vendor-compliant. Privacy-first. Audit-ready.

Certbond is engineered around the contractual and regulatory frameworks that partner companies and certified consultants must operate within.

Vendor program compliance

Consultants are properly registered as part-time or contract personnel for the partner during the retainer term. Documentation is structured to satisfy Microsoft Partner Network, AWS Partner Network and equivalent vendor audits.

Identity verification

Every member completes Sumsub KYC with EU data residency. Professional identity is anchored through LinkedIn OAuth. Every certification is checked directly with the issuing vendor before profile listing.

EU data residency & GDPR

Member data lives in Cloudflare's EU region. Data Processing Agreements available for partner companies. NIS2-relevant operational controls in place from launch. Right-to-deletion and right-of-access requests honored within statutory windows.

Financial controls

Stripe Connect for partner-to-consultant flows with full reconciliation. Event-sourced ledger with hash-chain linking gives an immutable, audit-grade record of every retainer and every payment.

Questions

What partner managers and consultants ask first.

How do you verify a consultant's certifications?

Every certification is verified directly with the issuing vendor — Credly for Microsoft, AWS CertMetrics, Fortinet NSE registry, Cisco Certifications. We don't accept self-reported credentials. KYC is handled by Sumsub with EU data residency, and professional identity is anchored through LinkedIn OAuth.

Is this allowed by Microsoft, AWS, Fortinet and Cisco partner program rules?

Yes. Consultants remain employed elsewhere and are properly registered as part-time or contract personnel for the partner company during the retainer term — a standard, vendor-compliant arrangement. Certbond never asks anyone to misrepresent employment, and we provide partner companies with the contractual documentation they need for vendor audits.

Why is Certbond application-based instead of open signup?

Two reasons. For partner companies, a curated network means every consultant they meet is genuinely qualified — no time wasted screening. For consultants, capped membership keeps the supply tight and the retainer values strong. Membership is reviewed in cohorts to maintain quality on both sides.

Do consultants need to leave their current job?

No. Most members are full-time employees elsewhere who use Certbond for additional cert-aligned income. The retainer is built around availability for delivery work when partners actually need it — typically a few hours per week — not full-time commitment.

What happens if a consultant underperforms or steps away?

Certbond's replacement guarantee kicks in. If a partner escalates an issue, we substitute the consultant within 7 days from a pre-vetted bench of similar profiles. The replacement seamlessly continues the engagement — no contract renegotiation, no setup fees, no tier disruption.

Where are consultants based?

Initially India, Poland and the Philippines, expanding into more regions through 2026. All consultants work in their local timezone but with explicit overlap hours agreed at retainer signing.

How is Certbond different from Toptal, Upwork or Malt?

Three differences. First, retainer with vendor-tier registration — not hourly bidding. Second, vendor-verified certifications, not self-reported résumés. Third, capped, application-based membership instead of open marketplace. Generic platforms optimize for matching speed; Certbond optimizes for quality and tier-protection certainty.

What does Certbond cost?

Pricing is per certification tier and per partner program. Approved partner companies see exact pricing inside their dashboard during onboarding. Consultants receive a monthly retainer that scales with certification level and stack — full economics shown inside the member dashboard.

How does the referral program work?

Once you are an active member with at least one match, you can invite colleagues with senior certifications through your dashboard. When an invitee is approved, matched, and remains active for six months, you receive a $30 reward in your local currency. The program exists to grow the network through trusted introductions rather than open recruitment.

When does Certbond launch?

Closed beta with a small group of EU partner companies and verified consultants in Q3 2026. Open availability rolls out region by region through Q4. Apply below to be considered for the first cohort.

Apply for access

Submit your application.

Tell us who you are. Both partner companies and consultants are reviewed in cohorts before access is granted.

I'm applying as

What happens next. We review partner applications within 5 business days and reach out with onboarding details, partner-tier diagnostic, and access to the verified consultant directory.

We'll only use your email to send you access information. No spam, no third-party sharing. GDPR compliant.

Ready to join the verified network?

Cohort applications close as we hit cap. Don't wait for the next intake.