In short
- From 1 December 2026 Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Business can be bought without a Microsoft 365 base plan, at the same price.
- Existing "(add-on)" subscriptions keep renewing, no migration is needed.
- Until 31 December: 25% off the Business Basic + Copilot Business bundle and 15% off Copilot Business. Windows Server 2016 support ends on 12 January 2027.
Microsoft is changing how Copilot is sold to businesses, and there are a few dates worth putting in the calendar before the end of the year.
Copilot without a base licence
From 1 December 2026, the new Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Business offers can be purchased without a qualifying Microsoft 365 base subscription. This applies in all sales channels, including licensing through a partner (CSP). The new offers keep the same price as the current ones.
The current offers were renamed on 16 October with an “(add-on)” suffix, for example “Microsoft 365 Copilot Business (add-on)”, and stop being sold to new customers on 1 December. If you already have them, nothing changes: they keep renewing and no migration is required.
One thing to keep in mind: what Copilot can actually do for a user still depends on which Microsoft 365 apps and services that user is licensed for. Copilot without Outlook or Teams licences will not summarise your mail or meetings.
Discounts for small and mid-size businesses
- 25% off a Microsoft 365 Business Basic + Copilot Business bundle, until 31 December 2026.
- 15% off Copilot Business on its own for 1–300 seats, on an annual subscription billed annually, until 31 December 2026.
- 7.5% off Defender Suite and Purview Suite for Business Premium customers with fewer than 300 seats.
Windows Server 2016: two months left
Support for Windows Server 2016 ends on 12 January 2027. After that date the server stops receiving security updates unless you pay for Extended Security Updates. If your office still runs a file server, accounting database or domain controller on Server 2016, now is the time to plan an upgrade or a move to the cloud.
Office 2021 has already reached end of support on 13 October: what it means for your office. Licences for Microsoft 365, Office and Windows Server are available on our Microsoft page.
What we suggest
December is a good month to review licences: check who actually uses which Microsoft 365 plan, whether a Copilot trial makes sense for a few people, and what runs on old servers. Write to us and we will audit your licences and servers and show you the options with prices, including the year-end discounts.
Sources: Microsoft Learn, Partner Center announcements, October 2026
LicenseQ: Microsoft Licensing Update November 2026
