What Information Does an Irish School Need for a Microsoft Licensing Quote?
By Paul Moore, Education Licensing Consultant
If you're preparing a new Microsoft 365 Education purchase or reviewing an existing school agreement, you do not need to decode every Microsoft licensing term before asking for a quote.
The most useful starting point is a clear picture of your school, your current licensing, the people and devices involved, and when your existing agreement renews.
If you are still comparing your broader options, see our Microsoft 365 Education licensing for Irish schools guide.
The school licensing quote checklist
Gather as much of the following as you can. If you do not know every answer, say “unsure” rather than delaying the enquiry.
| Information | What to provide | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| School or organisation details | Official school or organisation name and organisation type — for example primary school, post-primary school, college or ETB. | Helps identify the correct education organisation and quotation route. |
| School roll number | Department of Education roll number, if applicable and known. | Optional. It helps SAMI identify the correct Irish school more quickly. |
| New purchase or renewal | Tell us whether this is new licensing, an existing agreement renewal, or whether you are unsure. | Establishes the starting point for the review. |
| Current agreement or purchasing route | Schools Agreement, OVS-ES, CSP or other current route if you know it. | If you do not know, simply say “unsure”. |
| Current Microsoft products | Current Microsoft 365 Education plan or other Microsoft products if known. | Helps establish what is already in place before considering changes. |
| Staff or faculty numbers | Approximate current staff/faculty count relevant to the licensing requirement. | User numbers can affect how an education requirement is sized. |
| Student numbers | Approximate current student headcount. | Keep student numbers separate from staff numbers so the relevant education licensing and student entitlements can be assessed correctly. |
| Devices | Approximate managed-device count and whether there are shared computer rooms or other shared-device requirements, where relevant. | Useful where the requirement includes device-based deployment, management or shared computers. |
| Renewal timing | Renewal date or renewal quarter if known. | Helps establish when any review or change needs to be completed. |
| What the school actually needs | For example desktop applications, web applications, device management, security requirements or other Microsoft products. | Prevents a quote being based solely on the name of the school's current plan. |
| School or ETB structure | Tell us whether the requirement is for one school, several schools or a centrally managed ETB requirement. | Clarifies the scope before quantities are finalised. |
| Expected changes | Any known staffing, student or device changes expected during the next licensing period. | Helps avoid basing the review on figures that are already going out of date. |
Start with the correct school details
Microsoft verifies education customers before academic offers can be purchased. Accurate organisation details therefore matter.
For an Irish school, give us the official school name and, where you know it, the Department of Education roll number. The roll number is optional on the SAMI quote form; it is there because it helps us identify the correct school more quickly.
Colleges and other education organisations may also need to confirm their education status where Microsoft requires additional verification.
Tell us whether this is new licensing or a renewal
A renewal starts with a different set of information from a completely new requirement.
If you are renewing, include the current agreement or purchasing route if you know it, the Microsoft products currently in use and the renewal date or quarter.
Do not worry if terms such as Schools Agreement, OVS-ES or CSP are not familiar. Put “unsure” and give us the information you do have.
CSP — Cloud Solution Provider — is a Microsoft partner purchasing channel rather than the name of a Microsoft 365 licence plan.
For a broader explanation of the routes, see Microsoft licensing options for Irish schools.
Keep staff and student numbers separate
Approximate numbers are useful for the initial review, but we may need confirmed figures before a final quotation is prepared.
Provide staff or faculty numbers and student numbers separately rather than combining them into one total.
Microsoft education licensing can use different quantities and entitlements depending on the product and purchasing route, so keeping the two figures separate makes the requirement easier to assess.
If you are expecting a significant change in enrolment or staffing, include that as well.
Include devices when they are relevant
Microsoft 365 licensing is not simply a matter of counting PCs, but device information can still be important.
Tell us approximately how many managed devices are involved if your requirement includes shared computer rooms, device management, Windows licensing or another device-related requirement.
You do not need to create a full asset register just to make an initial enquiry.
What if we don't know our current agreement?
That should not stop you asking for a review.
Tell us:
- what you know about the current Microsoft products;
- whether this is a renewal;
- the approximate staff and student numbers;
- your renewal timing;
- what you need the software to do.
Mark anything else as “unsure”.
SAMI can then tell you what additional information needs to be confirmed before a firm quotation is prepared.
For ETBs and multi-school requirements
If the requirement covers an Education and Training Board rather than one individual school, identify the ETB and explain whether licensing is being reviewed centrally or for particular schools or colleges.
Include individual school roll numbers where they are relevant to the request, but do not force an ETB-wide enquiry to provide one roll number.
Ready to request a school licensing quote?
Send us the information you already have. You can include your school roll number, current agreement status, staff and device ranges, renewal timing and any requirements that need to be reviewed.
If some details are still unknown, say so in the requirements field.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a school roll number to request a quote?
No. The Department of Education roll number is optional. If you know it, include it because it helps SAMI identify the correct school more quickly.
What if I don't know which Microsoft agreement we currently have?
You can still request a review. Tell us which Microsoft products you currently use, whether you are approaching a renewal and any agreement details you do know. Mark the agreement type as “unsure” if necessary.
Can I use approximate staff and student numbers?
Approximate figures are useful for an initial licensing review. Confirmed quantities may be needed before a final quotation is prepared, depending on the products and purchasing route.
What should an ETB provide?
Identify the ETB, whether the requirement is central or for particular schools or colleges, the approximate people and devices in scope, the current licensing position and the renewal timing. Include individual school roll numbers where relevant.
Official Microsoft information
- Microsoft Learn — How to create and sell offers to education customers
- Microsoft Learn — Verify eligibility for Microsoft 365 Education subscriptions
- Microsoft — Licensing options for educational institutions
Last reviewed: 23 August 2026 · Next review due: February 2027