Microsoft 365 Grants Are Changing – What Irish Nonprofits Need to Know
There’s a major shake-up on the way for charities and nonprofit organisations that rely on Microsoft 365. From 1st July 2025, Microsoft will end the free grant licences for both Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Office 365 E1. If your organisation is using these products, it’s time to reassess your setup and plan ahead.
Ignoring these changes could leave you scrambling at renewal time — or worse, facing downtime or data loss. But with the right strategy, you can transition smoothly and continue to benefit from Microsoft’s cloud tools.
What Exactly Is Changing?
For years, Microsoft has supported the nonprofit sector with free access to powerful business tools through their Tech for Social Impact programme. These included:
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium
- Office 365 E1
However, from 1st July 2025, these grant-based (free) licences will be phased out at renewal. If your renewal date falls on or after this date, the free versions of these products will no longer be available.
Instead, Microsoft is offering new options to ensure nonprofits can still access the tools they need:
- Up to 300 Microsoft 365 Business Basic licences – completely free
- Discounts of up to 75% on Business Premium, Office 365 E1, and other plans
What’s in Microsoft 365 Business Basic?
This is now the main free offering for eligible nonprofits. It includes:
✅ Web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint
✅ Microsoft Teams (online collaboration and meetings)
✅ Exchange Online (email hosting)
✅ OneDrive (1TB cloud storage per user)
✅ SharePoint (document management and intranet features)
However, it does not include:
❌ Desktop Office apps (like Word or Excel installed on PCs)
❌ Advanced security and threat protection
❌ Device management and compliance tools
If your team is comfortable working via browser and mobile apps, Business Basic may cover most of your needs.
What If You Need More?
Some nonprofits depend on desktop Office apps, enhanced security, or mobile device management. In that case, you’ll want to explore the discounted versions of:
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium
- Office 365 E1
- Enterprise licences
Microsoft is offering up to 75% off for these products — a significant saving, especially for midsize or larger nonprofits with multiple users and more complex IT requirements.
What Should You Do Now?
It’s important not to leave this until the last minute. Here’s a practical roadmap:
1. Audit Your Current Licences
Look at your Microsoft 365 Admin Centre. Identify:
- How many users you have
- What type of licences they’re using
- What features are essential (desktop apps, advanced security, compliance, etc.)
2. Segment Users Based on Needs
Not every staff member or volunteer needs the full suite. You could mix and match plans:
- Use Business Basic for users who just need Teams and email
- Use Business Premium for those managing sensitive data or devices
3. Reassign Licences
Start shifting users from the soon-to-expire grant licences to Business Basic or discounted paid plans. Microsoft provides migration tools and licence reassignment guides to help.
4. Budget for Paid Features
While some licences will still be free, others will incur a cost. Start factoring this into your budget now, so you’re not caught off guard next summer.
5. Ensure Data Safety During Transition
Make sure emails, OneDrive files, and SharePoint sites are fully backed up. Licence transitions shouldn’t delete your data — but don’t take any chances.
What If You’re Not Sure Where to Begin?
Transitioning Microsoft 365 licences might sound straightforward, but there are always curveballs — compatibility issues, data retention rules, or users accidentally locked out of email. That’s where a bit of expert help goes a long way.
At CK Computer Solutions – Managed IT Services Dublin, we work closely with Irish nonprofits to ensure they get the most out of Microsoft technologies — securely, affordably, and with minimal disruption. Here’s how we can support you:
- Licence audits: We’ll help you map out who needs what — and avoid paying for tools you’re not using.
- Smooth transitions: Whether you’re moving from E1 to Business Basic or need a hybrid setup, we’ll manage it all.
- Data protection: We make sure no critical data is lost during migration, with secure backups and Microsoft 365 best practices.
- Ongoing support: Questions come up. We stay with you long after the switchover to keep your systems running smoothly.
Whether you’re a charity, social enterprise, or voluntary group, CK Computer Solutions is ready to guide your nonprofit through this Microsoft licensing shift — and set you up for long-term success.
📅 Don’t wait — July 2025 may seem far away, but planning now could save you stress (and money) down the line. Reach out to CK Computer Solutions today for expert guidance on navigating these changes with confidence.
Email to users:
Your Microsoft 365 Business Premium grant is being discontinued
Your Microsoft 365 Business Premium grant will expire on April 25, 2026.
The Microsoft 365 Business Premium grant will be discontinued on your next renewal on or after July 1, 2025. Your licenses will expire on April 25, 2026. We will continue to provide up to 300 granted licenses of Microsoft 365 Business Basic and discounts of up to 75 percent on many Microsoft 365 offers to nonprofits, including Microsoft 365 Business Premium.
We strongly advise transitioning your users to a different Microsoft 365 offer for nonprofits before the subscription is canceled to avoid disruption and data loss. Learn more about what happens to your data and access when your subscription ends.
More information
To ensure a smooth transition and avoid any impact on your data and users, we recommend transitioning your users from the legacy Microsoft 365 Business Premium grant to the Microsoft 365 Business Basic grant or another Microsoft 365 offer for nonprofits. To transition users, you will need to manually complete the following steps within the Microsoft 365 admin center:
2. Confirm the licenses are present in your tenant,
3. Replace the licenses, by selecting all of your users with a Microsoft 365 Business Premium license and choose to replace these users’ licenses with Business Basic or another Microsoft 365 offer for nonprofits, and
4. Select your Microsoft 365 Business Premium subscription and choose to cancel the subscription.
More guidance about how to manually change Microsoft licenses can be found in this support article: Change Microsoft 365 for business plans manually | Microsoft Learn.