Microsoft Copilot training: free and UK courses (2026)

Which Microsoft 365 Copilot training is there in the UK?

Microsoft's own courses on Microsoft Learn are free and self-paced, such as Build foundational generative AI skills and Draft, Analyze, and Present with Microsoft Copilot (MS-4018). UK trainers teach Microsoft 365 Copilot live for £575 to £1,425 + VAT at standard rates. Happy and QA cover Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams. Wise Owl's two days cover Copilot licensing, Outlook, OneDrive, Teams, Excel, Forms, search, saving and sharing pages, Notebooks and creating Copilot agents.

Which courses teach you to build Copilot agents?

These teach you to build agents with Copilot Studio or inside Microsoft 365 Copilot, rather than use the assistant. The paid one costs £1,350 to £1,995 + VAT. Wise Owl teaches Copilot Studio over 3 days. Microsoft's Agent in a Day - Online workshop is free, but its labs need a licensed environment.

Are there agents courses that use Copilot alongside other tools?

CIM runs a marketing day on AI agents that typically uses Copilot Agent Builder and Copilot Studio among other tools, so it suits marketers who want more than one tool. More agents courses are on agentic AI courses compared.

Do I need a Copilot licence for Copilot training?

For Happy's course, yes: it is only for people with a full Microsoft 365 Copilot licence. Without one, Happy says, "You will not be able to participate in the course as the software will be unable to interact with your documents, emails, Teams chats, etc" (Happy: Mastering Microsoft 365 Copilot and AI Agents). For people on the free licence it runs a shorter session, Microsoft Copilot: A Brief Overview for Free License Users.

For Wise Owl's, no. Online learners use Windows Remote Desktop to connect to Wise Owl's computers, which, in its words, "will have all of the necessary files and software installed", and in the classroom Wise Owl provides the computer. The licence matters afterwards, at your own desk: "Be aware that when you get back to your desk after the course you will be able to do most things with a simple 365 Business licence, but there will be some things covered for which an additional Copilot 365 Business licence will be required" (Wise Owl: Microsoft 365 Copilot course).

QA's day is "for the Microsoft 365 Copilot version" and expects you to know Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook and Teams already. Its page doesn't say whether you need your own licence.

Is Copilot training cheaper online than in London?

With Wise Owl, yes. Its Microsoft 365 Copilot course costs £875 plus VAT online, £1,050 in Manchester and £1,425 in London, so a London seat costs £550 (computed) more than an online one. For Copilot Studio agents the gap is £645 (computed): £1,350 online against £1,995 in London, plus VAT.

The catch is dates. On 7 Nov 2026 Wise Owl had no London dates for either course, and its Manchester dates were for Microsoft 365 Copilot only. Its London room is at Bevis Marks in the City, near Liverpool Street. Happy's public date is live online; groups of three or more can be taught at Happy's office in Aldgate, at their workplace or remotely.

Is there cheaper Copilot training for councils and charities?

Happy has three rates for the same day: £575 standard, £485 for public sector organisations such as councils, and £385 for charities, all per person plus VAT. No other UK trainer here shows a public sector or charity rate. CIM members get 15% off its course. Wise Owl's price depends on the venue. Microsoft's own courses on Microsoft Learn are free for everyone.

Can Copilot training be funded?

Not as a Copilot course. None of the 19 AI Skills Bootcamps listed on the AI Skills Bootcamps page (41 current National Careers Service listings, read on 7 Nov 2026) is a Copilot course, though Code Institute's AI for Business Transformation (Solent) requires one such tool: "Access to a paid AI workspace tool (e.g. Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, or Google Gemini) is required; we can help you choose and provision before enrolment" (National Careers Service: AI for Business Transformation, Solent (Code Institute)). It is for people who live or work in Portsmouth, Southampton or the Isle of Wight, and it is "aimed at employed or self-employed professionals responsible for making AI work whose organisations are committed to co-funding the training". The listing gives no price, but it says: "Free for self-employed. 90% funded for businesses under 250 staff; 70% funded for larger employers."

Employers can see which schemes pay for AI training where they are on government-funded AI training in the UK.