Why clients choose MSPs that offer GRC over those that don't

The MSP market is more competitive than ever. In regulated industries, clients are making provider decisions based on a single question: "Can you manage our compliance as well as our IT?" MSPs that answer yes are winning. Those that don't are losing deals they used to win easily. This is especially pronounced in critical infrastructure sectors — energy, water, telecommunications, and transport operators face mandatory compliance obligations and are actively seeking MSPs that can support their regulatory requirements end to end. 

Who this is for:  MSP owners and growth leaders evaluating how to compete in regulated industry markets.

 

TL;DR

 

• 68% of mid-market CISOs say GRC capability is a significant factor in MSP vendor selection (Source: IDC, 2025)
• Clients in regulated industries replace MSPs who cannot support their compliance obligations at a 2× higher rate
• MSPs with a GRC offering achieve 25–40% higher average revenue per client than those without
• The top reason clients leave their MSP: the provider could not help them with a compliance audit or regulatory requirement
• 6clicks gives you everything you need to answer "yes" to the compliance question — today

The shift in MSP client buying criteria

Five years ago, mid-market clients selected MSPs primarily on price, local presence, and response time.

These remain important — but they are no longer sufficient differentiators in regulated industries.

Today's buyers — particularly CISOs, risk managers, and compliance officers — are evaluating MSPs on a broader set of criteria:

• Can you help us achieve and maintain ISO 27001?
• Do you have experience with Essential Eight or NIS2?
• Can you manage our vendor risk programme?
• What does your compliance reporting look like for our board?
• How do you handle regulatory change notifications?

If an MSP cannot answer these questions credibly, the contract often goes to a competitor who can.

Why GRC capability increases client retention

Compliance obligations are permanent and recurring. Clients who rely on their MSP for GRC services do not switch providers casually — the switching cost is high, and the risk of disrupting a live compliance programme is significant.

This creates a powerful retention dynamic. MSPs with GRC services typically see:

• Contract lengths of 2–5 years (vs. 1–2 years for IT-only MSPs)
• Renewal rates of 85–95% (compliance obligations renew; the service renews with them)
• Upsell potential of 30–50% as clients add frameworks or expand scope over time

The financial impact of adding GRC

The revenue uplift from adding GRC services to an existing MSP portfolio is significant. Consider a mid-sized MSP with 50 clients:

• Without GRC: average revenue per client AUD 3,000/month → total ARR AUD 1.8M
• With GRC (30% of clients): additional AUD 5,000/month per GRC client → additional ARR AUD 900K
• Total ARR: AUD 2.7M — a 50% revenue increase from the same client base

And because GRC revenue is subscription-based with low churn, this uplift compounds over time.

How clients discover MSPs with GRC capability

Clients seeking GRC services often start their search with a specific intent:

• "MSP with ISO 27001 experience near me"
• "Managed compliance service for financial services"
• "Essential Eight managed service provider."

MSPs who position GRC capability in their marketing, website, and industry content capture these high-intent searches. 6clicks partner-produced content and co-marketing resources help MSPs build this visibility.

How 6clicks helps MSPs communicate GRC capability

6clicks provides partners with:

• Co-branded marketing materials — case studies, one-pagers, and landing page templates
• Partner directory listing — visibility on the 6clicks partner finder for clients searching for GRC-capable MSPs
• Demo environments — sales-ready platform demos configured for key frameworks
• Thought leadership content — co-authored blogs, webinars, and educational resources

Frequently asked questions