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AWS credits and funding programmes: MAP, POC, Activate and partner funding

Credits reduce an AWS bill. They are not investment, they are not cash, and they are not guaranteed. Here is how each route works, and which one fits you.

Compare the programmes at a glance

How the main AWS funding routes differ. Terms change; the linked guides cite AWS's own pages.
Migration Acceleration Program (MAP)POC fundingAWS ActivatePartner-led funding (POA)
What it pays forPart of the cost of a planned migration or modernisationA defined test of one workloadYour own AWS usage while you buildA POC or a smaller migration a partner delivers
Who it is forCompanies moving existing workloads to AWSTeams deciding whether a workload belongs on AWSStartups founded in the last 10 yearsCustomers of a Select tier or higher AWS Partner
Who appliesYour AWS account team or an AWS PartnerAn eligible AWS Partner or your account teamThe startup, with an Activate Provider's Org ID for the larger tierThe partner, in AWS Partner Central
Typical stageAfter an assessment and business caseBefore a commitmentPre-revenue to pre-Series BBefore or during a scoped project
What AWS reviewsScope, projected AWS spend, a migration plan, then tagged migrated resourcesSuccess criteria, timeline and the path to productionCompany age, website, funding stage and prior Activate creditsThe registered opportunity and the partner's eligibility
Deep guideMAP in Egypt and Saudi ArabiaAWS POC funding guideAWS Activate guideAWS partner tier levels explained

Which programme fits your situation?

Most companies fit one route clearly, and a few fit two in sequence. Start from what you are actually doing, not from the largest number you have read about.

A startup building its first product

AWS Activate is the route. If an accelerator, angel or venture fund backs you, ask whether it is an Activate Provider: its Org ID opens the Portfolio tier, which AWS lists at up to $200,000. Self-funded startups apply for the Founders tier, which starts at $1,000.

A company moving on-premises servers to AWS

That is a migration, so MAP or partner migration funding applies, depending on its size. Both start with an inventory and an honest cost comparison; nothing is funded without a plan behind it.

A team testing a new workload before committing

POC funding is built for this: one workload, written success criteria and a fixed end date. A POC that passes often becomes the first wave of a migration, and its results strengthen that case.

An existing AWS customer expanding

Moving more workloads from on premises or another cloud can still qualify for migration funding. Trying a service you do not run today can qualify for a POC. Growth on workloads already in AWS is not funded by either programme.

Migration Acceleration Program (MAP)

Offered to offset the cost of moving existing workloads onto AWS. Eligibility depends on what you are moving, how much of it, and from where. Credits are typically released in stages against evidence that the migration actually happened, which is why post-migration attestation matters as much as the application itself.

MAP is AWS's programme for migrations of existing workloads. It combines a method in three phases (assess, mobilize, then migrate and modernize) with AWS and partner support and funding that AWS pays as promotional credits or as cash to the partner doing the work. AWS's partner funding page describes it as available for migrations and modernisations of any size; the amount is sized to the migration's scope and the AWS spend it is expected to create.

The funding is agreed before the move and released in stages as each one is evidenced. Migrated resources carry a map-migrated tag so AWS can see which spend came from the migration, and untagged resources do not count. Alventara does not hold the AWS Migration Competency, so at MAP scale we work alongside your AWS account team; for smaller, well-scoped migrations we can request partner funding ourselves.

Read how MAP funding milestones work and MAP for companies in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

  • Purpose: offset the cost of the move itself, not your ongoing bill
  • Assessed on migrated workload volume and current spend, not on ambition
  • Requires proof of completed migration before staged release
  • Applied for before the migration, evidenced after it

AWS Activate

A separate programme aimed at early-stage startups. Self-funded startups can apply directly for the smaller Founders tier; the larger Portfolio tier needs an Org ID from an approved Activate provider, such as an accelerator, incubator or venture fund. Being eligible for migration credits tells you nothing about your Activate position, and vice versa. The tiers and amounts are set by AWS and change over time.

AWS lists two tiers startups can apply for. Founders is for self-funded startups and starts at $1,000; AWS says select participants may qualify for up to $5,000 over time. Portfolio is for startups backed by an Activate Provider, such as an accelerator or venture fund, and goes up to $200,000, with the provider's package setting the actual amount. Both require a company founded in the last 10 years and a working website; Portfolio also requires a funding stage before Series B.

AWS says reviews usually take up to 10 business days, and credits usually expire within one to two years. They pay for new usage on eligible services only, so architecture decides how long they last. Alventara is not an Activate Provider and cannot issue an Org ID; we help you prepare a consistent application and plan for the month after the credits end.

Read the AWS Activate guide, and for Saudi startups, AWS Activate in Saudi Arabia, including the KSA Founders Club.

  • Purpose: support early-stage running costs, not migration work
  • Apply directly, or through an approved provider for the larger tier
  • A separate application, separately assessed, separately decided
  • Previous credits on the same entity affect what you can receive

Proof-of-concept (POC) funding

Credits that cover a time-boxed trial of a specific workload on AWS, so you can test it before committing to a full migration. They are usually requested through your AWS account team or an AWS partner, scoped to a defined test with success criteria agreed up front, and sized to that test rather than to your future spend.

POC funding, often called the AWS POC program, sits inside Partner Opportunity Acceleration (POA) funding for POC and migrations, which AWS lists as a benefit for Services Partners at Select tier and above. It is paid as AWS promotional credits on the account where the test runs, or as cash reimbursement to the partner running it. There is no public application form.

AWS does not publish a fixed amount: the request should cover what the test needs for its timeline and no more. Funding is approved before the work starts and is not applied to work already done. As a Select Tier partner, Alventara registers the opportunity in Partner Central and submits the request; AWS still decides.

Read the AWS POC funding guide, including what AWS looks for and why requests stall.

  • Purpose: prove one workload on AWS before the full move
  • Scoped to a defined test with written success criteria
  • Usually requested through your AWS account team or an AWS partner
  • Sized to the test, not to your projected spend

Partner-led funding

Some funding routes run through AWS partners rather than directly. Where a partner route is open to you we will say so, name the partner and explain what they require. Where we have no route, we will tell you that too rather than submit an application that has no chance.

Some AWS funding only exists through a partner. POA funding for POCs and migrations is one; AWS lists it for Services Partners at Select tier and above, and says partner benefits are reviewed yearly and may not be available in all geographies and markets. That is why the partner's tier, and the country you operate in, matter before anyone promises a route.

You can check a partner's tier yourself in AWS Partner Solutions Finder. Our guide to AWS partner tier levels explains what each tier requires and what it lets a partner do for you, and choosing an AWS partner in Egypt lists the questions to ask before you hire one.

AWS Partner Network · Select Tier Services
  • We name the route and the party involved, every time
  • We do not charge for applications we do not believe in
  • We coordinate with AWS, migration partners and investors as required

Availability in Egypt and Saudi Arabia

All four routes are open to companies in both countries in principle, but three things differ in practice:

  • Where the workloads run. AWS has no region in Egypt, so companies there usually build in Bahrain, the UAE or Europe; our guide to choosing an AWS region in Egypt compares them on price and latency. AWS has announced its first region in Saudi Arabia and says it will launch in December 2026; until then Saudi workloads run in the Bahrain or UAE regions; our guide to the AWS Saudi Arabia region tracks its status. Our AWS migration guide for Saudi Arabia covers how to plan around that.
  • Regulation. Saudi companies in regulated sectors should check data-residency and security rules before choosing a region. In Egypt, the Personal Data Protection Law applies, and regulated sectors such as banking have their own rules.
  • Programme terms by market. AWS says partner benefits may not be available in every geography. The submitting partner or your account team should confirm the current terms for your country before you plan around funding.

How the process works with Alventara

  1. Eligibility check. You complete the intake, and we tell you which routes realistically apply, including when none does.
  2. Assessment and cost model. We inventory what you run and model its AWS cost, so any request rests on real numbers.
  3. Written confirmation. You approve the scope, the route and what we will submit before anything is sent to AWS. Our engagement steps show where this sits.
  4. Submission. We register the opportunity in AWS Partner Central and submit what we are eligible to submit, or prepare the case with your AWS account team or Activate Provider.
  5. Delivery and evidence. The POC or migration runs to plan, and we collect the evidence AWS asks for before staged funding is released.

Why requests get rejected or stall

  • The wrong route. A self-funded startup asking for Portfolio credits, or a POC request from a partner without the required tier.
  • No plan behind the number. A migration request without an inventory, a cost comparison or a timeline gives AWS nothing to fund.
  • Work started before approval. Funding is not applied retroactively.
  • Vague success criteria. A POC nobody can pass or fail does not get funded.
  • Inconsistent details. A company email that does not match the website, or a funding date that contradicts what investors say.
  • Missing tags. Migrated resources without the map-migrated tag do not count towards MAP funding.
  • Undisclosed history. Previous credits and related companies have to be declared.

What credits do not cover

Credits reduce an AWS bill for eligible usage. AWS's promotional credit terms exclude several charges unless AWS agrees otherwise:

  • Upfront fees for Savings Plans and Reserved Instances
  • AWS Marketplace purchases, including third-party software
  • Higher support plans, AWS Managed Services, Professional Services, and training and certification
  • Route 53 domain registration and transfer
  • Taxes on your invoice, and charges from before the credits were issued

They are also not cash, they cannot be sold or transferred, and they expire. Plan the budget for the month after they run out before you rely on them.

What AWS weighs

We cannot tell you the formula because AWS does not publish one. These are the factors that consistently matter.

Formula: Unpublished0 of 8 on the pan

Tap a factor to lift it off the pan. The beam moves; the formula stays AWS's.

Four labels, every time

One figure, four labels

Example figure

$120,000

Estimated spendNot bankable yet

Every number we give you carries one of four labels. If a figure reaches you without one, ask us which it is.

  1. 01

    Estimated spend

    Our projection of what your workloads will cost on AWS. A forecast, never a commitment.

  2. 02

    Potential eligibility

    A maximum you could be considered for. Not an amount you have been awarded.

  3. 03

    Submitted request

    What we have formally asked AWS for on your behalf. Submitted is not the same as approved.

  4. 04

    Confirmed award

    What AWS has approved in writing. This is the only figure you can bank.

Before we start

What every client confirms they understand

  1. “Up to” is a ceiling

    A published maximum is the largest amount anyone might receive under the programme. It is not a target and it is not an entitlement.

  2. Spend is not credits

    Your projected AWS spend and any credit you receive are two unrelated numbers. Neither one predicts the other.

  3. Programmes are separate

    Migration credits and Activate have different criteria, different reviewers and different outcomes. One approval does not imply another.

  4. Release is staged

    Approved credits often arrive in tranches tied to milestones, not as a single balance on day one.

  5. Proof is required

    You will need to evidence that the migration happened. We prepare that evidence, but it has to be real.

  6. AWS decides

    Every decision is AWS's. We prepare the strongest accurate case; we have no influence over the outcome.

  7. No critical bets on unconfirmed credits

    Do not commit budget, headcount or a launch date against a credit that has not been confirmed in writing.

  8. Full disclosure is required

    Previous credits, related entities and prior applications must be disclosed. Omissions get applications rejected, sometimes permanently.

Check your credit eligibility

It takes two minutes. We read every answer and come back within one working day with the programmes you are likely to qualify for, whether you run on AWS today or somewhere else.

Never send passwords, access keys or MFA codes through this form. We will never ask for them.

In plain terms

Alventara is not AWS. We do not approve credits, we do not set eligibility criteria and we cannot guarantee any amount, including zero. What we can do is tell you honestly whether an application is worth making, prepare it properly, and keep you informed of exactly where it stands.

Frequently asked questions

They are separate programmes with separate reviews, and one approval does not imply another. They can follow each other: a startup on Activate credits can later run a funded POC, and a POC that passes can become the first wave of a migration. Each request has to stand on its own.

Not through a public form. POC funding is requested by an eligible AWS Partner or sponsored by your AWS account team. MAP is engaged through your account team or a partner. Activate is the one programme a startup applies for directly.

AWS publishes amounts only for Activate: Founders starts at $1,000 and Portfolio goes up to $200,000. MAP and POC funding are sized to the migration or the test and set in AWS's partner systems, so any figure you read online is indicative. A published maximum is a ceiling, not an expectation.

Yes in principle. AWS says partner benefits may not be available in every geography or market, so the submitting partner or your account team should confirm the current terms for your country first.

AWS says Activate reviews usually take up to 10 business days. POC and migration funding depend on preparing the case first: the success criteria, plan and cost estimate usually take longer than the review itself.

We do not charge for applications we do not believe in, and we tell you when no programme fits. The free eligibility check on our intake page tells you which routes realistically apply before you commit to anything.

Find out where you actually stand

Send us your funding position and current infrastructure. We will tell you which programmes are realistic before you spend time on paperwork.

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