The AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) is AWS's main programme for helping companies move existing workloads onto AWS, and part of what it offers is money: funding that offsets some of the cost of the migration itself. It is also widely misunderstood. MAP is not a coupon, it is not available to every migration, and its funding is released in stages against evidence, not paid up front.
This guide explains what MAP is, how its three phases work, how the funding is released, who tends to qualify, what to do if your migration is smaller than MAP is built for, and what companies in Egypt and Saudi Arabia should check before they plan around it.
What MAP is
AWS describes MAP as a migration programme built on its experience of thousands of enterprise migrations. It combines a method (assess, prepare, then migrate), tools and training, help from AWS and its partners, and financial investment that AWS says helps offset initial migration costs. That investment can take the form of AWS promotional credits or cash funding for the partner doing the work.
MAP covers the move itself: the assessment, the preparation and the migration work. It is not a general discount on your future AWS bill, and it does not pay for running the workloads once they are live.
The three phases
MAP runs in three phases. Each one produces something you need for the next:
| Phase | What happens | What comes out of it |
|---|---|---|
| Assess | Your current estate is inventoried and your readiness is measured across business, people, process, platform, operations and security. | A total cost of ownership comparison and a business case for the migration. |
| Mobilize | The gaps found in the assessment are closed: a secure AWS landing zone, operating model, skills and a detailed migration plan. | A foundation to migrate onto, and a plan wave by wave. |
| Migrate & Modernize | Workloads move to AWS in planned waves, and some are modernised along the way. | Workloads running on AWS, with the evidence the funding is released against. |
Skipping the assessment is the most common reason a MAP plan falls apart. Without an honest inventory and cost comparison there is no business case, and without a business case there is nothing for AWS to fund.
How MAP funding is released
- It is agreed before the migration, and earned during it. The funding is set up as part of the plan and released as each stage is completed and evidenced.
- It is tied to what actually moves. Migrated resources are tagged so AWS can see which spend comes from the migration. Workloads that are not tagged correctly do not count towards the funding. Our guide to MAP funding milestones covers the tagging rules step by step.
- It is sized to the migration. The scope, the number of workloads and the expected AWS spend after the move shape how much is available.
- It can be credits or cash. Credits go to your AWS account; cash funding normally goes to the partner to offset the cost of the work.
- Terms change. AWS reviews its programmes regularly and sets the detailed terms in its partner and account systems, not on a public price list.
Who qualifies
AWS does not publish a public eligibility threshold for MAP. In practice, the decision rests on the size of the migration and the AWS spend it is expected to create. Partners often describe the full programme as starting at a projected annual AWS spend in the low six figures in US dollars, but treat that as indicative and confirm it for your case.
- Existing workloads. MAP is for moving systems you already run, on premises or on another cloud. A brand-new build is not a migration.
- A real commitment. A plan, a timeline and owners on your side, not an exploration. If you are still deciding, a proof of concept is the usual first step.
- A credible spend estimate. An honest projection of what the migrated workloads will cost on AWS. Our guide to cloud migration cost in Egypt shows how to build one.
- The right route in. MAP is engaged through your AWS account team or through an AWS Partner. Many MAP engagements are delivered by partners that hold the AWS Migration Competency.
If your migration is smaller
Many companies in Egypt and Saudi Arabia run a handful of servers, not a data centre. That does not rule out AWS funding, but the route is usually different:
- Partner migration funding. AWS lists Partner Opportunity Acceleration (POA) funding for proofs of concept and migrations as a benefit for services partners at Select tier and above. For a smaller, well-scoped migration, a tiered partner can request it against your project.
- POC funding first. If the real question is whether a workload will work on AWS, a funded proof of concept answers it and builds the case for the move.
- AWS Activate for startups. Early-stage startups may qualify for Activate credits instead, which are separate from migration funding. Our credit programmes guide explains the difference.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia: what to check
- Where your data will live. AWS has no region in Egypt; companies there usually choose the Middle East regions in Bahrain or the UAE, or Europe. Our guide to choosing an AWS region in Egypt compares them. AWS has announced a region in Saudi Arabia, so check whether it is live when you plan; our AWS Saudi Arabia region guide tracks its launch status. Our guide to migrating to AWS in Saudi Arabia covers this in detail, and our AWS migration service for Saudi Arabia plans the move around it.
- Your regulatory obligations. Saudi companies should check data-residency and security requirements for their sector before choosing a region. Regulated sectors in Egypt, such as banking, have their own rules too.
- Whether the programme terms apply in your country. AWS says partner benefits may not be available in every geography or market. The partner or account team should confirm the current terms for your country before you plan around funding.
- How you will be billed. Agree whose AWS accounts the workloads and any credits will sit in. They should be yours.
How to prepare
- List what you run today. Servers, databases, storage, licences and what each one costs, including hardware and support contracts.
- Estimate the AWS cost honestly. Use the AWS Pricing Calculator or a partner's estimate, sized to what you actually use, not to peak capacity.
- Decide what moves first. Start with the workloads where a problem would hurt least, and keep a rollback position at every stage.
- Name the owners. Someone on your side has to approve the plan, provide access and accept each wave.
- Agree the funding before the work starts. Funding is not applied retroactively to work done before it was approved.
- Tag as you migrate. Make sure migrated resources carry the tags the programme requires, or the spend will not count.
Next steps
If you are planning an AWS migration, our free credit eligibility check takes a few minutes. We come back with the routes that could realistically apply to your migration, MAP or otherwise, and what each would need from you. Nothing here is a promise of funding: AWS decides every request.