There’s a lot of information about AWS credits and the different programs behind them. It’s easy to get stuck — unsure which credits apply to your stage, what you actually qualify for, and where to start.
This guide summarizes the main credit paths for startups: AWS Activate (Founders vs Portfolio), plus PoC and MAP credits — what they are, who they’re for, and how to apply.
Table of Contents
- What are AWS credits?
- AWS Activate Program
- AWS Activate credit tracks overview
- How to apply for AWS Activate credits
- PoC credits program
- How to apply for PoC credits
- MAP credits program
- How to apply for MAP credits
- How FivexL can help
What are AWS credits?
AWS credits are promotional funds AWS applies directly to your bill. They’re not cash you can withdraw — they simply reduce what you owe for eligible AWS services until the credit balance runs out or the credits expire. In most cases, they cover core building blocks like compute (EC2, Lambda), storage (S3), databases (RDS, DynamoDB), analytics, and AI/ML usage. Some categories may be excluded (often AWS Marketplace purchases or certain support charges), so always check the terms for your specific credit type.
Startups use credits to get real work done before infrastructure costs become a constraint:
- Run an MVP (app hosting, APIs, storage)
- Spin up dev/staging environments without worrying about waste
- Process data (logs, ETL, warehouses)
- Test AI/ML ideas (inference, training, vector search, evaluation)
- Handle spikes (launch days, demos, campaigns)
One practical rule: set budgets and alerts on day one. Credits reduce the bill, but they don’t stop spend from growing — they just hide it until later.
AWS Activate Program
If you’re a startup looking for credits (beyond the small “new account” promos), AWS Activate is usually the place to start. It’s the program AWS uses to decide which startups qualify, what tier they fit into, and how many credits they can receive.
AWS Activate has two tracks: AWS Activate Founders and AWS Activate Portfolio.
Which track should you choose?
- Choose Activate Founders: if your startup is self-funded (no approved accelerator/VC/provider affiliation).
- Choose Activate Portfolio: if you’re affiliated with an AWS Activate Provider (VC, accelerator, startup program) and you have their Org ID.
If you don’t have an Org ID, you’ll need to get it from your provider first (or apply via Founders if you’re truly self-funded).
AWS Activate credit tracks overview
| Track | Credit amount | Best for | Eligibility | Extra requirements | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Activate Founders | $1,000 | Self-funded early-stage teams building an MVP | Pre–Series B, founded < 10 years, company website or profile | Self-funded/unfunded (pre-Seed → Series A). Use corporate email. No prior Activate Founders credits. ~$1k–$2k typical. | AWS Builder ID, Activate profile, company-domain email |
| Activate Portfolio | Up to $100,000 | VC/accelerator-backed startups with an Activate Provider | Pre–Series B, founded < 10 years, associated with Activate Provider | Approved provider affiliation; working AWS account; not raised > $100M; no prior Portfolio credits. Range: $5k–$100k. | AWS Builder ID + Provider Org ID + active AWS account (Paid tier) |
📝 Key notes
- Use a professional email for your Builder ID and application; it reduces approval friction.
- Credits are often incremental (you may request more in larger batches).
- Everything is governed by AWS Promotional Credit Terms.
⚠️ Non-negotiables
- Credits are generally tied to the AWS account they’re issued to and can’t be transferred outside permitted org sharing rules.
- They don’t apply retroactively to past bills.
Where to apply
Apply via the AWS Activate page. Sign in with your AWS Builder ID, complete your Activate profile, then submit either Founders or Portfolio (Portfolio requires your provider’s Org ID).
How to apply for AWS Activation credits (step-by-step)
Before you start (2-minute prep)
- Decide which package you’re applying for: Activate Founders (self-funded) or Portfolio (VC/accelerator/provider-backed).
- Have your basics ready: startup name, website/profile, short description, funding stage, and your company-domain email.
- Create (or confirm) your AWS account: you’ll need an AWS account to receive and use credits, and a payment method is typically required to activate the account (usually not charged while credits cover usage).
Step 1 — Create your AWS Builder ID
Create an AWS Builder ID. This is the identity AWS uses as the starting point for AWS Startups/Activate.
Step 2 — Complete your AWS Activate profile
After Builder ID verification, complete your Activate profile (company details, stage, website/profile).
Be consistent: company name, domain, and website should match across your Activate profile, AWS account, and public presence.
Step 3 — Choose the right package
- Founders: for self-funded startups.
- Portfolio: for startups affiliated with an Activate Provider (VC/accelerator/etc.).
Step 4 — Link your AWS account (so credits can land somewhere)
Your application needs to be connected to the AWS account that will receive the credits.
If the AWS account is linked to the wrong Builder ID (common in teams), fix that before you submit.
Step 5 — Submit the application (Founders vs Portfolio)
- Founders includes: startup details + website/profile + stage (self-funded) + confirmation you meet requirements.
- Portfolio includes everything above plus your Activate Provider’s Org ID.
Step 6 — After you submit
Watch for the decision email and verify credits in AWS Billing once approved.
⏱️ Approval timeline
AWS Activate credit applications are usually approved in 7–10 business days.
If AWS needs extra verification (or your Portfolio provider has to confirm something), it can take longer.
🚫 When AWS Activate applications get rejected
Most rejections fall into a few predictable buckets:
1. You don’t meet the track requirements
- You’re not eligible for the track you chose (e.g., Portfolio without valid provider affiliation).
- Your company doesn’t meet baseline requirements (e.g., missing a real company presence).
2. Your application doesn’t look like a real startup profile
- No functional company website (or it’s thin, broken, or doesn’t clearly describe what you do).
- Missing or incomplete company details in the profile.
3. Email and identity signals don’t match
- You used a personal email (Gmail/Yahoo) instead of a company-domain email.
- Company name/domain/website differs across your profile, AWS account, and public presence.
4. Credits history conflicts
- You’ve already received AWS Activate credits before (or received an equivalent/higher amount previously for that track).
5. Portfolio-specific blockers
- Provider Org ID is missing or incorrect.
- AWS can’t confirm your affiliation with the Activate Provider.
✅ Pre-submit safeguard: company-domain email + working website + consistent company details + correct track + (Portfolio) correct Org ID.
AWS Activate isn’t the only path to credits. If you already have a concrete initiative — either a proof of concept you want to validate on AWS or a migration you’re ready to execute — there are other AWS programs that may offer credits too: PoC credits and MAP credits.
PoC credits program (Proof of Concept)
AWS PoC program is for startups that want to test something specific on AWS — like a new architecture, service, or product feature — with a clear intention to move it into production if it works. These credits are meant to share early-stage risk while you validate a focused project (typically scoped to a few months with defined goals).
How to apply for PoC credits (step-by-step)
Use the PoC application page and follow the built-in flow:
Step 1 — Select an AWS Partner offering
Choose one AWS Partner offering (you can only choose one).
Step 2 — Fill in the application form
You’ll be asked to provide:
- Your business email, name, and phone number
- Company details (company name, country/region, state/province, postal code, industry, website domain)
- A short reason for participation + your use case
- Your role/title and level of AWS usage
Step 3 — Wait for approval
AWS processes it within days, then you get an approval notification.
Step 4 — Start your PoC
Once approved, the credit is applied to your AWS account, and you can start the PoC.
Tip: decide your PoC scope before you submit (one clear use case + what “success” means). It makes partner selection and approval smoother.
MAP credits (Migration Acceleration Program)
MAP credits program is for companies planning a serious migration into AWS from on-prem, another cloud, or a large legacy environment. MAP credits are designed to support large-scale migration efforts and are usually tied to a defined migration plan, ROI case, and measurable milestones—this isn’t for a small test workload.
How to apply for MAP credits (step-by-step)
MAP credits are usually set up with help from your AWS account team or an AWS migration partner. MAP isn’t a self-serve “apply” button in the console — it’s part of a structured migration engagement. Your job is to provide the migration scope and make sure the right workloads are tagged so AWS can track eligible spend. Read more about the program.
Step 1 — Start the MAP conversation
Reach out to your AWS account team or an AWS migration partner to discuss your migration plans.
Step 2 — Agree on migration scope and timeline
Define what’s being migrated and establish the timeline with AWS or your partner.
Step 3 — Enable MAP tracking in Billing
Set up cost allocation tags in your AWS Billing settings to track eligible spend.
Step 4 — Tag the migrated workloads
Apply the required tags to your migrated workloads (often automated by your partner/tools).
Step 5 — Monitor and maintain tags
Monitor reports and fix missing tags so eligible spend counts toward your credits.
Tip: Don’t wait until migration week to think about credits. Bring MAP up early with your AWS account team or partner, and agree on the tagging approach up front—credits depend on correctly tagged migrated workloads.
Here’s a quick side-by-side overview of both programs to help you choose the right one.
| Program | What it’s for | Typical credit size | What AWS looks for | What you’ll need |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PoC credits | Proving a defined idea that’s expected to go to production on AWS | Up to $25,000 | Clear scope + objectives/KPIs, focused schedule, 3–6 month timeline, and a credible path to broader AWS adoption | Growth projection + 12–24 month growth memo; participation in scoping calls; progress updates and results shared with AWS |
| MAP credits | Migrating significant workloads into AWS (from on-prem/other cloud/legacy) | $100,000+ | A real migration project, billing-enabled AWS account, business case/ROI, collaboration with AWS SA or partner, phased milestones | Migration assessment, baseline spend, ROI deck, phased plan (Assess → Mobilise → Migrate), workload details; often a longer-term usage projection |
How FivexL can help
- Review AWS Activate application and give clear feedback before you submit.
- Help getting PoC credits.
- Obtain MAP credits. We have access to the program and can help with onboarding.
- AWS bill surprise: find the cause, stop the spend and fix the root issue.
If this guide was useful, subscribe to our newsletter — we share more practical AWS content like this (short, actionable, and based on real work).