How much AWS funding can a partner file for a startup?

IWho files AWS funding for a startup, and how much is it?

AWS funding for startups comes from two places. You apply for Activate credits yourself. A vetted AWS partner files MAP, POC or IW funding for real work. Partner routes come first in the table, because for startups without a VC they are the larger route.

The partner-filed amount comes from CloudRoute's partner records: $50K to $150K for startups. Depends on the workload; AWS approves. AWS does not publish startup-sized amounts for MAP, POC or IW, so be careful with any exact figure you see online.

The Activate amounts are from AWS's Activate credits page, checked on October 10, 2026. AWS decides every application, whoever files it.

IIHow much AWS funding can a partner file for a startup?

For startups, partner-filed funding is usually $50K to $150K. Depends on the workload; AWS approves. A partner cannot promise an amount before AWS decides.

The amount follows the work, not your funding stage: the project, the AWS services it uses and how much new AWS usage it brings. The partner files a request for that project, and AWS sets what it approves.

Compare the partner range with Activate Founders, the tier AWS offers self-funded startups: $1,000 to start, and AWS says select startups can get up to $5,000. For a startup with no investor behind it and a real project ahead, partner-filed funding is usually the larger route.

Partner funding programs reach about $1M, but that tier is for enterprises such as banks, hospitals and municipalities, not startups. If someone promises your startup a fixed six-figure amount before anyone has looked at the work, ask where the number comes from.

Partner funding is tied to a project the partner works on. AWS's partner funding page says funds are available for partner-led opportunities to "explore proof of concepts, and accelerate migration projects". For MAP, it says partners receive cash or AWS promotional credits.

IIIWhich partner route fits your startup: MAP, POC or IW?

Each route matches a situation. Your matched partner checks which one fits your work. If none fits, the partner tells you, and you still have Activate.

IVWhy can't a partner file AWS Activate for you?

Because AWS built Activate for founders to apply to directly. Founders, Portfolio and the AI Startups tier all start with you, not with a consulting partner.

• AWS Activate Founders: $1,000 to start, up to $5,000. Apply yourself at aws.amazon.com/startups/credits. No investor, accelerator or partner needed.
• AWS Activate Portfolio: up to $200,000. Apply yourself with the Org ID (or an invite) from your AWS Activate Provider. Apply within 12 months of your latest funding date. A consulting partner cannot file it.
• AWS Credits for AI Startups: $200,000 or more. Invite only. Talk with your AWS account manager. There is no open application.

AWS lists the Activate rules on its credits page: pre-Series B, founded in the last 10 years, with an AWS account on a paid plan. You must be new to Activate credits or ask for more than you got before. AWS says Activate applicants hear back within 5 to 10 business days.

Some Activate Providers offer more than one package. AWS's own example is $25K for pre-seed startups and $100K for seed-stage startups. So a "$100K in AWS credits" offer from an investor or a startup platform is usually this kind of package. You apply with the provider's Org ID, and AWS decides.

AWS says thousands of VC firms, accelerators and startup organizations are Activate Providers, and it names Andreessen Horowitz, Brex, Carta, Greylock Partners, Sequoia and Y Combinator as examples. If you work with one of them, ask whether it can give you an Org ID.

VCan a startup use Activate credits and partner-filed funding?

They are separate programs with separate owners. You apply for Activate. Your partner files MAP, POC or IW funding for a project. AWS decides each one on its own.

Activate credits apply to your AWS account. AWS's Activate FAQ says they offset eligible AWS charges automatically each month, cannot be pointed at one service, and do not cover past bills. AWS says Activate credits usually expire within 1 to 2 years, depending on the package.

Partner-filed funding belongs to a project. The partner scopes the migration, test or new workload, files for it, and works on it with you. Tell your partner which credits you already hold, so the request is accurate. Whether both can apply to the same costs is AWS's call.

One rule applies to all AWS promotional credits. AWS promotional credits do not pay Savings Plans or Reserved Instance upfront fees. See the AWS Promotional Credit Terms.

VIWhat does a partner need from you before it files?

Less than you might think. The partner writes the request. You give it the facts about your work.

• What you run today: Your current cloud or hosting, your main services and your monthly bill. If you are on AWS, the Billing console shows it.
• What you want to do: The migration, the test or the new feature, customer or contract, in a few plain sentences.
• The AWS services it needs: Compute, databases, storage, or AI services such as Amazon Bedrock. A rough list is enough to start.
• Expected AWS usage: A monthly estimate for the new work. AWS Cost Explorer forecasts spend up to 18 months ahead (monthly view). (AWS docs)
• Who builds it, and when: Whether your team, the partner or both will do the work, and when you want to start.

VIIWhen do you not need a partner?

Often. Here is the honest list.

• An Activate Provider backs you: Ask your VC, accelerator or angel group for its Org ID and apply for Activate Portfolio yourself at aws.amazon.com/startups/credits. It is up to $200,000. You need no one in between.
• You are self-funded and have no project yet: Apply for Activate Founders yourself. It is $1,000 to start, up to $5,000. AWS says you hear back within 5 to 10 business days.
• You want to plan a migration on your own: AWS Startups has a migration planner on the web and in IDEs. It maps services, estimates costs and checks credit eligibility (AWS Startups migrate page). You can run the move with its AI agent, ask an AWS expert, or ask AWS to connect you with a partner.
• Your AWS use is small and steady: If there is no migration, test or new workload, there is nothing for a partner to file. Activate is the route that fits.

If none of these fit, and you have real work coming on AWS, a partner is worth one conversation. Being matched costs you nothing.

VIIIWhat does CloudRoute do, and who pays it?

CloudRoute is a free referral service. We match your startup with one vetted AWS consulting partner that can file the funding your work may qualify for. Partners pay CloudRoute; startups pay nothing. CloudRoute is not part of AWS and does not decide applications.

Since January 2026, the CloudRoute team has helped startups secure $5M+ in AWS credits and funding, and has routed 40+ qualified applications to AWS partners.