AWS Activate Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Q. What is AWS Activate?
AWS Activate provides eligible startups with free tools, resources, and content designed to simplify every step of the startup journey. From the moment you register, members receive benefits including AWS curated expert tips on business and technical needs, trainings and support, and pre-built infrastructure templates. When you are ready, you can apply for AWS Activate credits to offset your AWS bill and build scalable, reliable, secure, and cost-optimized infrastructure. Once approved for AWS Activate credits, you also unlock access to exclusive offers from trusted organizations such as Amazon Business Prime, ZenDesk, Stripe, DataDog, BREX, HubSpot and Chargebee. The discounts, free trial periods, credits, and other startup-friendly perks are all designed to help you grow and succeed.

Q. Who can apply for AWS Activate?
AWS Activate is open to bootstrapped, self-funded, and funded startups up to and including Series A. Startups must have been founded within last 10 years, and have a functioning website or public profile. Unfortunately, Startups building on AWS China Regions are not eligible for AWS Activate. If you are building on AWS China Regions, please apply for the AWS Activate China program here.

Q. Do I need an AWS account to join AWS Activate? What permissions do I need to access the Activate application?
To apply for AWS Activate, you must have an AWS account. Your AWS account also needs to have administrator level permissions to access the Activate application form. If you have an AWS root account (i.e. you log in by an email and password), you will have admin permissions. If you do not have a root account, you can gain administrator level permissions by creating your first IAM Admin User and Group. If you have an account which isn’t active, please contact AWS Customer Support. If you don’t have an account, you can create one for free.

Q. What are the benefits of AWS Activate?
There are several benefits to AWS Activate. As soon as you sign up, you can access your AWS Activate Console, a personalized hub full of resources tailored to your startup needs at every stage of your journey. In the Console, you can access more than 40 infrastructure templates that let you iterate and demonstrate viability as you launch and scale your product, along with AWS expert curated tips for your business and technical needs, and best practices training from Learn on AWS. Once approved for AWS Activate credits, you will also have access to exclusive offers including discount codes and free trials from trusted organizations like HubSpot, ZenDesk and Stripe. Additionally, your AWS Activate Recommendations Feed will be full of personalized tools and content delivered directly to you, meaning every piece of hands-on support, expert guidance, event or training suggestions, and build recommendations will be exactly what your startup needs at its current stage.

When you are past the ideation stage and are ready to deploy or launch your product, you can apply for up to $100,000 in AWS Activate credits.

Q. How do I register for AWS Activate?
You can join AWS Activate by registering here. You must have an AWS account to apply. If you do not have one, begin by creating one for free. Once you have one, follow these steps: 1) Log in to your AWS account. 2) Once logged in, click here to go to the application form 3) Complete the application form and click submit. 4) You will receive a "welcome" email to start using your AWS Activate Console right away!

Q. How do I apply for AWS Activate credits?
When you are ready to utilize AWS Activate credits for your build, click on “Apply for Credits” within your AWS Activate Console or use this direct link. Complete the application form and click submit. In seven to ten business days, you will receive an email informing you if you were approved for credits, and the value of your credits. Your AWS Activate Credits are automatically applied to your AWS account upon receipt of your application approval email. You don't need to take any action. AWS Activate Credits are automatically applied against your monthly bill. If your application for credits is denied, you will still have access to your AWS Activate Console, and can apply for credits again as your startup continues to evolve.

Q. How long does it take to process applications for credits?
AWS Activate credit applications are processed in the order they are received. It usually takes seven to ten business days for your application to be processed. Unfortunately, we are unable to expedite application processing. Our team is working as fast as we can to process applications.

Q. What is an Organization ID (Org ID)?
Each AWS Activate Provider (venture capital firm, accelerator, incubator, or other startup-enabling organization) has a unique identifier called an Org ID. An Org ID is confidential and should not be shared - it is not a promotional code. To apply for Activate Portfolio, you must enter the Org ID given to you by your AWS Activate Provider into the AWS Activate Portfolio application form. If you are associated with an AWS Activate Provider, but you do not have their Org ID, please reach out to your AWS Activate Provider to request their Org ID. A list of featured AWS Activate Providers can be found here. If you are not associated with an AWS Activate Provider, you may be eligible to apply for AWS Activate Founders.

Q. I have received AWS credits from AWS EdStart or other AWS credit program. Does this make me ineligible for AWS Activate?
No. AWS credits issued by Activate are not impacted by previous AWS credits you may have received through other programs including AWS EdStart.

Q. I’m associated with more than one AWS Activate Provider. Can I apply for AWS Activate credits more than once?
Yes. You can apply for AWS Activate Portfolio more than once as long as each application is for a greater amount of AWS Activate credits than your previous approved application and you haven’t received the maximum lifetime value of $100,000 in AWS Activate credits not including AWS Support plan credits.

Q. How many times can I benefit from a specific AWS Activate Provider’s offer?
You can only benefit from an AWS Activate Provider's specific offer once. If your Activate Provider has two offers, you may apply for the second offer as long as it’s for a greater amount of AWS Activate credits than your previous approved application and you haven’t received the maximum lifetime value of $100,000 in AWS Activate credits not including AWS Support plan credits.

Q. My startup has received AWS credits previously from AWS Activate Portfolio. Am I eligible to apply again?
You can apply for AWS Activate credits again as long as your application is 1) for a greater amount of AWS Activate credits than your previous approved application; 2) you haven’t received the maximum lifetime value of $100,000 in AWS Activate credits not including AWS Support plan credits; 3) you have a valid Org ID and 4) you still meet the criteria of the Activate credits program.

Q. Can I submit more than one application at the same time?
No. You can only submit one application at any one time. If you submit two AWS Activate credit applications at the same time, for different credit offers, the application with the smaller credit amount will be automatically rejected.

Q. I am a founder of two startups. One of my startups is in enrolled in AWS Activate. Can I apply again for my second startup?
Yes. Please note - each startup must have its own AWS account. If you apply from the same AWS account, even though the second startup is a separate entity, your application will be declined.

Q. Where can I find the full list of AWS Activate Providers?
The AWS Activate team is unable to disclose the full list of AWS Activate Providers at this time. The list of featured AWS Activate Providers can be found here. Please contact Activate support if you need help determining if you are associated with an Activate Provider.

Q. I have received AWS credits from AWS Activate, but I need more AWS credits. How do I apply for more?
If you received AWS Activate credits and you have not received the maximum lifetime credit amount of $100,000 AWS Activate credits, you must be associated with an AWS Activate Provider that offers a larger AWS Activate credit award than the one you have already received.

AWS Credits

Q. What can I use AWS Activate credits for?
AWS is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform, offering over 200 fully featured services from data centers globally. You can use your AWS Activate credits for AWS services and support from infrastructure technologies like compute, storage, and databases–to emerging technologies, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, data lakes and analytics, and Internet of Things. For a comprehensive list of eligible services, please review the lowermost section of the credits page here after receiving your AWS Activate credit approval email.

Q. What’s not covered by AWS Activate credits?
AWS Activate credits cannot be applied to any fees or charges for Amazon Mechanical Turk, Ineligible AWS Support, AWS Marketplace, Amazon Route 53 domain name registration or transfer, any Services for mining for cryptocurrency, or any upfront fee for any Services such as Savings Plans and Reserved Instances (collectively, “Ineligible Services”). Any other service not listed in the AWS Billing and Cost Management Console is not covered by AWS Activate credits.

Q. How do I use my AWS Activate credits?
No action is required from you to activate your AWS Activate credits. AWS Activate credits offset eligible AWS Services fees and charges incurred during or following the billing cycle in which you receive the credits. You can view, track, and monitor your AWS Activate credits in the AWS Activate Console and the AWS Billing and Cost Management Console.

Q. How are my AWS Activate credits applied to Reserved Instances or Saving Plans?
AWS Activate credits are applied to Reserved Instances and Saving Plans the same way as other AWS Services. Upfront fees for Reserved Instances and Savings Plans are not covered by AWS Activate credits.

Q. Where can I find details about my AWS Activate credits including credit usage and their expiration date?
You can find details about your AWS Activate credits including the exact credit amount, their expiration date, remaining balance, and the applicable AWS services on the lowermost section of the credits page on the AWS Billing and Cost Management Console and the credits section of the AWS Activate Console. AWS Activate also informs startups when their credits are going to expire or exhaust via email - 1) credits are expiring (60 days prior expiration, 30 days prior expiration, expired) and 2) Account credits are exhausting (75% credits exhausted, 100% exhausted).

Q. How are my AWS Activate credits applied against my bill? Can I use them to cover historical AWS bills?
AWS Activate credits in your AWS account are applied only to offset eligible AWS Services fees and charges incurred during or following the billing cycle in which you receive the credits. AWS Activate credits cannot be used to offset or cover historical AWS bills. For example, if your AWS Activate credits are issued in your AWS account in the month of May, your AWS Activate credits will not count against your AWS bills from April or previous months.

Q. Why did I receive a different amount of AWS Activate credits than what I applied for?
If your startup has previously received AWS credits from AWS Activate, and you are applying for additional credits which is a larger amount than what you have received thus far, you will receive the difference between the two AWS Activate credit awards. For example, if you received $5,000 USD in AWS Activate credits, and you subsequently applied for $25,000 USD in AWS Activate credits, you will receive $20,000 USD in AWS Activate credits. If you are applying for a smaller amount of AWS Activate credits than what you have already received, or if you have already reached the maximum lifetime value of AWS Activate credits of $100,000 USD, your application will be declined.

Q. How long are AWS Activate credits valid?
AWS Activate credit awards are valid for one or two years from the date your AWS Activate credits are issued. To view your AWS Activate credits’ expiration date, please visit the credits page of the AWS Billing and Cost Management Console or log into the AWS Activate Console.

Q. My AWS Activate credits were used by mistake. Can I get more credits?
Unfortunately, the AWS Activate team is unable to apply more AWS Activate credits to your account.

Q. Can I transfer or sell my AWS Activate credits?
No. AWS Activate credits cannot be transferred into another AWS account. You may not sell, license, rent, or transfer AWS Activate credits. If you violate this policy, your AWS Activate credits will be revoked. For more information, please refer to the AWS Activate Terms & Conditions.

Q. Can I share my AWS Activate credits with associated accounts? How are AWS Activate credits shared among parent and child accounts?
If you have enabled credit sharing in the AWS Billing and Cost Management Console, your AWS Activate credits may be used by the parent account as well as any associated child accounts. If you wish to activate or deactivate credit sharing across your accounts, please follow the instructions here. Please note: The credit will apply to the account effective immediately when the credit sharing is enabled in the same month.

Q. I have seen AWS Activate advertising up to $100,000 USD in AWS credits, but my AWS Activate Provider is only advertising $5,000 USD. How do I become eligible for the $100,000 USD in AWS credits?
Each AWS Activate Provider offers a different and in some cases, multiple AWS credit awards. In order to receive a larger amount of AWS AWS Activate, you must be associated with an AWS Activate provider that offers a larger AWS credit award.

Q. I have received multiple AWS Activate credit offers that vary in credit amounts from the same AWS Activate Provider e.g. $5,000 USD, $25,000 USD, and $100,000 USD. If I accept one, will that make me ineligible for the others?
You can apply for AWS Activate Portfolio more than once as long as each application is 1) for a greater amount of AWS Activate credits than your previous approved application, 2) you haven’t received the maximum lifetime value of $100,000 in AWS Activate credits 3) you still meet the program criteria and 4) have a valid Org ID. For example, if you apply for and receive $100,000 USD in AWS Activate credits, you are ineligible for additional AWS Activate credit awards through Activate. If you apply for and receive $5,000 USD in AWS Activate credits, you can apply for $25,000 USD in AWS Activate credits as long as you are still affiliated with the Activate Provider at time of application. If approved you will receive $20,000 USD in AWS Activate credits bringing you up to $25,000 USD in AWS Activate credits.

Q. I am associated with an Activate Provider that offers $100,000 in AWS Activate credits. When applying I selected the $25,000 in AWS Activate credits option over the $100,000 option. Can I apply again for the same offer, but this time pick the $100,000 in AWS Activate credits so I can be topped up to $100,000?
You are only able to apply for and redeem an Activate Providers’ offer (same Org ID) once. You may apply for a different offer (different Org ID) from the same or different Activate Provider as long as the credit amount is greater than the one previously received.

Q. My credits are about to expire. Can you extend the expiration date of my AWS Activate credits?
The AWS Activate team is unable to extend the expiration date of AWS Activate credits, even if there are remaining credits left unused.

Q. Can my AWS Activate credits be refunded or re-issued?
AWS Activate credits cannot be refunded or re-issued into your AWS Account, even if your AWS Activate credits were incorrectly used or accidentally consumed.

AWS Support

Effective April 11, 2023, approved AWS Activate Credit applications will receive a single Activate Credit offer that can be applied towards eligible Services or Support. AWS Activate Credits are eligible to be applied to cover AWS Developer and AWS Business Support Plans. For more information on AWS Support Plans, click here.

For customers who have received AWS Support credits prior to April 11, 2023, you will continue to have access to such credits until exhaustion or expiration (whichever comes first). If you exhaust your AWS Support credits and you don’t wish to continue with your AWS Support Plan, you must downgrade to AWS Basic Support to avoid incurring any charges. The instructions to downgrade to AWS Basic Support can be found here.

Q. How do I access and enroll AWS Support?
Get technical help when you need it most with AWS Support. Here are the steps to enroll in AWS Support where your AWS Activate credits may be applied to your support plan charges:

1. Ensure you have a valid credit card associated with your AWS account.
2. Review AWS Developer Support Plan and AWS Business Support Plan on the AWS Support Plan page to determine which support plan fits your needs.
3. Enroll into either AWS Developer Support Plan or AWS Business Support Plan. Available AWS Activate Credits may be applied to offset your support plan charges.
4. Receive technical support from AWS by opening a case.

Q. I received AWS Activate credits as part of my AWS Activate Founders or Portfolio benefits. Do I need to subscribe to the AWS Developer or AWS Business Support plan to use them?
Yes, you will need to enroll in AWS Developer or AWS Business Support. Here are the steps to enroll in AWS Support where your AWS Activate credits may be applied to your support plan charges:

1. Ensure you have a valid credit card associated with your AWS account.
2. Review AWS Developer Support Plan and AWS Business Support Plan on the AWS Support Plan page to determine which support plan fits your needs.
3. Enroll into either AWS Developer Support Plan or AWS Business Support Plan.
Available AWS Activate Credits may be applied to offset your support plan charges.
4. Receive technical support from AWS by opening a case.

Q. How do I open a support case using AWS Support?
Your AWS Activate credits are automatically added to your AWS account. Once enrolled in an AWS Support Plan, sign into the AWS Support Center to open a case. If your AWS Support credits have expired or been consumed, you will be unable to open a support case using your available AWS Activate Credits. For more information on AWS Support, click here.

Q. How does billing for AWS Support plans work?
AWS Support is billed once a month and is equal to a percentage of your total AWS Service charges for the corresponding month. During your first month, your AWS Service charges will be prorated based upon the date of enrollment into AWS Support Plans. Your AWS Activate credits may offset your bill until your AWS Activate credits expire or have been consumed (whichever comes first). To learn more, click here.

Q. I have received AWS Activate credits as part of my AWS Activate Founders or Portfolio benefits. What happens if I already have an AWS Support plan?
If you are already enrolled into one of the AWS Support Plans (Developer or Business Support Plans), available AWS Activate credits will be applied to your AWS Support charges.

Q. Can I use my AWS Activate credits to cover AWS Enterprise or Reseller support plans or AWS Service bills?
No. AWS Activate credits only cover AWS Developer or AWS Business Support Plans when enrolled. To learn more on AWS Support Plans, click here.

Q. Can I get more AWS Activate credits to use for support?
The AWS Activate team is unable to apply more AWS Activate credits to your account for support. See AWS Credits FAQ for more information on AWS Activate credits. 

AWS Activate Provider

Q. What is an AWS Activate Provider?
An AWS Activate Provider is a venture capital firm, angel investor, accelerator, incubator, or other startup-enabling organization that has partnered with AWS Activate to provide Activate benefits to their affiliated startups.

Q. How do I update my contact information or find out more information about my AWS Activate benefits?
Please reach out to your AWS representative.

AWS Activate Console

Q. What is the Activate Console?
The AWS Activate Console is your own personalized hub full of tools, resources and content tailored to your startup needs. Designed to support you through every stage of your startup journey, from ideating to building and beyond, it’s a one-stop-shop that delivers the personalized solutions you need to quickly get started on AWS and grow your business. The AWS Activate Console makes it easy to track and monitor your AWS Activate credits and costs, deploy proven architectures, take advantage of exclusive offers, and get real-time updates on the health of your AWS environment. By matching AWS content with your Activate profile, interests and usage of AWS, it also provides personalized recommendations on a wide range of topics.

Q. Who can access the AWS Activate Console? Do I need to do anything to get access?
AWS Activate Console is open to all Activate members. To access the AWS Activate Console, log into the AWS Console, and select "Activate for Startups" under Customer Enablement on the service menu. You can also navigate to the AWS Activate Console by visiting the AWS Activate website and clicking on “Log into the AWS Activate Console.” If you are unable to log in, confirm that your account has the AWS Activate Console IAM permission (activate:*) attached. This will enable you to view the AWS Activate Console home page. To learn how to attach a policy to an IAM user, see Working with Policies.

Q. Is the AWS Activate Console available globally?
Yes, the AWS Activate Console is available globally except mainland China.

Q. What languages are supported?
The AWS Activate Console is available in all AWS supported languages.

Q. What type of resources can I expect to find in the AWS Activate Console?
There are various business and technical resources, including:
    •    Build on AWS templates that make it faster and easier to build on AWS.
    •    Personalized recommendation feed that recommends relevant AWS services, content, training resources, startup programs, customer acquisition opportunities, and more.
    •    Exclusive offers and discounts to help grow your business, available to startups that are approved for credits.*
    •    A cost and credit summary to view, and track your AWS Activate credits including expiry dates.
*Only available to Activate members that have received AWS Activate credits.

Q. How can I make the AWS Activate Console more personalized to my needs?
Please update your Activate profile. The AWS Activate Console matches content to you based on your AWS profile, your interests, and your usage of AWS, so keeping your account active and up-to-date will ensure we are delivering the content most relevant to you.

Q. My credits have expired, but I was previously an active AWS Activate Portfolio member. Can I access the AWS Activate Console?
Yes. All former Activate members can access the AWS Activate Console. Please click here to log in.

Q. Do I need an AWS account to view the AWS Activate Console?
Yes, the AWS Activate Console is located within the AWS Management Console. Please use the AWS account associated with AWS Activate. If you have an AWS account but it isn’t active, contact AWS Customer Support.

Q. Can I invite other startups I know to the Activate Console?
The AWS Activate Console is currently open to current and former Activate members. Please encourage other startups to apply for AWS Activate so they can access their own, customized AWS Activate Consoles.

Q. I am an Activate Provider, can I use the AWS Activate Console?
The AWS Activate Console is only open to Activate members, both current and former.

Q. Can my team members also access the AWS Activate Console?
Yes. In order for other users to have access to the AWS Activate Console, they will need to 1) create an IAM user or use an existing IAM user account associated with your AWS account. For more information, see Creating an IAM User in the IAM user guide, and 2) grant the IAM user access to AWS Activate with the AWS Activate Console IAM permission (activate:*) attached. To learn how to attach a policy to an IAM user, see Working with Policies.

Q. Are there specific IAM user roles I need to enable to access all resources on the Activate Console?
Yes. Access to the AWS Activate Console is limited to accounts with the AWS Activate Console IAM permission (activate:*) attached. Additional permissions are required to utilize all resources within the AWS Activate Console (Trusted Advisor, Cost Explorer, etc). You will need to grant the IAM user these additional policy permissions to view the other benefits within the AWS Activate Console: Cost data (ce:GetCostAndUsage), Trusted Advisor checks (support:*) and Personal Health Dashboard notifications (health:*). To learn how to attach a policy to an IAM user, see Working with Policies.

Q. I’d like to complete the getting started tips on the AWS Activate Console but lack the visibility necessary. How can I see whether Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and budget alerts have been set-up on my startup’s root account?
In order to determine if MFA and budget alerts is enabled, your account’s AWS Admin must attach the correct permissions to your role. Please contact your AWS Account Admin to permit the following API’s on your IAM user: “iam:GetAccountSummary” , “budgets:Describe*”

Q. Are AWS Activate Console events logged to AWS CloudTrail?
Yes. The AWS Activate Console logs the following actions to AWS CloudTrail as events - CreateForm, GetAccountContanct, GetContentInfo, GetCosts, GetCredits, GetMemberInfo, Get Program and PutMemberInfo.

AWS Activate Console events originate from the following endpoint: activate.amazonaws.com. For more information about how to view events in AWS CloudTrail, see Viewing events with CloudTrail event history and the Creating a trail for your AWS Account in the AWS CloudTrail user guide.

Q. How do I redeem an AWS Activate Exclusive offer?
AWS partners with trusted organizations to bring Activate members exclusive offers that benefit your startup. Log into the AWS Activate Console and navigate to the Exclusive Offer tab where you can view all offers. Click on the offer you want to redeem and follow the instructions. The promo code for exclusive offers can be found in the url when being redirected to the exclusive offer landing page - it appears after the A3POPC label in the url. Please note that Exclusive offers are only available to startups that have been approved for AWS Activate credits.

Q. I am interested in providing my service as an AWS Activate Exclusive Offer for startups. How do I sign up?
If you are interested in becoming an AWS Activate Exclusive Offer Provider, please submit your inquiry (aws-activate-offers@amazon.com) and a member of AWS Activate team will get back to you within five business days.

Build on AWS

Q. What is Build on AWS, and why should I use it?
Build on AWS templates enable you to quickly deploy proven architectures catered to your business and use cases. Every solution template is built by AWS experts from our Solution Architect and Product teams leveraging AWS best practices. With hundreds of deployments, every template is tested and ready for your production traffic. When you are ready to deploy, you can do it in just 60 minutes. To access Build on AWS, please log into the AWS Activate Console and navigate to the Build on AWS tab.

Q. How does Build on AWS work with AWS Services?
Build on AWS works by aggregating the commonly used configurations across AWS so as to make it easy for early-stage startups to deploy their infrastructure. The templates are comprised of AWS Services and the respective application architectures.

Q. What if I need help deploying a template?
We recommended AWS Support and AWS IQ. AWS Support provides a mix of tools and technology, people, and programs designed to proactively help you optimize performance, lower costs, and innovate faster. With AWS IQ, you can search for experts in specific areas to hire for a project.

Q. How much does it cost to deploy a Build on AWS template?
You can estimate the cost of deploying a template by inputting the services shown into the AWS Pricing Calculator. We highly recommend setting up a budget in the AWS Billing Console with corresponding alerts.

Q. Will my AWS Activate credits cover the bills from Services deployed through Build on AWS templates?
AWS Activate credits are applied to your AWS bill to help cover costs associated with eligible AWS Services. Before deploying a template, you will be able to see which AWS services it will use. For more information about eligible services, visit Redeem Your AWS Promotional Credit. Prior to any deployment we highly recommend setting up MFA and budget alerts.

Q. What if I need a template that isn’t offered? How can I provide feedback?
If you’re not seeing a template you need, please let us know through the request template widget on the Build on AWS page within the AWS Activate Console. You can also provide general feedback. Please include as many details as possible and whether you would like to be contacted (and if so, the best email to reach you at).

Troubleshooting

Q. I have questions about my AWS billing and account. Where can I find answers?
For billing or account inquiries, please click here to sign in and submit your billing or account request.

Q. I applied for AWS credits through AWS Activate. However, they aren't showing up in my account. What could be causing this?
If you received an email notifying you that you were approved for credits, your AWS Activate credits can be found in the credits section of the AWS Activate Console and your AWS Billing and Cost Management Console. If you have not heard from AWS Activate following your credit application, your application is still being processed. Please check your emails including your junk folder for emails from the AWS Activate team. Please note - your credits will disappear from the AWS Billing and Cost Management Console once consumed or expired and will show as $0 USD in the AWS Activate Console.

Q. Why wasn’t my credits application approved?
There are many reasons why your application may not have been approved. The most common reason is that your application didn’t meet the application criteria. This includes, but is not limited to 1) reached AWS Activate lifetime credit award of $100,000 in AWS Activate credits; 2) applied using a different email address to the one used to set up your AWS account; 3) no fully functioning website or public profile (please Contact Activate if you have alternative proof of your startup); 4) duplicate application, 5) Org ID was not valid; 6) founded date is greater than 10 years; 7) inconsistent business information; 8) your new credit offer amount is the same or less than your previous credit offer; 9) your application was for the same credit offer you already received (you can only benefit from an AWS Activate Provider’s credit offer one time only), and 10) funding round is private equity or beyond Series A. Please refer to your application status notification email for more information.

Q. My credits application was declined because AWS Activate was unable to confirm my association with my AWS Activate Provider. What should I do?
Please contact your AWS Activate Provider and ask them to verify your association by responding to the Activate verification email. If your AWS Activate Provider is unable to find the email, please ask them reach out to their AWS representative.

Q. I am a current AWS Activate Provider, Activate Exclusive Offer Provider or AWS member. Can I use the AWS Activate logo on my website?
Yes. To feature the AWS Activate logo on your website or marketing collateral, please review and strictly adhere to the Activate logo guidelines, which can be found here. The AWS Activate logo is also available for download from this page. If you would like to feature AWS Activate in a press release, you must first receive written approval from AWS. Please email startups-marketing-activate@amazon.com with a copy of the press release and include details on timing, where it will be published, if you are working with a PR agency and any additional pertinent information. A member of the AWS Activate team will get back to you within five business days.

Q. I tried to apply for AWS Activate, but received a technical error. What should I do?
We recommended going through the steps below which will help resolve most issues. If you continue to experience technical issues, please allow 24 hours before applying again or contact Activate to submit a screenshot of the error message if the error persists.

1) Please ensure your AWS account is not suspended. If you need assistance with your AWS account, contact AWS Customer Support; 2) if you recently created a new AWS account, ensure your AWS account is fully activated with payment information entered. If you need assistance with your AWS account, contact AWS Customer Support; 3) if you have a China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan AWS account, please apply for the AWS Activate China program here; 4) sign out of your AWS account and clear your browser cache and cookies; 5) use a different web browser and ensure your web browser is updated to the latest version; and 6) sign into AWS with your root account credentials to apply. If you don’t have access to the root account and you use IAM user credentials to sign in to AWS, you must have administrator permissions to apply for Activate (the administrator IAM policy must be attached to your IAM user entity). Instructions can be found here.

Q. What is the status of my application for credits?
We are unable to provide updates on the status of your application. Please refer to the status email sent to the primary applicant email used in your application. On occasion, application processing can take longer than normal, but rest assured, we are working through all of the applications as quick as we can. When your application has been processed, you will receive an email from AWS Activate.

Q. I have a China or Hong Kong AWS account but I am unable to apply for AWS Activate. Can you apply AWS Activate credits into my AWS account?
Unfortunately, we are unable to apply AWS Activate credits to your account. AWS startup customers in AWS China Regions should apply for the AWS Activate China program here.

Q. My AWS account is suspended. How do I apply for AWS Activate?
An active AWS account is required before applying for AWS Activate. To reactivate your suspended account, please follow the instructions listed here. For further assistance, please reach out to AWS Customer Support.

Q. I accidentally submitted the wrong AWS Activate application, or entered the wrong information in my application e.g., wrong AWS Account ID, or email address. How do I update or cancel my application?
The Activate team is unable to change or update your credits application after it has been submitted. Contact Activate to cancel your application and then complete a new application with the correct information.

Q. Why are my AWS Activate credits not covering my outstanding AWS bills?
Your AWS Activate credits may not apply to your AWS bills in the following circumstances: 1) you have fully consumed all of your AWS Activate credits. To check your credit balance, please log into the AWS Activate Console; 2) AWS Activate credits do not cover any fees or charges for Amazon Mechanical Turk, Ineligible AWS Support, AWS Marketplace, Amazon Route 53 domain name registration or transfer, any Services for mining for cryptocurrency, or any upfront fee for any Services such as Savings Plans and Reserved Instances (collectively, “Ineligible Services”); and 3) AWS Activate credits cannot be used to offset or cover historical AWS bills. AWS Activate credits are applied only to offset eligible AWS Services fees and charges incurred during or following the billing cycle in which you receive the credits.

Q: If I do not meet the criteria for AWS Activate, are there other programs at AWS that I may be eligible for?
Please contact your AWS BD or representative to discuss your eligibility. If your startup is beyond Series A funding and/or older than ten years old, we recommend the AWS Free Tier.

Q: Can I claim a portion of my AWS Activate credits now, and receive the rest at a later time?
No. The amount of AWS Activate credits you receive cannot be split or extended.

Q. I have reviewed the Activate FAQ and Activate website, but cannot find the answer to my question. Who should I contact?
We are here to help and answer any questions you might have. Contact Activate and submit your question along with your contact details. If your inquiry is unrelated to AWS Activate or if you need general AWS support, please reach out to AWS Customer Support.