AWS IMAGINE Grant Resources & FAQs

Q: Who is eligible?

• Nonprofit organizations with 501(c) status or equivalent based in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland are eligible to apply. This includes 501(c)3 organizations, as well as nonprofit healthcare providers, credit unions, public utility organizations, and other 501(c)-designated entities. AWS IMAGINE Grant is provided and administered through Amazon Web Service EMEA Sarl for EMEA-based applicants of this program.
• Organizations with annual budgets of any size may apply for this program. AWS welcomes all causes and mission areas to apply, including nonprofit healthcare providers and credit unions. Educational institutions are excluded at this time as they are currently outside of the AWS IMAGINE Grant priority funding areas.

Q: If my country is not listed on the application page, does that mean AWS IMAGINE Grant is not available to me?

We are in the process of expanding the grant program globally, but currently the program is only available to customers headquartered in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland. Please check back soon for updates.

Q: What if my organization is based in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland with qualifying status but serves beneficiaries in other geographies?

Organizations with active 501(c) status or equivalent that are registered in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland but serve beneficiaries outside of these geographies are eligible to apply.

Q: Who is ineligible?

For the U.S. AWS IMAGINE Grant program, we are not accepting applications from education institutions, including primary or secondary schools, and colleges and universities.

For the U.K. and Ireland AWS IMAGINE Grant program, education institutions are eligible and encouraged to apply.

 

Q: Can my organization still apply if I have submitted an AWS IMAGINE Grant in the past?

Yes. Organizations who have applied and not been awarded an AWS IMAGINE Grant are welcome to apply again.


Q: If I have won the AWS IMAGINE Grant in the past, may I reapply?

In general, we recommend that organizations wait a period of one calendar year or one cycle before reapplying to the AWS IMAGINE Grant, with the exception of projects that are clearly and sufficiently different in nature, scope or stage than the previous submission. Winners are welcome to reapply to the same or a different category than their initial award, given that the applications should be clearly and sufficiently different in nature, scope or stage than the previous submission.


Q: Can my organization submit more than one idea within a category? 

No. Each organization may only submit one application per award cycle.

Q: Can I apply for more than one award category?

No. At the time of Round One application, please select which category best fits your organizational goals. 


Q: How many grantees do you award each year?

The number of grantees in each award category varies each year depending on several factors, such as the number and quality of applications, and budget availability. The AWS IMAGINE Grant is one of many resources available to help you achieve your technology goals and we are committed to supporting you as much as possible.

Q: Am I required to be using AWS to apply for the AWS IMAGINE Grant?

No. The use of AWS is not a requirement to apply for an AWS IMAGINE Grant. As the award package includes AWS-specific resources, the AWS IMAGINE Grant is best suited for organizations who do plan to incorporate AWS technology into their project design.  

Q: When and how often are grants awarded?

We accept proposals once annually. Timeline for the 2024-2025 grant cycle is as follows:

• Guidelines and instructions available: March 20, 2024
• Round One applications accepted: May 3 — June 3, 2024
  
• Round One result notifications: by July 17, 2024
• Round Two applications accepted (by invitation only): August 13 — September 13, 2024
• Awards announced and distributed: December 2024
• Grant term begins: January 1, 2025 

Q: Who will evaluate the proposals, and when will I know the outcome of the review?

An internal AWS adjudication panel will review project proposals. We anticipate communicating the results per the application calendar. We will communicate the decision to the proposal contact listed on each submission. We expect the proposal contact to notify their organization about award decisions and administrative requirements. If your proposal contact changes throughout the application process, please communicate that change to us at awsimaginegrant@amazon.com.

Q: Are there any preferred project areas? 

We seek to fund a diverse set of projects that leverage cloud technology for mission impact across the nonprofit sector. All mission and cause areas are welcome, excluding ineligible organizations listed above.  

Q: How do I submit my proposal?

• The 2024 application cycle will open on March 20, at which time Round One application instructions will be available for download. The Round One application portal will open on May 3, which you can access through the AWS IMAGINE Grant main page.
• We will extend Round Two applications by invitation only, based on the evaluation of Round One applications. Organizations who are invited to the Round Two will be provided instructions to submit full proposals for either the Momentum to Modernize, Go Further, Faster, or the Pathfinder award categories. Organizations may only submit one project for the category selected. Full proposal instructions will be provided to Round Two applicants only at the time of notification.

Q: What is the selection criteria?

AWS will judge proposals based on factors that include:

• Innovative and unique nature of the project
• Impact on mission-critical goals
• Clearly defined outcomes
• Succinctly defined milestones
• Detailing and applicability of AWS services within the project scope
• Viability of proposed sustainability plan
• Comprehensiveness of applicant’s proposal and information requested
• Submission of proposal in correct format and within program deadlines
   

Q: What if my project falls somewhere between two categories?

At times, a project may not fit neatly under one category. In these instances, consider where your project fits into your organization or program’s long-term goal and how your organization leverages technology today (check out our report on nonprofit cloud maturity). For example, if your long-term vision is to apply AI/ML to analyze your organization’s data but you are currently building a data lake to enable that long-term goal, Momentum to Modernize is the better category for you.

Q: What if my organization is not ready to apply for the AWS IMAGINE Grant? Are there other AWS resources for nonprofits?

Yes. AWS Nonprofit Credit Program provides access to AWS Promotional Credit, enabling nonprofits to implement cloud-based solutions and meet their mission goals without upfront investment in physical infrastructure.
 

Q: Need help developing your proposal?

AWS has a multitude of self-service resources and training resources. If you need support in defining your project scope or writing this application, fill out this form on the AWS nonprofits page and an AWS representative will reach out within 1-2 business days. Please prepare a high-level project outline so our colleagues can connect you to the right resources.

Q: My organization works with a Managed Services Provider (MSP)/technology partner, are they eligible to apply on our behalf? 

While only registered 501(c) nonprofits (and U.K. & Ireland equivalent) are eligible to apply for the AWS IMAGINE Grant, many winning projects do utilize the support of a MSP/technology partner in implementation. For specific questions, please email us or reach out to your AWS account manager.