Everything You Need to Know About AWS Activate Credits

Since day one, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has prioritized startups. Our flagship startup program, AWS Activate, provides the fuel for startups looking to supercharge their growth—and the AWS Credits available are just part of this ongoing commitment. More than 280,000 startups have joined AWS Activate to accelerate their journeys from seed to success, and a new startup joins AWS Activate every 10 minutes.  Read on to answer your most frequently asked questions about AWS credits available through AWS Activate.

About AWS Credits

What are AWS Credits for?
AWS Credits help your team experiment in the AWS Cloud with little to no upfront costs. They can be applied to your account to offset charges from the use of eligible 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.

But first, have you heard of AWS Free Tier?
The AWS Free Tier provides customers the ability to explore and try out AWS services free of charge up to specified limits for each service. The Free Tier is comprised of three different types of offerings, 12 months free, always free, and short-term free trials. Before applying for, or using AWS credits, check out AWS Free Tier offers.

The AWS Activate advantage

Why should you join AWS Activate?
Since its creation in 2013, AWS Activate has provided over $6 billion in AWS Credits to startups all over the world, and since 2020, has provided nearly $1 billion in credits each year. Today, generative AI is turning the tech industry on its head, and startups like yours are driving this innovation. For this reason, AWS Activate credits can now be used for third-party models on Amazon Bedrock (the easiest way to build and scale generative AI applications with foundation models), from leading AI companies like AI21 Labs, Anthropic, Cohere, Meta, Mistral AI, and more—making it easier to evaluate which foundation models are the perfect match for your use case.

Plus, AWS Activate credits can also be used towards eligible AWS Developer and AWS Business Support Plans. Find out more about AWS Support Plans.

What other benefits are available once I’m approved for AWS Activate Credits?
Access to AWS credits is just one of the benefits of the AWS Activate program. Just by signing up for your free AWS Activate membership, you get one-click access to startup-specific events, curated resources, plus cloud templates and integration guides curated by AWS experts to tackle the most common industry- and product-specific use cases. 

The AWS Startups team behind AWS Activate is made up of founders, builders, and visionaries who not only understand the challenges of running startups but have lived it, and have the experience to support others throughout the journey.

Once approved for credits, you’ll unlock access to the AWS Startup Showcase, a directory designed to help you amplify your business by debuting your solution, finding your peers, and catching the eye of investors.

Plus, you can take advantage of incredible savings through the AWS Activate global network of relationships with software providers. You can also get free trials and discounted subscriptions through providers like Slack, Asana, Auth0, and more.

You can read more on the benefits of AWS Activate beyond Credits here.

Factoring credits into your business plan

When should I apply?
Whether you are an early-stage startup, bootstrapped, self-funded, or funded pre-series B startup, AWS offers credit packages to support your changing needs. When it is time to apply, you’ll select from either the Founders or Portfolio package. If you select Portfolio, you will need to reach out to your Activate Provider. Your Provider will give you their unique Organization ID—a unique numeric code used to identify Activate Providers. You’ll enter this code in the application process to confirm your startup’s affiliation with that Provider in order to be approved.

Please pay close attention to credit package timelines and expiration dates. Once accepted, credits are automatically deposited into your AWS Account, and once deposited, the clock will start. We advise you to talk to your team, advisors, and investors to determine when your usage is ramping up.

How many Credits can I get?
The credits volume varies, but the current maximum AWS Activate credits allowance for most startups is $100,000 USD. Credit eligibility is related to your stage, funding timeframe, and affiliation with an Activate Provider. Activate Providers are thousands of accelerators, angel investors, venture capital firms, and startup enabling organizations around the world with which AWS has a relationship. Please contact Activate support if you have additional questions about Activate Providers.

Founders

If your startup is not yet associated with an Activate Provider, you may be eligible for up to $1,000 USD in AWS Credits* if your company meets the following criteria:

• Have an active AWS account
• New to AWS Activate Credits
  
• Self-funded or funded pre-series B
  
• Have a fully-functioning company website
  
• Founded in the past 10 years
  

Portfolio

If your startup is associated with an Activate Provider you may be eligible for up to $100,000 USD in AWS Credits if your company meets the following criteria:

• Associated with an Activate Provider and have their Organizational ID
• Have not previously received AWS Activate credits of equal or greater value
  
• Self-funded or pre-Series B (most recent funding round must be within the last 12 months, if applicable)
  
• Have a fully-functioning company website
  
• Founded in the past 10 years
  

When will I get them?
AWS Activate Credit applications are processed in the order they are received. Seven to ten business days after applying, you will receive an email telling you if you have been approved, and the value of your Credits offer. Once approved, you don't need to do anything, your credits will be automatically applied to your account, and will offset your monthly bill on eligible AWS services as described in the AWS Promotional Credit Terms & Conditions and the AWS Activate Terms & Conditions. For questions, reach out to your AWS account team or contact Activate support.

What’s not covered by AWS Activate Credits?
Currently, credits cannot be applied to fees or charges for certain AWS services. Please see the frequently asked questions on this page for a full list. 

For information regarding eligible and ineligible services, please visit the AWS Promotional Credit Terms & Conditions and the AWS Activate Terms & Conditions. Any other service not listed in the AWS Billing and Cost Management Console is not covered by Credits.

Apply now

Once you are an AWS Activate member, you can apply for AWS Activate Credits by clicking here. If you need further help with your application, check out this step-by-step guide.  For even more answers about credits, please see the frequently asked questions about AWS Activate Credits here.

*All AWS credits are subject to the AWS Promotional Credit Terms & Conditions.