What is AWS MAP funding?
Summary
AWS MAP stands for Migration Acceleration Program. It is AWS's primary funding program for companies moving workloads from on-premises infrastructure or another cloud provider to AWS. The program is structured around three phases: Assess, Mobilize, and Migrate and Modernize. Funding is available at each stage with credits being applied directly to your AWS bill and partner cash funding the engineering work. You cannot access MAP funding without a qualified AWS partner involved. Tech 42 is an AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner and helps customers determine eligibility, scope migrations, and submit MAP funding requests.
AWS MAP is built around a core idea: the upfront cost of migrating to AWS should not be the reason a well-suited migration does not happen. The program offsets those costs through a combination of AWS service credits and partner funding, applied across a structured engagement.
How the three phases work
The program runs in three phases. Each one has a specific scope, and funding is tied to what gets done in each phase.
Assess is the readiness phase. You evaluate your current environment, identify capability gaps, and build a total cost of ownership model that projects what AWS spend will look like post-migration. AWS funds this phase to make the evaluation accessible before any commitment to migrate.
Mobilize covers migration planning, landing zone configuration, and team preparation. It closes the gaps identified during assessment and produces a detailed migration plan. Funding here is intended to cover the engineering work required to get ready to move.
Migrate and Modernize is where workloads actually move. AWS service credits are applied to your account as eligible workloads migrate. Additional credits may be available depending on the type of workloads involved, including databases and analytics infrastructure.
Funding amounts at each phase are determined by the scope and projected AWS spend of your specific engagement. AWS determines them through the assessment and approval process.
How the money actually flows
MAP funding moves in two forms. AWS service credits are applied directly to your AWS account and reduce your AWS bill. Partner cash funds the assessment, planning, and migration engineering work through your qualified AWS partner. The two do not overlap: credits cover cloud spend, partner cash covers labor.
Workloads need to be tagged correctly for credits to apply. AWS tracks eligible spend through a required tagging system and a cost and usage report. Credits are not applied retroactively, so tagging has to be in place before migration, not after.
Who can access it
MAP is not a program you apply for directly. It runs through qualified AWS Migration Competency Partners and AWS Advanced Tier Partners. Your partner manages the application, phases, and credit tracking on your behalf.
AWS also offers MAP Lite, a streamlined version of the program for smaller migrations. Whether your project qualifies for MAP Lite or the full program depends on the scope and projected AWS spend of your migration.
Tech 42 is an AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner. We work with customers to evaluate MAP eligibility, structure the migration scope, and submit funding requests through our AWS relationship. If you are unsure whether your project is a fit, a short scoping conversation is the fastest way to find out.
