What is AWS PoC funding?

PoC funding exists because AWS wants to lower the barrier to testing ideas on its infrastructure. A company that successfully validates a PoC on AWS is likely to build and run production workloads on AWS. The funding reduces the risk of the experiment for the customer and increases the probability AWS gets the long-term spend.

What PoC funding covers

PoC funding can include two components for eligible customers:

AWS service credits offset the AWS infrastructure costs of running the PoC (compute, storage, model inference calls, and similar services). These are applied to your AWS account.

‍Partner cash offsets the engineering work your AWS partner performs to build and validate the prototype. This means the cost of building the PoC with a qualified partner can be partially or fully covered, not just the cloud costs.

The specific amounts depend on the scope of the project and what AWS approves on the funding request. Neither component is guaranteed nor applied automatically.

What a qualifying project looks like

AWS funds PoCs that are likely to lead to real, ongoing workloads. The criteria are not published as a checklist, but qualifying projects consistently share several characteristics:

‍A defined technical scope: The PoC has a specific goal to validate a particular architecture, test a model's accuracy on a given dataset, demonstrate that a workflow can be automated, etc. Vague exploration does not qualify. A defined problem with a defined proposed solution does.

‍Measurable success criteria: AWS and the partner need to be able to determine whether the PoC succeeded. This might be a latency benchmark, an accuracy threshold, a cost-per-transaction target, or a business process that the PoC either can or cannot automate.

‍A path to production: AWS is funding validation work, not research. The expectation is that a successful PoC converts to a production build on AWS. Projects that would clearly remain small experiments regardless of outcome are harder to get funded.

Projects using Amazon Bedrock or SageMaker as the primary workload are actively prioritized. AI agents, RAG applications, intelligent document processing, voice agents, and similar AI/ML workloads have a strong track record of qualifying.

‍If you’re not sure about a specific project yet, AWS also covers full assessments to uncover the best opportunities for applied AI/ML applications in your business. These produce a prioritized roadmap and an excellent precursor to a PoC project. Book a strategy session here ->

What PoC funding does not cover

PoC funding covers AWS service costs and partner implementation labor for qualified customers. It does not cover:

• Software licenses or third-party API costs
• Internal customer staff time
• Consulting work outside the defined PoC scope
• Projects already in progress at the time of application

The last point is important. Funding is approved before the work begins. If you start building before a request is submitted and approved, the work is not eligible.

How to access PoC funding

PoC funding requires a qualified AWS partner. The partner assesses the project, determines whether it qualifies, scopes the engagement, and submits the funding request to AWS. Once approved, the funding structure is set before the PoC begins.

Tech 42 is an AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner. Several of our engagements, including projects built on Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, have been funded through PoC programs. Our AgentCore Accelerate Program is a two-week sprint to a production-ready AI agent POC, and AWS funding often covers part or all of the cost for qualifying projects.

The fastest way to know whether your project qualifies is a short assessment, covered by AWS. The output is a clear picture of which programs apply and how to structure the engagement.