Cloud Migration Funding: How AWS MAP Works and Whether You Qualify

Cloud migration funding: how AWS MAP works and whether you qualify

One of the most underutilised resources available to UK businesses migrating to AWS is funding from the AWS Migration Acceleration Programme (MAP). Many organisations complete migrations without ever accessing this funding — simply because they did not know it existed, or because they assumed they did not qualify.

In this article, I am going to explain exactly what MAP is, what it funds, and the practical steps to access it.

What is AWS MAP?

AWS MAP is a programme that provides financial support — in the form of AWS credits — to organisations migrating workloads to AWS. The credits are applied to your AWS account and can offset compute, storage, and service costs during the migration period.

It is not a cash payment. It is credits applied to your AWS bill. But for businesses that plan to run workloads on AWS long-term, that distinction matters less — the credits reduce real expenditure that you would otherwise incur.

MAP is structured in two phases:

• Assess phase: A formal evaluation of your current environment, migration readiness, and business case. Credits at this stage are typically modest — covering the cost of the assessment tooling.
• Mobilise and migrate phase: Once the migration plan is agreed and validated, more substantial credits are available to offset migration costs.

Who qualifies?

MAP is designed for organisations migrating meaningful workloads to AWS. The eligibility criteria that matter most in practice are:

• Workload size: At least 3 workloads migrating to AWS. Single-workload migrations are typically too small to qualify.
• Migration type: The migration must be a genuine move from on-premises or another cloud provider to AWS — not a refactoring project for workloads already on AWS.
• Partner involvement: MAP funding is accessed through an AWS Migration Competency Partner or AWS Advanced Partner. You cannot access MAP credits directly without a partner involved.
• Business case: AWS requires a documented business case showing the expected cost and operational benefits of the migration.

Check your MAP eligibility with our free AWS Migration ROI Calculator at /tools — the tool flags MAP eligibility automatically if you have 3 or more workloads.

How much funding is available?

MAP funding amounts are not published as fixed figures — they are determined on a case-by-case basis depending on workload size, migration complexity, and the AWS credits already in use. In our experience working with UK SMBs, MAP credits have offset between 30% and 100% of migration costs for qualifying projects.

The credits are not a guarantee, and the amount is not confirmed until the Assess phase is complete. But for any meaningful migration project, applying is almost always worth the effort.

How does the process actually work?

| Step | What happens | Typical timeline | |------|-------------|-----------------| | 1. Partner engagement | You engage with an AWS Advanced Partner (like Smile IT Solutions) who registers the opportunity in AWS Partner Central | Week 1 | | 2. Assess phase | Discovery sessions, workload inventory, migration readiness assessment, business case documentation | Weeks 2–4 | | 3. MAP application | Partner submits MAP application through Partner Central. AWS reviews and approves (or requests additional information) | Weeks 4–6 | | 4. Credits applied | Approved credits are applied to your AWS account. Migration begins. | Week 6–8 |

The total time from first conversation to credits applied is typically 6–8 weeks via our distribution channel (TD SYNNEX).

What MAP does not cover

MAP credits apply to AWS service costs. They do not cover the partner's professional services fees for running the migration. In practice, this means MAP offsets your post-migration AWS bill — it does not directly fund the engineering work of the migration itself. For larger migrations, some partners offer arrangements where the AWS credits effectively subsidise the professional services cost indirectly, but this varies by partner and project.

How to start

Start with a free Migration Assessment. In 30 minutes, we will review your current environment, confirm whether MAP applies, and give you a clear view of the funding you could access before you commit to anything.

Book a Free Migration Assessment — we will confirm eligibility and walk you through the process in 30 minutes.