What is AWS MAP and how large are the credits?

MAP (Migration Acceleration Program) provides funding in two phases: Assess and Mobilize/Migrate. Credit size scales with the value of the workload being migrated and is typically a percentage of post-migration AWS revenue, with the largest awards reaching seven figures.

Can we still negotiate MAP credits if we have already started migration?

It is harder, but not impossible. AWS strongly prefers to fund migrations that are not yet committed. Sequencing matters: bring MAP into the conversation before signing any major workload commitment.

Are migration credits stackable with an EDP?

Yes. MAP funding, POC credits, and EDP discounts are independent commercial constructs. We structure them to layer cleanly so credit application does not erode EDP commitment progress.

What is the AWS Migration Acceleration Programme (MAP)?

MAP is AWS's structured migration incentive: credits, funded assessment, and partner-led migration support in exchange for a forward commitment. MAP 2.0 credits typically run 5-25% of the migrated workload's projected three-year AWS spend.

How do I qualify for MAP credits?

You need a documented migration plan, AWS-approved migration partner involvement, and a forward AWS commitment that justifies the credit award. Workload type, source platform (VMware, on-prem, another cloud) and migration timing all affect the credit envelope.

Can I negotiate MAP credits above the standard offer?

Yes — the MAP credit table is a starting point, not a ceiling. Competitive bids from Azure or GCP, scale of the workload, and strategic value to AWS all lift the negotiated envelope. We've seen credits 2-3× the standard table.

Are migration credits cash, or do they have to be spent on AWS?

AWS migration credits are applied as account credits redeemable against AWS services — not cash. The negotiation point is the cash-equivalent value AWS will fund versus what counts as partner-delivered services (the latter is less flexible).

Should I time my EDP around my migration?

Usually yes. EDPs negotiated post-migration use real consumption data and command better terms than EDPs negotiated speculatively. Bridge the gap with MAP credits and a 12-month interim EDP if needed.

Service · Migration Incentives

AWS migration credit negotiation, before you commit.

By Henrik, Practice Lead·Published October 18, 2024·Last updated April 20, 2026·8 min read

MAP credits, POC funding, partner-led migration funding, and leveraging competitive cloud bids to maximize AWS migration investment. The leverage window opens before commitment — and closes the moment you sign.

$2.4B+

AWS spend reviewed

500+

Engagements

38%

Avg reduction

$340M+

Documented savings

Overview

Migration credits are uncapped —
until you stop competing.

Most enterprises leave eight figures on the table during cloud migration. Not because AWS won't fund migrations — AWS funds migrations aggressively — but because customers initiate the negotiation after the strategic decision is already public. Once AWS knows it has won the workload, the funding offer compresses by 30–60% relative to what was achievable while the deal was still contested.

Migration funding is genuinely uncapped at the upper bound. We have seen MAP packages on individual workload migrations exceed $20M when contested across hyperscalers and structured with credible technical alternatives. We have also seen identical workloads attract zero incremental funding because the customer signed the EDP first and the workload migration was treated as already-committed spend.

Sequencing is everything. We work with you to structure the migration roadmap, MAP eligibility, POC sequencing, and competitive bid timing so that AWS funding is maximized — and so that funding lands as cash credit against EDP commitment rather than as compute credit that expires unused.

What we negotiate

Every funding lever in migration.

01MAP funding across all three phases+

Assess, Mobilize, and Migrate funding tranches each have different eligibility and approval mechanics. We map your migration roadmap to MAP phases, identify the optimal workload bundling, and structure the funding ask for maximum award.

02POC and PoV funding+

Proof-of-concept and Proof-of-Value funding outside MAP — including Bedrock, SageMaker, and high-tier service-specific POC programs. We identify and structure these as parallel funding streams rather than sequential.

03Database migration credits and DMS funding+

Migration off Oracle, SQL Server, and on-prem PostgreSQL frequently qualifies for incremental funding above MAP. We identify and stack these database-specific credit programs alongside the headline MAP package.

04Mainframe and SAP-specific migration packages+

Mainframe modernization and SAP on AWS migrations attract bespoke funding packages that are negotiated outside the standard MAP framework. These are among the most generous AWS funding programs and benefit from specialist negotiation.

05Competitive bid leverage+

A credible Azure or GCP migration alternative is the single largest lever on migration funding size. We design and run the parallel bid process — with real technical depth — to materially move AWS funding offers.

06Credit structuring against EDP commitment+

Funding that arrives as compute credit can erode EDP commitment progress. We structure funding to count against commitment or arrive as net-cash discount so that EDP momentum and migration funding compound rather than cancel.

Process

From migration plan to funded program in 8–12 weeks.

Migration roadmap audit

Inventory workloads in scope, prioritize by AWS-funding-eligibility, identify mainframe/SAP/database opportunities, and quantify total addressable funding.

Competitive bid & ask design

Build the credible alternative (Azure, GCP, or hybrid), structure the parallel bid timeline, and design the formal funding ask with workload-level economics.

Negotiation & structuring

Drive the MAP and PoC packages through AWS approval, integrate funding into the EDP commitment math, and document the SOW with clean credit-utilization terms.

Results