We are asked about migration funding in nearly every first conversation, usually framed as 'is the assessment free?'. The honest answer is that funding is real, material and conditional — and the conditions are set by AWS, not by us.
How the phases work
Assess
A short, structured discovery producing a portfolio inventory, dispositions, a target architecture and a business case with a defensible total cost of ownership model. This is the phase most commonly supported by partner funding, because it is what allows AWS and you to size the opportunity accurately.
Mobilise
Building the foundation and the migration capability: landing zone, security controls, operating model, migration tooling and the first pilot applications migrated end to end. This phase de-risks everything after it.
Migrate and modernise
Wave-based execution against the plan. Funding here is typically tied to migrated workload milestones, which means evidence submission matters — unclaimed credits are the most common avoidable loss we see in partner-funded programs.
Not submitting milestone evidence as waves complete. Credits that are never claimed expire quietly, and nobody sends a reminder.
What typically qualifies
| Workload type | Usually eligible | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Datacentre or colocation exit | Yes | The clearest fit; scale and timeline matter |
| VMware estate migration | Yes | Frequently has dedicated program support |
| Commercial database modernisation | Yes | Oracle and SQL Server to Aurora or PostgreSQL |
| Windows Server modernisation | Often | Depends on scale and licensing position |
| Workloads already on AWS | Sometimes | Modernisation pathways rather than migration |
| Greenfield build | Rarely | Different programs may apply instead |
Eligibility is assessed case by case with your AWS account team. Treat this as orientation, not a guarantee.
How we structure an engagement around it
- We qualify jointly with you and your AWS account team before scheduling any work
- The funding envelope is confirmed in writing before you commit budget
- Milestone evidence is prepared as part of delivery, not reconstructed afterwards
- If your program does not qualify, we tell you at qualification and price accordingly
That last point is the one worth pressing any partner on. A partner who implies funding is certain before qualification is either inexperienced or hoping you will proceed regardless.
Funding changes the price of a program. It should never be the reason you run one.
What funding does not cover
Partner funding is designed to accelerate migration and modernisation. It generally does not extend to ongoing managed services, unrelated application development, or organisational change work — even when those are essential to your outcome.
Budget for those separately. A program that assumes funding will stretch to cover them arrives at a shortfall around the six-month mark.
A realistic timeline
- Weeks 0–2: Joint qualification with AWS; funding envelope confirmed
- Weeks 2–6: Assessment; business case and wave plan delivered
- Weeks 6–16: Mobilise; landing zone live and pilot applications migrated
- Months 4–12: Migration waves with milestone evidence submitted as each completes
Find out what your program qualifies for
Send us the estate size, timeline and target state. We will come back with the programs that may apply and what the assessment costs after funding.