Routes open in France
| Route | Max credits | Who qualifies | How to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Activate Founders | $1,000 | Self-funded, no institutional funding, live website | Apply online in the Activate console |
| Activate via a Provider | Up to $100,000 | Backed by an accelerator, VC or incubator in the Activate network | Get an organization ID from your provider |
| AWS Startup Loft Accelerator (EMEA, virtual) | Up to $25,000 + $5,000 Business Support | Early-stage startups, no equity. Launched 2021; likely closed. | Through AWS's local team |
| Local accelerator or VC | Varies | Accepted into a local program | Apply to the program; credits follow |
| Our partner match | Same as AWS | Any stage; we suggest the best route | Use the credit check on this page |
Amounts are the maximums AWS advertises; approval is never guaranteed. Source: AWS Activate terms
Who qualifies from France
- Your company is usually under 10 years old and hasn't had Activate credits before.
- You have a live company website, and you sign up with an email on that domain.
- For the $100,000 tier, you're backed by an Activate Provider and haven't raised a Series B yet.
- Company in France: apply with it directly. Company abroad (for example a US Delaware company): apply with whichever entity owns the AWS account. No company yet: start with Founders once your website is live.
Region, latency and data rules
- Data protection law
- EU GDPR + Loi Informatique et Libertés
- Must data stay in-country?
- No general rule; transfers outside the EU need safeguards
- Regulator
- CNIL, which is very active on cookies and trackers
What your credits buy here
A typical early-stage stack (a few small servers, a managed database, storage and traffic) costs about $600/month in eu-west-3, or about $720 with 20% VAT paid in cash.
$1,000
1.7
months
$5,000
8.3
months
$25,000
42
months
$100,000
99
months
Estimates. Credits usually expire after 12 to 24 months, so large amounts rarely last their full length.
Startups like you
Startups from France named in AWS program cohorts:
AWS Generative AI Accelerator · up to $1M
Lettria, Orakl Oncology, FlexAI, Phagos
Founders who credit AWS · company statements
Gladia, ProcessOut
Amounts are the program's maximum, not what each company received.
Local accelerators
Accelerators, incubators and startup programs in France worth asking about AWS credits.
Station F Founders Program
Paris · Incubator
Ask the provider
Wilco
Paris · Accelerator
Ask the provider
Techstars Paris
Paris · Accelerator
Ask the provider
The Family
Paris · Accelerator
Ask the provider
Check with each program that it's a current Activate Provider before you rely on it.
Notable local investors and funds
Investors, accelerators and government funds active in France. If one backs you, ask whether they can give you an Activate Provider code.
Grants, non-dilutive funding and R&D tax credits
Money you can stack on top of AWS credits in France.
- Program
Crédit d'Impôt Recherche (CIR)
30% of R&D spend up to €100M, then 5%. SMEs can get it refunded immediately [1].
- Program
Crédit d'Impôt Innovation (CII)
20% in mainland France for spending from 1 Jan 2025 to 31 Dec 2027 (it used to be 30%) [2].
- Program
JEI (Jeune Entreprise Innovante)
Exemptions from social charges and local taxes. The 2026 Finance Law extends the local-tax exemptions to 2028 and creates a new 'JEII' category [3].
- Loan
Bpifrance
The Bourse French Tech grant, the Prêt d'amorçage (seed loan) and i-Nov/i-Lab competitions [4].
- Visa
French Tech Visa for international founders and hires [5].
Setting up a local company
- Common startup entity
- SAS (no minimum capital) or SARL
- Minimum share capital
- Paid-in minimum capital: 0% of income per capita (World Bank Doing Business 2020; data as of May 2019)
- Time and cost to register
- 4 days, 5 procedures, cost .7% of income per capita (Doing Business 2020; data as of May 2019, series discontinued)
Capital and registration figures are from the World Bank (Doing Business 2020 / B-READY 2025). Check the registry for current rules.
What's different in France
- Billing entity
- AWS EMEA SARL (FR branch)
- Currency
- EUR, USD
- Tax AWS adds
- 20% VAT, charged to everyone. Not covered by credits.
- Payments and verification
- Most international Visa and Mastercard cards work. Make sure foreign and online payments are switched on before you sign up.
Credits don't cover taxes. Source: AWS Promotional Credit terms
Paying the AWS bill from France
- Use a card that allows international recurring payments, or a multi-currency business card.
- Enter your VAT or tax number in the AWS console so tax is handled correctly.
- Credits don't cover tax, so a small cash charge can appear even while credits last.
Startup scene
31
unicorns
Mistral AI ($24.38B), Doctolib ($6.4B), Alan ($6.26B), Back Market ($5.7B), ContentSquare ($5.6B)
Startup sectors
Main economic sectors
Unicorn data: CB Insights, as of 2 October 2026. Sectors: CIA World Factbook.
Startup visa
French Tech Visa / Talent Passport (innovative company founder)
Key requirements: Project recognised as innovative by a public body or incubator; for founders, investment of at least EUR 30,000 (Talent Passport "innovative project")
AWS events and community in France
Sources for France (20)
- 1. https://entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr/vosdroits/F23533
- 2. https://entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr/vosdroits/F35494
- 3. https://bofip.impots.gouv.fr/bofip/15020-PGP.html/ACTU-2026-00067
- 4. https://www.bpifrance.fr/catalogue-offres/bourse-french-tech
- 5. https://lafrenchtech.gouv.fr/en/come-work-in-france/french-tech-visa/
- 6. https://docs.aws.amazon.com/global-infrastructure/latest/regions/aws-regions.html
- 7. https://aws.amazon.com/legal/aws-contracting-party/
- 8. https://aws.amazon.com/tax-help/european-union/
- 9. https://repost.aws/knowledge-center/accepted-payment-methods
- 10. https://repost.aws/knowledge-center/supported-aws-currencies
- 11. https://aws.amazon.com/tax-help/emea-vat-tables/
- 12. https://aws.amazon.com/awscredits/
- 13. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj
- 14. https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/
- 15. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/data-act
- 16. https://www.cnil.fr/en
- 17. https://aws.amazon.com/compliance/hds/
- 18. https://aws.amazon.com/events/summits/
- 19. https://aws.amazon.com/startups/lp/aws-gen-ai-loft-paris?lang=en-US
- 20. https://aws.amazon.com/developer/community/usergroups/
Research current as of 2 October 2026. Not legal or tax advice.
Questions
Is AWS Activate available in France?
Yes. AWS takes sign-ups from France, and the AWS Activate terms don't exclude it.
How much in AWS credits can a startup in France get?
Self-funded teams usually start with $1,000 from Activate Founders. Teams backed by an Activate Provider can get up to $200,000.
Do I need a company registered in France?
No. You can apply with a France company, a company registered abroad (for example a US Delaware company), or as an early team with a live website. Use the entity that owns the AWS account.
Do AWS credits cover VAT in France?
No. Credits don't cover taxes, so any VAT (20%) is charged to your card.
What's the closest AWS region to France?
eu-west-3 in Paris, inside the country. Typical latency is under 20 ms from the main cities.
Can I apply without an accelerator or VC?
Yes. Activate Founders is open to self-funded startups. A partner can also point you to other routes.
Will using a partner change how much I get?
No. The credits come from AWS on the same terms. A partner just helps you find the right route and prepare the application.
Find your best route from France
Answer four questions and we'll match you with a partner who knows France. Free, and the credits are the same as going direct.
Cloud Credits is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Amazon Web Services. AWS and AWS Activate are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Data last checked 2 October 2026; check AWS for current terms.