Program
AWS Health Equity Initiative
AWS funds health equity projects with credits and expert help. Startups and nonprofits can both apply when calls are open.
AWS Health Equity Initiative is for organisations improving health outcomes for underserved communities. Credits and technical help, amount varies.
- Credits
- Varies by project
- Who
- Startups, nonprofits, academia
- Focus
- Underserved communities
- Application
- Open calls
Status: may not be running right now
closed to new applications. The official page says the initiative 'is not currently accepting any more applications' (true between the 2024-05-27 and 2024-09-07 Wayback snapshots). The commitment was fulfilled around July 2024. AWS still describes HEI as a body of supported customers in a June 2026 blog, but there is no open application route.
At a glance
- Credits
- Up to $250,000
- Decision time
- About 60 business days after each review deadline (FAQ). Receipt was acknowledged within 48 hours. Decisions came from aws-hei@amazon.com and could land in spam.
- Credits last
- Projects could last up to 12 months (the '12-month award period'). The exact credit expiry was set in each award letter and Credit Agreement and wasn't published. Promotional Credit Terms s.10 governs social-impact credits.
- Access
- Open application
01 · Overview
A good fit if you are
- Digital health startups with an equity mission
- Health nonprofits
Not for
- General health tech without an equity angle
Timeline and terms
- Application window
- Closed. Applications were reviewed three times a year (deadlines Mar 31, Jun 30, Nov 15) from Nov 15, 2021. The last published cycle dates were Mar 31, Jun 30 and Nov 15, 2024, but the page closed to applications by Sep 2024.
- Decision time
- About 60 business days after each review deadline (FAQ). Receipt was acknowledged within 48 hours. Decisions came from aws-hei@amazon.com and could land in spam.
- Program length
- Projects of up to 12 months
- Credit validity
- Projects could last up to 12 months (the '12-month award period'). The exact credit expiry was set in each award letter and Credit Agreement and wasn't published. Promotional Credit Terms s.10 governs social-impact credits.
- Cash
- None. The FAQ says cash support is not part of this program.
- Where
- Global. AWS reported projects in 28 countries by Jan 2024.
Per application: no more than USD 250,000 in AWS Promotional Credit, with larger requests considered case by case if justified (2024 FAQ). Private-sector applicants had to match at least 25% of the request in cash or in kind, with exceptions case by case. Programme total: USD 40M over 3 years (2021), raised to USD 60M in Jan 2024. As of June 2026, AWS says USD 90M+ of technology went to 600+ customers in total.
What changed recently
2026-06-30
Five-year retrospective: 600+ customers supported with USD 90M+ of technology, 44% of them using AWS AI services. It announced a Fleming Initiative collaboration on antimicrobial resistance, described as AWS's largest single social-impact investment in health. It gave no new application route. Source
2024-05-27 to 2024-09-07 (between Wayback snapshots)
The page stopped accepting applications. The May 2024 snapshot still listed 2024 cycle dates; the Sep 2024 snapshot says the initiative is not accepting more applications and points to other programmes (Imagine Grant, AI Accelerator, AI for Changemakers, Activate). Source
2024-01-25
AWS added USD 20M, taking the total commitment to USD 60M. A climate-and-health funding area was added and priorities were reframed (culturally responsive health services, resilient communities, climate impact). 229 organisations had been supported and USD 30M+ distributed by then. Source
02 · Eligibility
Hard eligibility rules
You must
- Project must advance health equity for underserved or underrepresented communities in a programme area. The 2021-2023 areas were: access to health services; social determinants of health; data for equitable and inclusive care; diagnostics and screening. From Jan 2024 the priorities were culturally responsive health services, resilient communities and social support, and climate impact on health.
- Applicant applies on behalf of an organisation, not as an individual
- Official institution or company email address
- Private-sector applicants: at least a 25% match of the request in cash or in kind, unless granted an exception
- Government entities must confirm that participation isn't prohibited by law, ethics or procurement rules
- An AWS account is needed only once accepted, along with a signed Credit Agreement
- Project duration up to 12 months, with 2-3 milestones, baseline data and impact metrics
Excluded
- Individuals applying in a personal capacity
- Projects tied to a pending or upcoming RFP
- Administrative workloads or routine IT operations
- Cash requests
Have this ready before you apply
- Organisation details and an official email address
- Project description tied to a programme area, plus how you engage the communities served
- 2-3 milestones, a timeline of up to 12 months, baseline data, metrics and impact outcomes
- Sustainability plan for after the 12-month award
- Credit amount requested, with justification if above USD 250K
- Private sector: 25% match documentation, or a justification for an exemption
- Signed Credit Agreement if accepted
03 · How to apply
How to apply
- 1
Check whether a call is open.
- 2
Describe the community and measurable outcomes.
- 3
Submit the application.
What catches founders out
- Calls open and close; there's no rolling intake.
- You must show impact on underserved groups.
What founders report Show
Summarised from public founder posts. Anecdotal, not official AWS policy.
Gotchas
- (Official FAQ, not anecdotal) Decision emails from aws-hei@amazon.com sometimes went to spam
- (Official FAQ) No individual rejection reasons were given
04 · Credits & stacking
What the credits cover
Covered
- AWS compute, storage, database, ML/AI, analytics, containers, robotics, quantum and more (FAQ)
- Limited AWS Professional Services (ProServe) engagements, subject to approval and a statement of work
Not covered
- Amazon Mechanical Turk
- AWS Managed Services
- Ineligible AWS Support (Enterprise, Unified Operations, Enterprise On-Ramp, resold support, Partner-Led Support)
- AWS Marketplace
- AWS Professional Services
- AWS Training
- AWS Certification
- Amazon Route 53 domain name registration or transfer
- Services used for cryptocurrency mining
- Upfront fees for Savings Plans and Reserved Instances
- Any other services designated by your AWS contracting entity
Stacking with other credits
Lifetime cap: No published lifetime cap. The per-application ceiling was USD 250,000, with exceptions case by case, and reapplying with revised proposals was allowed.
05 · Alternatives
If this isn't the right program
- AWS Imagine Grant
Cash and credits for nonprofits with a bold tech project.
- AWS Healthcare Accelerator
Cohort for health startups.
Sources
Checked October 2026. AWS can change amounts and rules at any time.
Facts on this page checked against official sources on 2026-10-04.
Questions
Can a for-profit apply?
Yes, startups have been funded alongside nonprofits.
Prices and credit amounts are estimates and may change. Check AWS for current terms.