AWS Equity Equivalent Investment Program 2024

The Amazon Web Services Equity Equivalent Investment Program (AWS EEIP) is an 18-24-month enablement and acceleration program for South African Black-Owned small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who want to build their AWS business and grow as partners in the Amazon Partner Network (APN).

Whether you are new to cloud or need help accelerating your AWS partner journey, the AWS EEIP offers a range of benefits to help you grow your business, enable your team and become a Validated partner in the AWS Partner Network (APN).

Aim and Benefits

Training and Certification

AWS Skill Builder Subscriptions
AWS Classroom Training
AWS Foundational Certification Vouchers
AWS Associate Certification Exam Vouchers
AWS Professional Certification Exam Vouchers
AWS Specialty Certification Exam Vouchers
Scrum Certification Training and Exam Fee
FinOps Certified Practitioner Course and Exam Fee

Enablement

1:1 Consultant Led Product Workshop
1:1 Consultant Led Business Transformation Workshop
1:1 Weekly Technical Support Office Hours
Many Technical Enablement Workshops

Operations

Headcount Funding to subsidize your compensation costs as your grow your team
Office Subsidy
Hardware Benefit
Administration Subsidy

Acceleration

Fully Funded APN Program fee upon meeting APN Software Path Validation Requirements
Market Development Funds
AWS Credits to help cover your AWS service usage

Requirements

100% Black Owned — You must be 100% Black-owned as defined in the ICT Sector B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice. You must meet all three B-BBEE ownership criteria, i.e., economic interest, voting rights and net-value points at the date of application.
Valid Level 1 B-BBEE Certificate/Affidavit — You must have a valid Level 1 B-BBEE Contributor certificate or Affidavit at the date of application.
Exempted Micro-Enterprise or Qualifying Small Enterprise — your turnover must not exceed R50m per year at the date of application.
Founders Experience —the majority of your economic interest and voting rights (at least 51%) must be held by a founder who has a minimum of ten-years of professional work experience, including experience in leading and growing teams [this requirement does not apply to teams who have been running their startup full-time for at least 24 months].
Core Team in Place in place — You should have an operations manager and technical lead in place. The operations manager, technical lead and all founders must be able to transition to full-time employment in the business from the program start date.