How to get Google Cloud credits for startups

The three tiers

Google structures its startup credits by funding stage. Unlike AWS, the entry tier is genuinely self-serve — you do not need an investor to get started.

The Scale tier is structured as coverage rather than a lump sum: roughly 100% of eligible Google Cloud and Firebase usage in year one up to $100,000, then 20% of usage in year two up to a further $100,000. The AI-first tier lifts year-one coverage substantially higher. Because it is coverage-based, credits you never spend are credits you never receive.

Structure and ceilings are set by Google and change periodically. Confirm against the official Google for Startups Cloud Program page before planning around a number.

What comes with the credits

The cloud credits are the headline, but the surrounding package is often worth more to an early team than the compute:

• Google Cloud Enhanced Support credits — reported at around $12,000 for a year
• 12 months of Google Workspace Business Plus for new signups
• Google Maps Platform credits — around $600 per month for a year
• Firebase usage covered inside the same allocation
• A Startup Success Manager, plus sessions with Google Cloud product and engineering teams

Requirements

Start tier

• A technology startup, founded within roughly the last five years
• Not funded by an institutional investor
• No prior Google Cloud credits beyond the standard free trial

Scale tier

• Equity funding from pre-seed through Series A
• If you are at Series A, the round should have closed within the last 12 months
• Association with a qualifying investor, accelerator or partner

AI-first tier

• Everything in Scale, plus Vertex AI or Gemini used as a genuine foundation of the product

"AI-first" is assessed on substance. A CRM that added a summarise button is not AI-first; a product whose core value depends on model inference is. Overclaiming here is a common reason for landing a tier lower than expected.

How to apply

1. Create the Google Cloud billing account first, using a business email on your own domain.
2. Do not burn the free trial on production. Prior credits beyond the free trial can disqualify you from the Start tier — keep the two separate. The distinction matters more than people expect; see free tier vs startup credits.
3. Pick your tier honestly. Applying to Scale without qualifying funding wastes a cycle.
4. Route through your investor or accelerator if you have one. This is what moves you from $2,000 to the $200,000 band.
5. Submit, and expect follow-up questions about your architecture and expected spend. Have a rough monthly estimate ready.

AWS as well, or instead?

Plenty of startups qualify for both programmes, and there is no rule against holding credits on each. We compare the two side by side in AWS Activate vs Google for Startups, or you can read our full Google Cloud credits breakdown.