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Startup credits

How to apply for the Google for Startups Cloud Program

· 6 min read

The Google for Startups Cloud Program gives eligible startups Google Cloud credits plus extra support and resources. Most rejections come down to simple mismatches: the email domain does not match the website, or the credits are routed to the wrong billing account. This guide covers what Google asks for and how to submit a clean application. Amounts quoted are advertised maximums, and Google decides who is accepted and at which tier.

What you need before you start

  • Your 18-character Google Cloud billing account ID. Google's FAQ asks you to have it ready before applying.
  • A business email address whose domain matches your startup's public website. Google says the website domain, the email domain and the email domain associated with your billing account must match to be approved for credits.
  • A live public website for the company.
  • If you are equity funded: links to publicly available online sources that describe the investments made in your company. Google asks for public links rather than pitch decks or private documents.
  • A short, plain description of your product and how you plan to use Google Cloud.

Understand the tiers

Google describes a Start tier for startups that have not raised equity funding, and higher tiers for equity-funded startups. PerkRadar's catalog lists Start tier credits of up to $2,000, the Scale tier at up to $200,000, and the AI-focused tier at up to $350,000. These are advertised maximums and some credit is spread over two years.

Google's FAQ notes that funding from private equity, government innovation grants, crowdfunding, angels or friends and family does not qualify a startup for the Scale tier, but the startup may still be evaluated for other tiers. Google may also decline companies that have gone public or been acquired, educational institutions, government entities, nonprofits, agencies, consultancies and some crypto businesses.

Find your billing account ID

  1. Sign in to the Google Cloud console with the account that owns your startup's billing.
  2. Open Billing from the navigation menu.
  3. Choose Manage your billing account (or the billing account list) and find the account you want credits deposited into.
  4. Copy the 18-character billing account ID shown for that account.
  5. If you do not have a Google Cloud account yet, create one first. Google says you receive the billing ID when you sign up.

If your team email lives on a different domain from your website, fix that before you apply. Google's FAQ suggests creating a matching business email account with Google Workspace if needed.

Submit the application

  1. Go to the Google for Startups Cloud Program page on cloud.google.com and choose Apply now.
  2. Sign in with your business email, the one that matches your website domain.
  3. Check the billing account ID the form fills in. Google auto-populates it from the Google Cloud account tied to your email. If it is not the account you want, enter the correct email or billing ID manually.
  4. Fill in your company details, product description and funding stage.
  5. If you are applying for a funded tier, paste links to public sources about your funding.
  6. Review every field for consistency with your website, then submit.

After you apply

Watch your business email for a decision or follow-up questions. If you are approved, credits are added to the billing account you named. Promotional credits in Google Cloud appear on the Credits page in the Billing section of the console, which shows the remaining and original value plus start and end dates.

If you are rejected, Google's FAQ says to email your account manager or the program's startup support address. The program terms also limit companies to one startup incentive code unless Google agrees otherwise, so do not apply under several company names.

  • Confirm the credit landed on the right billing account.
  • Link the projects you will use to that billing account.
  • Record the credit end date and set a budget with alert thresholds.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Applying with a free webmail address. Google asks for a business email that matches your public website domain.
  • Letting the form deposit credits into a personal or test billing account because it was auto-filled.
  • Sending pitch decks or private documents as proof of funding instead of public links.
  • Expecting credits to cover everything. Google's FAQ says program credits are for Google Cloud services such as BigQuery and Gemini, and third-party products, including Google Cloud Marketplace offerings, are generally not covered.
  • Forgetting to link projects to the billing account that holds the credits, so usage is charged elsewhere.

If you plan to apply for a higher tier later, keep your funding announcements public and up to date. Reviewers check public sources, not private data rooms.

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