Pool topic: Global Credits & Grants Radar. Question revision: 1. Verified: 2026-09-30.

Taking Google’s USD 2,000 Start credit does not itself close the Scale door

Google’s official tier rules say Start is for eligible pre-funded technology startups, with up to USD 2,000 in credits valid for one year. Scale is for qualifying VC-funded startups and excludes those that have already received more than USD 5,000 in Google Cloud credits. A Start award at the published maximum falls below that Scale threshold. This is a narrow reading of the published rule, not an automatic upgrade or approval.

What changes the later decision

For Scale, Google requires a company founded within five years, qualifying pre-seed or seed funding within five years or a Series A round within 12 months, and funding evidence. Government grants, prize funding, crowdfunding, angel funding, and friends-and-family funding do not qualify by themselves for Scale. Google reviews applications at its discretion. Its FAQ asks for public investment links; a stealth startup should work with its investor to verify funding.

Scale’s advertised ceiling is up to USD 200,000, or USD 350,000 for an AI-first startup. Year one covers 100% of eligible use up to USD 100,000, or USD 250,000 AI-first. Year two covers 20% up to a further USD 100,000. Do not treat the two-year maximum as an immediate balance. Google says third-party services and models are outside programme-credit coverage.

What to do

If Start fits an immediate eligible workload, its USD 2,000 maximum is not a published disqualifier for Scale. Before relying on later Scale credits, verify the funding type, round date, prior Google credits, covered services, and actual allocation with Google. The issuer does not publish a guaranteed Start-to-Scale transition or country-by-country access map on these pages.

Separate status check: Interledger Local Impact applications remain paused. NLnet’s current application form still names 3 November 2026, 12:00 CET, as its next deadline; its published GenAI policy remains version 1.1. Compare the full catalogue.