Clarification on Billing for FW-Kimi-K3 Model with Microsoft for Startups Credits

Hey there, Ankit Shah

Will the usage of the FW-Kimi-K3 model be billed against my available Microsoft for Startups credits?

According to Microsoft's documentation, yes.

As long as the model is deployed from the Azure AI Foundry portal under the “Direct from Azure” collection. Microsoft’s documentation confirms that Fireworks models (including FW‑Kimi‑K3) are eligible for Startup credit coverage when billed directly by Azure. You can find out more here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/startups/benefits/azure-credits/use-azure-credits#use-fireworks-models-on-foundry

If yes, will all inference charges (input tokens, output tokens, and any other applicable charges) be deducted from my remaining startup credits?

When using Azure billed Foundry models, token based inference charges are treated exactly like any other Azure consumption. This includes:

• Input/Output tokens,
• Any model specific per token multipliers,
• Any additional inference meter charges defined for that model,

These are billed to your Azure subscription and therefore may be covered by your Microsoft for Startups credits. However, I couldn't find any specific Microsoft documentation that explicitly states input/output tokens are covered, so this conclusion is based on how Azure meters Foundry model usage generally.

Are there any additional charges for using this model that are not covered by the Microsoft for Startups credits?

From what I can make out, startup credits do not apply if:

• the model is billed by Fireworks directly,
• The model you are deploying is listed as partner or community in Foundry,
• The model is deployed through Azure marketplace,
• Or the model uses partner managed fine tuning or hosting.

In these cases, token usage ay be invoiced separately and not deducted from your credits. The reason why they are not covered is because of the billing source. More can be found in this documentation here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/startups/benefits/technical-benefits/azure-credits/foundry-model-sponsorship-coverage

Azure Startup credits will cover Azure services deployed on your Startups subscription that are billed as a standard Azure consumption. If the service isn't a product from Azure or a Microsoft support plan or an Azure marketplace purchase, it is unlikely to be covered. This is outlined in this documentation here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/startups/benefits/azure-credits/use-azure-credits#understand-what-startup-credits-cover

Hope this helps,
Nathan