diff --git a/src/templates/finops-hub/modules/Microsoft.CostManagement/ManagedExports/app.bicep b/src/templates/finops-hub/modules/Microsoft.CostManagement/ManagedExports/app.bicep
index 9137669c1..386875b56 100644
--- a/src/templates/finops-hub/modules/Microsoft.CostManagement/ManagedExports/app.bicep
+++ b/src/templates/finops-hub/modules/Microsoft.CostManagement/ManagedExports/app.bicep
@@ -112,7 +112,11 @@ resource dataFactory 'Microsoft.DataFactory/factories@2018-06-01' existing = {
         recurrence: {
           frequency: 'Hour'
           interval: 24
-          startTime: '2023-01-01T01:01:00'
+          // Data Factory requires a trailing 'Z' on startTime when timeZone resolves to 'UTC' (the
+          // fallback for regions not in timeZones.bicep's map); a missing 'Z' fails trigger activation
+          // with InvalidWorkflowTriggerRecurrence. Mapped, non-UTC regions must keep the no-'Z' format
+          // so they continue scheduling on local wall-clock time.
+          startTime: timeZones.outputs.Timezone == 'UTC' ? '2023-01-01T01:01:00Z' : '2023-01-01T01:01:00'
           timeZone: timeZones.outputs.Timezone
         }
       }
@@ -138,7 +142,8 @@ resource dataFactory 'Microsoft.DataFactory/factories@2018-06-01' existing = {
         recurrence: {
           frequency: 'Month'
           interval: 1
-          startTime: '2023-01-05T01:11:00'
+          // See trigger_DailySchedule above for why the 'Z' suffix is conditional on the UTC fallback.
+          startTime: timeZones.outputs.Timezone == 'UTC' ? '2023-01-05T01:11:00Z' : '2023-01-05T01:11:00'
           timeZone: timeZones.outputs.Timezone
           schedule: {
             monthDays: [
diff --git a/src/templates/finops-hub/modules/Microsoft.FinOpsHubs/IngestionQueries/app.bicep b/src/templates/finops-hub/modules/Microsoft.FinOpsHubs/IngestionQueries/app.bicep
index 38fcfb22b..43fe519cd 100644
--- a/src/templates/finops-hub/modules/Microsoft.FinOpsHubs/IngestionQueries/app.bicep
+++ b/src/templates/finops-hub/modules/Microsoft.FinOpsHubs/IngestionQueries/app.bicep
@@ -96,7 +96,11 @@ resource trigger_DailySchedule 'Microsoft.DataFactory/factories/triggers@2018-06
       recurrence: {
         frequency: 'Hour'
         interval: 24
-        startTime: '2023-01-01T01:01:00'
+        // Data Factory requires a trailing 'Z' on startTime when timeZone resolves to 'UTC' (the
+        // fallback for regions not in timeZones.bicep's map); a missing 'Z' fails trigger activation
+        // with InvalidWorkflowTriggerRecurrence. Mapped, non-UTC regions must keep the no-'Z' format
+        // so they continue scheduling on local wall-clock time.
+        startTime: timeZones.outputs.Timezone == 'UTC' ? '2023-01-01T01:01:00Z' : '2023-01-01T01:01:00'
         timeZone: timeZones.outputs.Timezone
       }
     }