Microsoft has launched a new programme aimed at helping digitally mature companies in Singapore deploy artificial intelligence (AI) projects within three months.
Supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and United Overseas Bank (UOB), the AI QuickStart programme targets “digital leaders”, including SMEs and larger firms that have already invested in digital capabilities.
The initiative focuses on deploying enterprise-ready AI in areas such as knowledge mining, customer engagement, operations automation, content creation and conversational analytics, which Microsoft says reflect where companies are seeking the most practical guidance.
Under the programme, participating companies will complete AI projects within three months, with costs capped at up to $20,000 per project. The price includes cloud and computing resources as well as professional services for solution development and implementation. Eligible firms may receive funding support from IMDA and UOB.
The launch comes as the government warns that while AI tools are becoming more accessible, adoption at the enterprise level remains uneven, particularly among smaller firms that lack the resources to experiment and scale.
“Technology diffusion is uneven. Very often, companies at the frontier are able to pour in the resources to experiment and create competitive advantages for themselves, but this ability does not go beyond the frontier companies. There is a long tail of companies that do not seem to be able to catch on,” says Singapore’s Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, at the launch of the programme earlier today.
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Microsoft says AI QuickStart is designed to help firms move beyond isolated pilots and productivity gains, and instead embed AI more deeply into core business operations.
“In the past year, we have seen investment go from strength to strength in enabling all employees within their organisation to really understand how to use AI. The AI QuickStart programme is the next step in that evolution, moving from productivity gains to AI scaling business outcomes,” says Rachel Bondi, corporate vice president for small and medium enterprises and channel at Microsoft Asia.
She adds that the programme is underpinned by Microsoft’s AI platform and end-to-end AI solutions developed together with OpenAI, with security integrated across organisational layers.
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UOB will support the initiative through its UOB FinLab AI Ready programme, which provides SMEs with advisory support, tools and financing options to fund AI projects and broader digital transformation.
“We recognise the urgency for enterprises to be AI-ready. Our partnership with IMDA and Microsoft to power the AI QuickStart programme will enable SMEs to adopt digital transformation with ease and speed,” says Kavita Bedi, UOB’s head of group SME banking.
The launch builds on earlier Microsoft and Singapore government initiatives, including IMDA’s GenAI x Digital Leaders programme (which aims to benefit 1,000 digitally mature SMEs), and the Copilot for SMEs programme, which provided subsidised licences for Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Microsoft says companies involved in the earlier initiative are beginning to translate AI adoption into operational outcomes. These include At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy, which has applied AI to streamline academic workflows and support learners, as well as steel customisation firm BRC, which has used AI to cut manual data entry and improve data reliability in operations-intensive environments.
Johnson Poh, assistant chief executive, Enterprise Transformation and Innovation Group, IMDA, says: “Public-private partnerships are key to helping enterprises scale AI. Our strong partnership with Microsoft has delivered encouraging results by combining IMDA’s understanding of local business needs with Microsoft’s AI capabilities. By deepening our collaboration and expanding access to Microsoft’s network of technology partners, we can further enable our digital leaders to develop and deploy AI solutions that are reliable and practical.”
