Grab and RSM Stone Forest IT (RSM) are joining Singapore's Digital Enterprise Blueprint ecosystem to help 12,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adopt artificial intelligence (AI) and strengthen cyber defences.
Grab will launch the Grab AI Programme for SMEs with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), targeting 10,000 food and beverage (F&B), e-commerce and retail businesses. The programme will use Grab's merchant network, digital channels and events to raise awareness of available AI tools, training and government support.
Under the programme, SMEs will get free online training videos, masterclasses and webinars co-curated with IMDA.
For SMEs ready to go further, a two-day course will guide businesses from understanding AI's business value to identifying use cases and building a practical AI roadmap. Titled "From AI Awareness to Business Advantage: A Practical Roadmap," the course is co-developed by Grab, IMDA and Singapore University of Technology.
Participants will also gain hands-on exposure to pre-approved AI solutions by IMDA for their sectors.
"Our ongoing work with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) highlights a growing divide — not between humans and machines, but between larger firms with dedicated resources and smaller businesses operating with limited bandwidth. Many SMEs are simply too busy to explore new technologies. That is why practical AI matters most," says Alejandro Osorio, managing director of Grab Singapore.
Strengthening SMEs’ cybersecurity capabilities
RSM will handle the cybersecurity side through its Cyber2SME Programme, which will offer complimentary phishing simulation exercises to 2,000 SMEs over two years. Each participating company can cover up to 30 employees and will receive a performance report and a 30-minute online advisory session with RSM cybersecurity practitioners.
The programme also includes cybersecurity awareness webinars and tabletop exercises for up to 1,000 SMEs, covering cyber risks, AI and data threats, and incident response. The aim is to let employees encounter realistic phishing attempts in a controlled setting before a real attack causes financial loss or operational disruption.
See also: Singapore's HTX, Adobe team up to verify authenticity of digital content
At the ATxEnterprise 2026 event earlier today, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Tan Kiat How says phishing remains one of the most persistent and under-addressed vulnerabilities for SMEs. "To defend against phishing, you need to strengthen the human aspect of your defense. To test and train people and build habits that reduce risk. That is exactly what this programme aims to do.”
Chio Kian Huat, chief executive of RSM Singapore, agrees. “Today, where threats evolve by the minute, our strongest defence is not just technology but our people. When every individual is able to recognise and respond to threats, we turn vulnerability into vigilance. And this is what keeps our businesses secure, adaptive, and future-ready," he says.
The cyber focus comes as scams and phishing attacks become costlier for businesses. Around 6,100 phishing attempts were reported in Singapore in 2024, a 49% increase from the year before, according to figures cited in the factsheet. Business email compromise scams, where attackers impersonate suppliers, vendors or senior executives, caused $35.3 million in losses across 377 cases in 2025.
The partnerships come as AI use among Singapore companies rises quickly, but unevenly. IMDA's Singapore Digital Economy Report 2025 found AI adoption among SMEs more than tripled to 14.5% in 2024 from 4.2% a year earlier. Among non-SMEs, adoption rose to 62.5% from 44%.
Led by IMDA, the DEB was set up in May 2024 to close that distance. "More than 26,000 SMEs have benefited from the programme. Within two years, we have crossed the mid-point of our five-year target of 50,000 [by 2029]. These figures represent businesses that took concrete steps forward," says Tan.
The addition of Grab and RSM brings the DEB ecosystem to 15 industry partners, spanning cloud providers, banks, telcos, business groups and technology firms. Among them are DBS Bank, Google, Microsoft, Salesforce and Singtel.
