Global technology firm Microsoft has launched the AI QuickStart program, a new initiative to help digitally mature enterprises – including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as large enterprises – known as Digital Leaders to rapidly deploy practical, enterprise-ready artificial intelligence (AI) solutions in Singapore.
The firm said in a statement on last Friday that supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and United Overseas Bank (UOB), the program focuses on accelerating AI deployment in key business areas, including knowledge mining, customer engagement, operations automation, content creation and conversational analytics.
AI QuickStart enables Digital Leaders to deploy real-world AI quickly through enterprise-grade AI solutions to solve their most pressing challenges.
Projects will be completed within three months, with costs capped at up to S$20,000 ($15,767) each, including cloud and compute resources, and professional services for solution development and implementation.
To streamline the process, a set of curated solutioning services are available for selection, which will then be customized to business needs using proven large language model (LLM)-based architectures with responsible AI guardrails.
Eligible enterprises may receive funding support from IMDA and UOB.
It is noted that Microsoft is one of the first technology partners under IMDA’s Generative AI (GenAI) x Digital Leaders initiative to launch this program, with the aim to empower Digital Leaders with cutting-edge AI tech to achieve real business impact.
The GenAI x Digital Leaders initiative, first launched by IMDA in 2024, has been helping Digital Leaders deepen their understanding of GenAI and providing them with access to expertise and resources to develop and implement GenAI solutions with technology partners.
“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,” said Johnson Poh, Assistant Chief Executive, Enterprise Transformation and Innovation Group, IMDA.
Rachel Bondi, Corporate Vice President, Small, Medium Enterprises and Channel at Microsoft Asia, added that small and medium enterprises power Singapore’s economy, and they need AI solutions that are affordable, secure and deliver real results fast.
“AI turns every small business into a scale business. We are seeing a new wave of frontier SMEs emerging in Singapore – organizations that are using AI not as an experiment, but as a core capability to run leaner operations, serve customers better, and grow with confidence,
“AI QuickStart removes the biggest barriers – figuring out how to implement, scale and govern safely, while choosing the right tools and managing the cost of trusted tech partners with the support of IMDA. It’s a simple, low risk way for SMEs to experience the value of AI and accelerate their digital journey,” she added.
As a partner in the AI QuickStart program, UOB will support through its UOB FinLab AI Ready program which equips small-medium enterprises with knowledge, tools, and expert guidance to scale AI adoption, coupled with financing packages to support SMEs undertaking AI projects and broader digital transformation.
“We recognize the urgency for enterprises to be AI-ready, with our commitment to strengthen long-term resilience for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across decades,
“In 2025, we engaged more than 1,000 SMEs across ASEAN as part of the UOB FinLab AI Ready Program to accelerate their path to growth,” said Kavita Bedi, Head of Group SME Banking, UOB.
According to her, this includes supporting a local SME in the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry to build an agentic customer acquisition platform which empowered them to scale customer outreach and conversion despite limited resources.
“Our partnership with IMDA and Microsoft to power the AI QuickStart program will enable SMEs to adopt digital transformation with ease and speed,” she added.
The AI QuickStart program is designed to give enterprises a clear path to success, making digital transformation more approachable and practical.
The program offers easy-to-deploy AI solutioning services that address common business needs for Digital Leaders including: improving customer engagement by helping businesses connect with clients more effectively; simplifying content creation by making it faster and easier to produce information and promotional materials; automating routine tasks by freeing up time for employers and teams to take on higher value work; boosting productivity and operational efficiency by streamlining processes for better results.
The launch of AI QuickStart builds on the success of earlier Microsoft and Singapore government agencies’ initiatives in supporting enterprise digital transformation.
These include the GenAI x Digital Leaders initiative, and the Copilot for SMEs program that provided subsidized licenses for the AI tool Microsoft 365 Copilot, helping thousands of local business owners and workers begin their AI journey.