OpenAI has announced the launch of a program to train 20,0000 small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) across Europe with artificial intelligence (AI) skills.
In partnership with Booking.com, OpenAI is introducing an “SME AI Accelerator,” which is intended to help SMEs use AI to boost productivity and business. OpenAI said it is addressing the AI adoption gap: According to data from Eurostat, in 2025, 55% of large enterprises had adopted AI, compared to just 17% of small businesses.
“The AI adoption gap between SMEs and large enterprises is widening, even as SMEs remain the backbone of Europe’s economy. Closing that gap is essential if AI is to truly benefit everyone, and we are committed to taking our part,” Julie Lavet, head of EU member states policy and partnerships at OpenAI, wrote on LinkedIn.
The SME AI Accelerator program is available to small business owners and teams across sectors in six countries: France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Ireland and the U.K.
OpenAI touted free access to its OpenAI Academy, in-person workshops and virtual training. Details about the trainings will be shared “in due course,” the company said.
The SME program is part of OpenAI’s larger EU Economic Blueprint 2.0, which provides additional partnership opportunities for governments and includes a €500,000 nongovernmental organization (NGO) grant to “support EU research into youth safety and wellbeing.”