Salesforce and the Infocomm Media Development Authority launch the Slack AI Launchpad Programme to help Singapore SMEs build capabilities and harness AI for business growth
Singapore, 13th October 2026 – Salesforce and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) today announced the Slack AI Launchpad Programme, a joint initiative to help up to 1,000 SMEs move from artificial intelligence (AI) awareness to hands-on implementation of AI-enabled workflows for their business. The programme aims to help SMEs put AI to work in their business workflows and put agentic AI into practice in their business to improve productivity and drive business growth. Minister for Digital Development and Information, Mrs Josephine Teo, announced the partnership at IMDA’s SMEs Go Digital Day 2026, in support of the National AI Impact Programme (NAIIP) and the Digital Enterprise Blueprint (DEB).
Announced at the Committee of Supply Debates 2026, NAIIP aims to support 10,000 enterprises over three years to advance their AI adoption journey. The Slack AI Launchpad Programme extends that support to Singapore SMEs, providing structured guidance to help them move from beyond experimentation to actual AI implementation. A key challenge is knowing where to start, including identifying suitable business processes for automation, preparing their workflows and data, and translating these into AI-enabled workflows that can be applied to their day-to-day operations. The programme addresses this by providing SMEs with not just access to Slack Business+, but also structured guidance to identify a suitable business use case, build a working AI-enabled workflow, and implement it in their business.
Through the two-year programme, participating SMEs will receive complimentary 60-day Slack Business+ trials of up to 10 users per SME, and two hands-on workshops. Through Slack, SMEs will have access to Slackbot, a personal AI teammate for each employee built directly into Slack. Slackbot understands how businesses work through the conversations, decisions and data that live in Slack. It can help SMEs find answers, organise work, create content, schedule meetings, and take action – all without leaving Slack.
SMEs can also use Slackbot Skills to turn repeatable tasks into reusable AI capabilities, helping employees save time. Instead of every employee writing their own prompts or rebuilding the same workflows, Slackbot Skills allow teams to create simple shortcuts that anyone in the team can run instantly to complete recurring, routine tasks.
To help SMEs apply these capabilities to their own business context, workshops will be conducted in collaboration with Salesforce partners Bryd, May4S, and Valuehub. These workshops guide SMEs from learning Slack fundamentals and identifying suitable business processes for automation, to building at least one AI-enabled workflow for their business.
SMEs will also have access to ready-to-use resources including templates, guides and AI prompt libraries, and a dedicated Slack community to connect with fellow participants and receive ongoing support from Salesforce during the complimentary trial period.
SMEs that are keen to participate in the Slack AI Launchpad Programme can sign up on IMDA’s SMEs Go Digital platform from 13 October 2026 onwards. More information on the programme will also be available on the website.
“SMEs are the backbone of Singapore’s economy, but lean teams often struggle to find the time to scale. Agentic AI represents an extraordinary opportunity for SMEs to augment their workforce and levels the playing field so small businesses can deliver the same fast, personalised customer service as large companies. We are excited to collaborate with IMDA on this initiative to help SMEs boost productivity and grow faster with Slack’s collaborative interface and innovative AI solutions,” said Vernon Cheo, Country General Manager, Singapore, Salesforce.
“The biggest barrier for many SMEs is not access to AI tools, but knowing how to apply them to their day-to-day operations, particularly when lean teams have limited time and resources to explore new ways of working. Through the Slack AI Launchpad Programme, SMEs will receive hands-on guidance to identify relevant use cases and develop AI-enabled workflows that meet their business needs, helping them build the practical know-how and confidence to adopt AI,” said Johnson Poh, Assistant Chief Executive, Enterprise Transformation and Innovation Group, IMDA.
Helping Singapore SMEs thrive in the long term
Salesforce has been supporting local SMEs in Singapore through tailored solutions and industry partnerships. Over the past two years, Salesforce ran the Data + AI Boost SME Programme, in collaboration with IMDA, helping over 6,500 SMEs across all stages of digital maturity to better harness data and AI-enabled solutions for growth. Salesforce’s SME-specific solutions include Salesforce Suites, the CRM designed for small businesses and startups with AI directly built-in, and Slack CRM for small businesses that want to manage their customer relationships on the platform that they are already working with. Slack CRM brings lightweight customer relationship management capabilities natively onto Slack. Together, these solutions help Singapore business owners spend less time on admin work and more time on what matters most – building relationships and growing their business.
