In more detail

The Sandbox was designed to provide SMEs in Singapore the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with GenAI solutions. The Sandbox is anticipated to benefit approximately 300 SMEs across the retail, food and beverage, education, and hospitality sectors, amongst others. These SMEs can take advantage of the GenAI solutions across two categories: (1) marketing and sales and (2) customer engagement.

Marketing and sales

Under the marketing and sales category, SMEs can utilise solutions for the creation of diverse and personalised marketing content, such as customised emails, copywriting and social media posts that are tailored to the participating SMEs campaign strategy. Such campaign strategies and content ideas may similarly be developed through the use of GenAI solutions. The leveraging of GenAI capabilities not only streamlines the marketing process for SMEs but also helps in the development of engaging content based on competitive intelligence.

Customer engagement

SMEs can enhance their customer interaction on a larger scale by employing GenAI-powered chatbots. These chatbots facilitate easy information searches that will help improve customer experience, provide personalised recommendations to customers, and offer automated customer support requests (e.g., reservations and purchase transactions). These solutions can help SMEs better manage manpower planning and therefore enhance operational efficiency, while simultaneously elevating the overall customer experience.

Who can apply

Interested SMEs that meet the following requirements will be eligible for participation in the Sandbox:

ACRA-registered, taxable, and operating in Singapore

Minimum of 30% local shareholding

Group sales turnover not more than S$100 million per annum or group employment size not more than 200 employees

Have not adopted any other solutions under this GenAI Sandbox for SMEs

An eligible SME may receive funding support to trial one of the supported GenAI solutions for three months. Participating SMEs that wish to continue using the same solution after the trial are eligible to apply for funding support for an additional nine months.

Please note that the deadline for registration may differ for the respective solutions. SMEs are required to contact the solution vendors directly to find out more about the solution features and functions, onboarding process, as well as any associated risks and mitigation measures. More information can be found here.

Key takeaways

GenAI solutions offer SMEs an unprecedented opportunity to leverage AI capabilities within their operations. These solutions have the potential to enhance productivity across key business functions, drive innovation in the products and services offered, and elevate customer experiences. As we usher in a new digital era shaped by AI, it remains important for businesses to keep abreast of the latest AI developments by exploring and integrating these technologies in their operations.

Therefore, through this sandbox, SMEs can navigate and experiment with GenAI solutions to have a better understanding of their functions and benefits. This includes the generation of new revenue streams and optimizing business operations for increased efficiency.

The Sandbox itself is an exciting initiative that further demonstrates Singapore's dedication to stay ahead of the curve and foster innovation while encouraging responsible and trustworthy AI solutions. SMEs are therefore encouraged to participate in the Sandbox as the curated solutions provided will give them greater accessibility to GenAI before deploying it on a larger scale.

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