Expanding AI Access for Small Businesses

Small businesses often operate with lean teams and limited time to handle tasks like marketing, finance management, and customer acquisition. To help address these challenges, OpenAI is announcing a strategic collaboration with America’s SBDC, the national network of small business development centers that serves 1 million entrepreneurs annually.

The initial phase of this initiative aims to train roughly 150 Small Business Development Center advisors. Utilizing the OpenAI Academy’s Community Trainer Program, the effort will bring in-person workshops to SBDC networks nationwide, with the goal of directly reaching at least 1,000 small businesses through in-person sessions, alongside additional one-on-one advising and shared resources.

Training Advisors and Hosting Local Workshops

The pilot program is structured to combine specialized training for local advisors with continuous learning opportunities for business owners. Under the arrangement, America’s SBDC will select advisors to participate in an OpenAI Academy training and credentialing pathway designed to help small businesses apply artificial intelligence effectively and responsibly.

Additionally, the organizations plan to host hands-on Academy Workshops across participating SBDC networks. Modeled after a three-hour interactive format, these workshops allow owners to test ChatGPT on real business tasks and develop practical action plans, supported by ongoing follow-up from SBDC advisors.

New Insights on AI Adoption Among Small Teams

Alongside the partnership announcement, OpenAI released a comprehensive study titled Small Businesses, Bigger Capabilities, which examines how small teams leverage artificial intelligence to expand their operations. The report details findings from a recent week in September, indicating that approximately 4 million employees at companies with fewer than 500 people utilized OpenAI products.

According to the data, nearly one in five of those users belonged to businesses with fewer than 10 employees. Furthermore, agentic output tokens for tools like ChatGPT Work and Codex grew significantly between April and August 2026, pointing to a shift in how small teams execute complex operations.

Targeted Practical Resources and Industry Guides

To ensure business owners have ongoing support, OpenAI and America’s SBDC will develop practical guides covering areas such as marketing, operations, manufacturing, exporting, and government contracting. These materials will be distributed across both OpenAI Academy and America’s SBDC channels to help owners navigate specific industry requirements.

The collaborative effort builds upon previous outreach endeavors, including Small Business AI Jams hosted across multiple U.S. cities, designed to provide foundational technical access and community support for everyday entrepreneurs.

Sources

• OpenAI NewsHelping small businesses put AI to work