How Singapore SMEs Can Win the Inaugural AI Impact Awards

• Proprietary AI Solutions: This category is for SMEs that have developed their own AI tools. It recognises companies that have invested in building custom machine-learning models, algorithms, or AI-driven platforms to solve specific business challenges .
• Off-the-Shelf AI Solutions: This category is aimed at SMEs that have successfully implemented ready-to-use or vendor-provided AI solutions. It acknowledges that effective AI adoption does not always require building from scratch—smart deployment of existing tools can deliver significant impact .

This dual-category approach reflects the reality that SMEs innovate with AI in different ways, and it ensures both builders and adopters are recognised.

What Judges Look For: The Three-Part Evaluation

Winning an SME AI Impact Award requires more than just using AI. Businesses will be evaluated on three specific criteria, and the process includes site visits to observe and validate AI use in operations .

1. Impact and value-add of AI: Judges examine the significance of the business challenge the AI solution was meant to address and how effectively the AI solved it. The focus is on whether the AI deployment genuinely moved the needle for the company .
2. Measurable results: Tangible, quantifiable outcomes matter. This can include productivity gains, financial benefits such as cost savings or revenue growth, and operational improvements like reduced processing times or error rates .
3. Change management and workforce impact: AI is as much about people as it is about technology. Judges will assess how the company trained its staff, adapted work processes, and built internal capabilities to sustain and deepen AI adoption over time .

This framework ensures the award goes beyond novelty to reward real commercial and organisational transformation.

Are You Eligible? The Key Requirements

The awards are targeted specifically at Singapore-based SMEs with a meaningful local presence and a demonstrated commitment to AI. To be eligible, a company must meet the following criteria, which align with standard SME definitions used in other Singapore government programmes :

• Must be registered in Singapore and have local operations .
• Must have at least 30% local shareholding .
• Group annual sales turnover must be below S$100 million, or the company must have fewer than 200 employees .
• Must have deployed an AI solution for at least six months at the time of nomination .

These requirements ensure that the awards are genuinely focused on smaller enterprises with a solid Singapore footprint and that applicants are past the pilot stage of AI adoption.

Who Is Judging: The High-Profile Panel

The judging panel brings together senior leaders from the public sector and major global technology companies. The confirmed judges include :

• Ng Cher Pong – Chief Executive, IMDA
• Kok Ping Soon – CEO, Singapore Business Federation
• Chia Wee Luen – Managing Director, Microsoft Singapore
• Benjamin Stewart King – Country Managing Director, Google Singapore
• Oliver Jay – International Managing Director, OpenAI

The presence of leaders from Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI on the panel signals the award's credibility and the strategic importance of AI adoption to Singapore's tech ecosystem.

How to Apply and Key Dates

The nomination window is tight, so SMEs need to act quickly.

• Nominations opened on 1 June 2026 and close on 14 August 2026 .
• Submissions are made through IMDA's SMEs Go Digital platform, the government's main portal for supporting digital transformation in smaller enterprises .
• SBF is actively driving nominations through its network of trade associations and chambers of commerce and will support the validation of applicants .

The awards ceremony will take place on 13 October 2026 at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre, held in conjunction with SMEs Go Digital Day 2026—an annual event that celebrates digital progress among Singapore's small business community .

For SMEs that have been quietly embedding AI into their operations and seeing measurable results, this award offers a rare chance to gain national recognition and a trustmark that could open doors to new partnerships and customers.