New SME AI Academy on ThinkBusiness aims to help businesses build AI skills and prepare for incoming EU regulations.
Bank of Ireland and search giant Google have joined forces to provide up to 10,000 fully-funded AI training scholarships for businesses across Ireland in a move designed to accelerate AI adoption and strengthen digital skills among the country’s SME sector.
The initiative will give Bank of Ireland SME customers free access to the Google AI Professional Certificate through the Grow with Google programme.
“SMEs need accessible, user-friendly tools to build their AI capability and confidence”
The scholarships are being supported through a newly launched SME AI Academy on ThinkBusiness, which features practical guides, expert resources and case studies from businesses already integrating AI into their operations.
Boosting business
“SMEs need accessible, user-friendly tools to build their AI capability and confidence. By providing up to 10,000 Google AI scholarships we can ensure practical and impactful AI support for our SME customers to really boost their business,” said Derek McDermott, director of Everyday Lending at Bank of Ireland.
👉 Ready to reclaim an extra day a week? Secure your scholarship to complete the certification at no cost. Apply now and get started!
“Our SME AI Academy, hosted on Thinkbusiness.ie, is designed to equip businesses with the skills and knowledge that they need to thrive with AI. We look forward to working with Google to deliver this support to businesses across Ireland over the coming months.”
The new AI supports will help Irish businesses build capabilities and prepare for the evolving regulatory landscape, including compliance obligations under the EU AI Act (effective 2 August).
With the EU AI Act applicable for businesses of all sizes, SMEs are under increasing pressure to understand compliance requirements and responsibly deploy their AI.
“Small and medium-sized businesses are fundamental to Ireland’s economy, creating jobs, driving innovation and strengthening communities across the country,” said Vanessa Hartley, head of Google Ireland.
“Their success will be critical to ensuring Ireland thrives in the AI era. At Google, we’ve been supporting Irish SMEs with digital skills for more than 20 years and we are committed to helping businesses build the AI skills they need to continue to succeed.
“Through this partnership with Bank of Ireland, we’re making AI training more accessible, helping up to 10,000 SMEs gain the practical skills, tools and confidence to adopt AI, boost productivity and unlock new opportunities for growth.”
The Google AI professional certificate, delivered via the online platform Coursera, has been designed for busy SMEs. There is under 10 hours total learning commitment, delivered in manageable one-hour modules through a flexible, self-paced format hosted on Coursera.
Learners complete 20 hands-on projects, leaving the course with a tangible, ready-to-use digital toolkit tailored to their specific business. The training introduces teams to new abilities such as “vibe coding”, the ability to build apps using simple conversational English rather than complex software code.
Participants will also receive three months’ extended access to Google AI Pro, supporting continued experimentation and adoption.
The SME AI Academy is now live on ThinkBusiness.ie, and SMEs can apply for the AI scholarship here.
Top image: Bank of Ireland chief marketing officer Laura Lynch; head of Google Ireland Vanessa Hartley; Alex Buckley, Business Development Administrator, McNally Family Farm; Karen Stolberg, vice-president of Google Customer Solutions for the UK and Ireland; and Derek McDermott, director of Everyday Lending at Bank of Ireland
👉 No tech background needed to bring your business into the AI age! Secure your scholarship to complete the certification at no cost. Apply now and get started!
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