ICC-ITC-WTO MSME Group Small Business Champions 2026 – YOA

Deadline: March 16, 2026

Applications are open for the ICC-ITC-WTO MSME Group Small Business Champions 2026. The Small Business Champions Competition was launched in 2021 by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the WTO Informal Working Group on Micro, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (MSMEs).

This annual competitors offers an OPPORTUNITY for companies, business associations, chambers of commerce and non-governmental organizations to suggest modern, sensible methods of serving to small companies play a extra energetic function in world commerce.

Background

Although MSMEs account for almost all of world companies, they make up a comparatively small share of worldwide commerce. Lack of sources and entry to related data are among the many boundaries that limit MSME participation in world commerce. Helping MSMEs to commerce internationally can improve enterprise productiveness and competitiveness in addition to assist inclusivity.

2026: Supporting Small Businesses to Use AI for International Trade

Artificial intelligence (AI) is profoundly reshaping international commerce, providing MSMEs highly effective new methods to optimize provide chains, scale back prices and overcome longstanding commerce boundaries. AI-pushed instruments now present actual-time analytics, monitor shipments, anticipate disruptions and improve compliance capabilities to fulfill worldwide commerce rules. This transformation is very essential for smaller companies, as it will probably assist them to navigate advanced and continuously altering market dynamics.

This 12 months’s Small Business Champions Competition is searching for tasks that not solely harness AI to streamline provide chains and scale back transaction prices but in addition empower small companies to compete extra successfully on the worldwide stage. Proposals ought to construct upon confirmed fashions and rising AI applied sciences to make sure that MSMEs worldwide can absolutely profit from this digital revolution in commerce.

Award

• The important award for the successful proposal can be an invite from the ITU to take part within the AI for Good Global Summit on 8 July 2026. The winner will be a part of a fireplace chat with competitors organizers to debate the usage of AI to assist worldwide commerce. This additionally features a Speaker Summit move, offering the chance to attend all classes, community with international AI and commerce consultants, and showcase the successful initiative on a world stage.
• Training and mentoring alternatives can be mentioned with every winner in line with their wants, whereas successful submissions can be promoted by the ICC, ITC, ITU and the WTO MSME Group by means of their communication channels.

Eligibility

• Open to small companies creating modern AI options designed to assist MSMEs unlock the complete potential of AI applied sciences.
• Industry associations, chambers of commerce, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or comparable entities offering coaching, capability constructing, or assist companies to MSMEs in AI and worldwide commerce.
• Partnerships involving any of the above.

They are searching for:

• AI-powered options that facilitate worldwide commerce for MSMEs
• Training applications, workshops, or campaigns that educate MSMEs use AI to reinforce their functionality to commerce internationally.
• Other proposals with a transparent hyperlink to small companies, worldwide commerce and synthetic intelligence.

Application

Click here to apply

For extra data, go to ICC-ITC-WTO MSME Group Small Business Champions.