About ITC
We are improving the lives of millions of people in developing countries through the powerful engine of trade.
Building trade-led growth for a more equitable world. Our support for micro, small and medium-sized businesses’ ability to compete can lift individuals, communities and countries out of poverty and create a more equitable world.
Activities by ITC
Small Business Champions 2026
Global Not Applicable
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the World
Trade Organization’s Informal Working Group on Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (WTO
MSME Group) in partnership with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), organised the Small Business Champions 2026 with the aim of highlighting innovative solutions and initiatives that help micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) for international trade.
The two winners, Rinato Space (Zambia) and Koaloo.FI (France), and the two runners-up, The Globby (Turkey) and CCIT&CIPE (Colombia), were announced on 29 June 2026.
About the competition
The Small Business Champions Competition is an annual competition launched in 2021, that provides an opportunity for businesses, industry associations, chambers of commerce and non-governmental organizations to propose innovative, practical ways of helping small businesses play a more active role in world trade.
This year's competition organized under the theme of "Supporting Small Businesses to Use AI for International Trade". AI is profoundly reshaping global trade, offering small businesses powerful new ways to optimize supply chains, reduce costs and overcome longstanding trade barriers. AI-driven tools now provide real-time analytics, track shipments, anticipate disruptions and enhance compliance capabilities to meet international trade regulations. This transformation is especially important for smaller businesses, as it can help them to navigate complex and constantly changing market dynamics. The competition, launched in January, invited small businesses, business support organizations and non-governmental organizations to apply with initiatives built upon proven models and emerging AI technologies that ensure that small businesses worldwide can fully benefit from this digital revolution in trade.
Corporate Strategy for AI in ITC
GlobalITC has developed an organizational strategy for AI focused on using AI tools to make the organization more productive and to innovate with new approaches to trade development.
Activity Type Policy/Regulatory GuidanceResearch/Reports/AssessmentsArtificial Intelligence Lab – Knowledge Sharing and Management
Global Not ApplicableA lab exploring practical AI applications to enhance knowledge-sharing and management within organizations. It focuses on how AI can automate tasks, provide actionable insights, and enable faster decision-making.
Activity Type Trainings/WorkshopsStrengthening policy support for SMEs in developing countries using artificial intelligence
GlobalTradeAI is an AI-powered online policy advisory application for policymakers to access relevant policy solutions for trade-related challenges. It uses image recognition, NLP, and neural networks to discover patterns and generate new policy insights from extensive repositories of trade policy documents. A pilot to integrate generative AI into the app began in 2023.
Activity Type Technical assistanceResearch/Reports/AssessmentsPolicy/Regulatory GuidanceAI Tools/Solutions