OpenAI launched a small business program with training, in-person AI academies, and partner agents, alongside news of 10 million ChatGPT Work and Codex users.
By Quantara Editorial Team · Business · Published · 6 min read
OpenAI announced a small business program on July 21, 2026, aimed at helping smaller companies adopt ChatGPT and its agentic tools without needing an in-house AI team. The announcement came alongside a milestone claim: OpenAI says it has reached 10 million combined ChatGPT Work and Codex users.
What Is in the Program?
The program includes virtual training sessions, in-person "AI academies" held in the US, getting-started guides for common workflows, and access to agents and partner tools built specifically for small-business needs. OpenAI is also running webinars on using ChatGPT Work for accounting, marketing, and ecommerce tasks.
How This Connects to ChatGPT Work
ChatGPT Work is OpenAI's agentic product tier, powered by GPT-5.6, that pulls context from a team's existing tools to turn scattered notes and drafts into finished output. The small business program is largely an education and onboarding layer on top of that existing product rather than a separate model or subscription tier.
Why Small Businesses, Why Now?
Reaching 10 million ChatGPT Work and Codex users gives OpenAI a large existing base, but adoption inside smaller companies often lags behind large enterprises that have dedicated AI teams to manage rollout. In-person academies and structured webinars are a direct attempt to close that gap by lowering the setup cost for owners without technical staff.
What Small Business Owners Should Check First
- Which existing tools (accounting, ecommerce, CRM) already have supported integrations before assuming a workflow needs custom setup.
- Whether an in-person academy session is available in your region versus relying on virtual training and guides.
- Data-handling terms for connecting business tools like accounting software to an agent with broader system access.
- Whether a narrower, self-built prompt workflow solves the immediate need before committing to a full ChatGPT Work rollout.
Start With a Structured Prompt
Before adopting a full agent workflow, many small businesses get value from well-structured one-off prompts. Try Verbito's Business Prompt Generator to create a first working draft for a specific task, then decide whether a persistent agent is worth the setup.
Sources
- OpenAI: Introducing the ChatGPT for small business program
- 9to5Mac: OpenAI launches small business program
- Inc.: OpenAI unveils push to turn small business owners into AI power users
Frequently asked questions
- What does the ChatGPT small business program include?
- It includes virtual training, in-person AI academies in the US, getting-started guides, and access to agents and partner tools built for small businesses, plus webinars on using ChatGPT Work for accounting, marketing, and ecommerce.
- Is this a new AI model?
- No. The program is an education and onboarding initiative built around OpenAI's existing ChatGPT Work product, which runs on GPT-5.6, rather than a new model or subscription tier.
- How many people use ChatGPT Work and Codex?
- OpenAI said, alongside the small business program announcement, that it has reached 10 million combined ChatGPT Work and Codex users.
- Do I need ChatGPT Work to benefit from AI as a small business?
- Not necessarily. Many small businesses get value from well-structured individual prompts for specific tasks before committing to a persistent agent workflow like ChatGPT Work.