eBay partners with Open AI on new programme for businesses

The programme is worth over £3m and will upskill small UK businesses who will have fully funded access to AI productivity tools and training. Up to 10,000 businesses are expected to be onboarded this year.

Sellers can have access to ChatGPT Enterprise and custom GPT productivity tools developed by eBay for up to 12 months. This is supported by tailored training for small businesses.

The training programme was designed using insights from research and interviews with sellers, and it highlighted the best opportunities for AI to make an impact.

This involved automating administration and finance tasks, generating promotional content and campaigns in minutes, analysing sales and category data to support better planning and innovation, and improving product listings to save time and enhance accuracy.

eBay said it is the first online marketplace to provide OpenAI’s tools and free training to its small business customers.

Sessions will include managing financial analysis, creating promotional campaigns and effective research. Training will take place virtually before in-person sessions kick off in 2026.

eBay AI Activate is part of a broader focus for the marketplace as it makes AI central to the business.

eBay general manager UK Eve Williams said: “The issue is no longer whether businesses should adopt AI. It is how quickly they can start before their competitors do. 

“Those businesses and economies that don’t invest in AI now risk being left behind. That’s why eBay is investing to put world-class AI in the hands of small businesses and entrepreneurs, with no charge to them. 

“We want British small businesses to win nationally and globally, which means that the latest AI tools cannot be the preserve of big business. They should be in the hands of every small business in Britain.”

OpenAI chief economist Ronnie Chatterji added: “Small businesses power the UK economy, accounting for over 99% of the UK’s firms. Yet for too long, they have not had the tools to drive increases in productivity the way larger firms do. 

“This collaboration could change that. By putting world-class AI tools in the hands of 10,000 UK entrepreneurs, we’re investing in the UK’s economic engine. If we want to close the productivity gap, this is where to start.”