How to Organize an AI Hackathon in Your SME in 5 Steps

A practical guide to sparking AI innovation through an engaging internal event.

• Why Train Your Teams in AI Right Now
• Essential AI Skills by Role
• The 90-Day Training Plan
• Funding AI Training for Your Teams
• Recommended Training Platforms
• Measuring Training ROI
• Conclusion

Why Train Your Teams in AI Right Now

The reasons are numerous and converging:

• Productivity: employees who are proficient with AI tools are on average 35% more productive on office tasks.
• Talent retention: employees want to work with modern tools. 67% of workers under 35 consider AI proficiency a key factor when choosing an employer.
• Competitiveness: your competitors are already training their teams. Every month you wait widens the gap.
• Future-proofing: training today means preparing for the role changes of tomorrow.

Essential AI Skills by Role

For Executives

• Understanding the possibilities and limitations of AI
• Evaluating an AI business case
• Identifying strategic use cases
• Managing an AI project

For Managers

• Using AI assistants (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) on a daily basis
• Automating team workflows
• Analyzing performance data with AI
• Managing AI-driven change

For Employees

• Prompt engineering: communicating effectively with AI
• Using AI tools specific to their field
• Detecting AI errors and biases
• Protecting sensitive data

The 90-Day Training Plan

• Introduction to AI and its business applications
• Demonstrations of available tools
• Addressing concerns and questions

• Getting started with generative AI assistants
• Basic prompt engineering
• Integrating AI into existing workflows
• Practical exercises based on real company use cases

• Automation with no-code tools
• Data analysis with AI
• Building automated workflows
• Team-based projects

• Individual automation projects
• Sharing best practices
• Setting up an AI watch process
• Ongoing training plan

Funding AI Training for Your Teams

Several funding options are available for SMEs:

• OPCO: your industry's collective funding body covers certified AI training programs, with an average budget of €1,500 to €5,000 per employee.
• CPF: employees can use their Personal Training Account (Compte Personnel de Formation) to fund AI certifications.
• FNE-Formation: a government scheme covering up to 70% of training costs for SMEs undergoing transformation.
• France Num: digital vouchers worth €500 to €6,500 for digital skills training.
• BPI France: funded diagnostics and support programs for AI transformation.

Recommended Training Platforms

• OpenClassrooms: accessible, French-language, certified AI learning paths
• Coursera / Google AI: in-depth training, often free
• Simplon: intensive, inclusive training programs
• Les Geeks des Chiffres: data and AI training tailored to SMEs

Measuring Training ROI

To justify the investment, track the following:

• Time saved per employee per week on automated tasks
• Adoption rate of AI tools after training
• Number of processes automated by trained teams
• Employee satisfaction (before/after survey)
• Business impact: revenue growth, error reduction, improved customer service

Want to go further? Check out our AI Training for Your Teams: The Complete Guide for SMEs, which covers the full picture.

Conclusion

Training your teams in AI isn't an expense — it's an investment with measurable ROI from the very first weeks. SMEs that invest in AI training today are building the skills that will drive their success tomorrow.