NatWest Group has partnered with Google Cloud to provide start-ups in the UK with AI tools and training.

The collaboration will see Google Cloud support entrepreneurs on NatWest’s Accelerator with access to AI tools, cloud technology, and expert training, which NatWest said will equip the next generation of UK innovators with the digital skills needed to unlock business growth.

The training will be available to businesses who are part of NatWest’s Accelerator programme, a scheme which supports entrepreneurs to grow and scale their business.

Through the partnership, Google Cloud will provide NatWest’s Accelerator community with practical training on AI implementation and digital marketing which will be delivered through events at NatWest’s nationwide network of Accelerator hubs and the NatWest Accelerator app.

Eligible start-ups on NatWest’s Accelerator will also receive Google Cloud credits to build, test, and scale their operations on Google’s secure infrastructure, which NatWest said will reduce the cost and technical barriers for businesses leveraging AI to scale their ventures.

The move comes as research from NatWest shows that “future fit” businesses use data to make smarter decisions more quickly which lead to a competitive advantage.

In a survey of 1000 businesses operating across 10 sectors, NatWest found that 92 per cent of future-fit businesses were found to use data analysis to inform most or all of the significant decisions they make.

The research also found that future-fit businesses are also almost twice as likely to have begun to implement artificial intelligence tools and capabilities compared to the average business surveyed.

Darren Pirie, head of the NatWest Group accelerator, said that the support the programme provides accelerates growth right across the UK and helps businesses to boost their turnover, secure investment and scale.

“With technology evolving at an extraordinary pace, we are working hard to ensure that our customers are supported to develop the digital skills they’ll need to drive their growth,” he added. “By embedding access to Google’s world-class expertise across our Accelerator, we are providing the practical support needed to help entrepreneurs understand AI and the benefits it could have for their business – so they can step into the future with the confidence and skills they’ll need to grow.”

Last month, NatWest announced a five-year collaboration with Amazon Web Service (AWS) and Accenture to modernise the banks’ digital, data, analytics and AI capabilities.

The improved data capabilities will speed up growth by providing the bank with state-of-the-art data capabilities for relationship managers, which NatWest said will equip them with advanced tools that enable access to, and analysis of, deep insights for each of its 20 million customers.

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