"2nd Everyone's Startup Project" Launched to Discover 10,000 Entrepreneurs

2nd Everyone's Startup Project Information Session Held Selection Capacity Doubled

The "2nd Everyone's Startup Project," aimed at discovering a total of 10,000 innovative entrepreneurs, has commenced. On the 19th, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that it will accept applications for challengers to participate in the "2nd Everyone's Startup Project," which allows anyone in the country to take on the challenge of starting a business.

This project is a startup talent development platform in which the government invests in individuals with ideas, enabling anyone to attempt entrepreneurship. The "1st Everyone's Startup," which began in March, sparked a nationwide startup boom, recording over 63,000 participants—making it the largest government startup and idea competition ever.

Han Seongsuk, Minister of SMEs and Startups, attended the launch ceremony of the first class of Everyone's Startup held at SVC Seoul in Mapo-gu, Seoul on the 16th and took a commemorative photo with the selected participants. 2026.06.16 Photo by Dongjoo Yoon

The "2nd Everyone's Startup" has further advanced its support system by actively incorporating feedback from both challengers and mentors. The number of selected participants has been doubled, aiming to discover a total of 10,000 innovative entrepreneurs. Eligibility for existing business owners who want to switch industries has been expanded from those with businesses less than three years old to those operated for up to seven years, allowing more people to participate. However, to stay true to the project's intent, more than 80% of all selected participants will be prospective entrepreneurs, and at least 70% will be from regions outside the metropolitan area, boosting local startup ecosystems.

In accordance with the increased number of participants, the startup incubation infrastructure will also be greatly expanded. Major corporations and mid-sized companies such as Hana Bank and Shinhan Square Bridge, as well as public institutions such as the Korea Water Resources Corporation, are newly joining, bringing the total number of incubation organizations to around 170.

The "Challenger Application" required for project application has also been revamped. New sections have been added to describe the applicant's capabilities and their startup preparation process, and for repeat challengers, a new section now allows them to highlight improvements and enhancements made compared to their ideas submitted in the first round. These details, along with previous mentoring participation records, will be reflected in the evaluation process, giving advantages at the selection stage.

The evaluation process and support programs have also been improved. To increase fairness and transparency, a "multi-faceted evaluation system" in which three mentors evaluate each application together has been introduced, along with an "AI verification model" that checks for the rate of AI-generated content and plagiarism. Additionally, to further strengthen support programs that foster the growth of participants, the use of startup activity funds has been expanded to include online payment gateway (PG) services, and around 50 AI solutions curated by experts in AI and science & technology will be provided.

The recruiting process will begin on the 20th, coinciding with the "2nd Everyone's Startup Information Session." At this session, key incubation organizations such as The Invention Lab and Korea University will personally share the outcomes of their initiatives so far and introduce the new incubation directions for the second round. Additionally, successful participants from the first Everyone's Startup round will share their real-life challenge experiences.

Anyone interested in joining the Everyone's Startup Project can apply online via the Everyone's Startup platform from the 20th to the 17th of next month. Starting with this information session, a total of 17 offline information sessions will also be held sequentially across various regions to provide detailed guides and encourage even more prospective entrepreneurs nationwide to participate.

Cho Kyungwon, Director of Startup Policy at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, stated, "For this second project, we have broadened the entryway by incorporating feedback from the field and further strengthened the support system. We hope to see bold challenges and active participation from those who want to bring their ideas to the world without fear of failure."

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