Discovering Promising Local and Export

Competition Rate Reaches 15 to 1 "Innovative Small Business Owners Integrated Audition" to Be Held

An integrated audition aimed at discovering and nurturing innovative small business owners will be held.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on June 21, 2026, that it will host the "2026 Integrated Audition for Innovative Small Business Owners." The audition will take place from June 22 to June 26. It will select participating companies for the "Local Startup Leap Support Project," which fosters local startup companies; the "Startup Growth R&D (Small Business Track)," which supports technology development; and the "Global Small Business Nurturing Project," which assists key local stores in expanding globally.

The Local Startup Leap Support Project is a program that selects local companies utilizing unique regional resources and characteristics, providing step-by-step support to nurture them into representative key stores of their respective regions. Notably, starting this year, the selection ratio for non-metropolitan areas will be expanded to 90% to promote balanced national development.

The Startup Growth R&D (Small Business Track) connects support for technology development to creative ideas, helping small business owners create new markets and commercialize their businesses. The Global Small Business Nurturing Project provides a package of support, including education, product development, and market development, in order to foster local companies that lead exports.

This year, a total of 10,220 companies applied for the integrated audition, resulting in a high competition rate of approximately 15 to 1. Through an in-depth evaluation conducted from April to May, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups finally selected 1,250 companies to participate in the audition. Among the participating companies, those led by CEOs in their 20s and 30s accounted for 42.5%. Finalists selected through the audition will receive support for business model advancement, a specialized mentoring program, and funding for commercialization.

Lee Byungkwon, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, said, "Recently, the number of local companies that are building differentiated brands by leveraging unique regional assets and expanding into overseas markets has been steadily increasing. Through systematic support that spans from startup to growth and export, we will nurture local entrepreneurs into key stores in local commercial districts and actively support their growth into 'glocal' companies that can compete in the global market."

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