Ministry of SMEs and Startups Opens Third Round of Overseas Standards Certification Support Program, to Select 240 Companies

Up to KRW 150 Million in Support for Certification Costs

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on October 13 that it will accept applications from companies for the third round of the 2026 Overseas Standards Certification Acquisition Support Program from October 14 through November 13.

The program provides partial financial support for expenses incurred by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on certification, testing, and consulting to obtain certifications required by export destination countries as they expand overseas.

The program covers a total of 583 certifications, including the European Union's CE marking, the United States' Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) certification, and approval from China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA).

This is the final application round of the year, following rounds in January, April, and July. The Ministry plans to select approximately 240 companies and cover 50% to 70% of the total costs required to obtain certifications. The support limit is KRW 100 million per company, or up to KRW 150 million for medical devices.

The support rate varies according to the company's revenue in the previous year. Companies with revenue of less than KRW 10 billion will receive 70% support; those with revenue of at least KRW 10 billion but less than KRW 30 billion will receive 60%; and those with revenue of KRW 30 billion or more will receive 50%. Each company may apply for up to four certifications per year. For low-cost certifications, where the total annual application amount is less than KRW 35 million, there is no limit on the number of applications.

Shim Jaeyoon, Director General for Global Growth Policy at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, said, "Demand for overseas certifications among SMEs continues to grow as the global export environment changes rapidly. We will expand the government's role going forward, including by securing additional budget for next year, so that companies can respond swiftly to a range of global export regulations, including certification requirements."

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