SEOUL — South Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) is accelerating its support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) aiming for global market expansion. The MSS announced the commencement of the 2026 Export Voucher Program (1st round) and the Global Hidden Champion 1000+ Project, with applications opening on December 17 and running until January 9, 2026. This initiative highlights the government's commitment to boosting exports amidst global economic uncertainties through early budget execution.

Expanded Budget and Comprehensive Support

The budget for the 2026 Export Voucher Program has been significantly increased to KRW 150.2 billion (approximately $115 million), an increase of KRW 22.6 billion from the previous year. This substantial funding aims to select around 2,000 companies in the initial round.

The Export Voucher Program offers flexible support in the form of vouchers for up to 15 different overseas marketing services, including market research, strategy development, and branding. Support levels are tiered based on a company's export performance—ranging from domestic, novice, promising, growing, to global champion categories—with maximum limits from KRW 30 million up to KRW 100 million.

Enhanced Logistics and Tariff Support

In a crucial step to enhance practical assistance, the MSS is expanding its logistics support. The doubling of the international shipping subsidy limit (from KRW 30 million to KRW 60 million), which was a temporary measure in the current year, has been extended for the next year. Furthermore, comprehensive logistics services, including warehousing, packaging, and delivery, as well as international shipping costs for free samples, are now included in the support scope.

A major change is the integration of the specialized "Tariff Response Voucher"—designed for countering U.S. tariffs—into the general Export Voucher scheme for continuous support. Companies utilizing this package can receive an additional KRW 50 million, raising the maximum possible support per company to KRW 150 million.

Global Hidden Champion 1000+ Project

Concurrently, the application period for the Global Hidden Champion 1000+ Project is also underway. This program selects high-potential SMEs with over $100,000 in annual exports, offering preferential financial support, including loans and guarantees, in collaboration with 20 export support organizations. Companies are categorized into four stages: Global Promising, Global Growth, Global Champion, and Global Champion+.

Looking ahead, the MSS plans to improve the service delivery system by analyzing voucher usage patterns and developing a customized service design utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI), scheduled for launch in the second half of next year.

The MSS is prioritizing the speedy execution of the program through early announcements and is actively working to ensure a balanced distribution of vouchers to companies in non-capital regions, which often face greater export challenges.

Interested SMEs can apply for both the Export Voucher Program and the Global Hidden Champion 1000+ Project through the unified Export Voucher website (www.exportvoucher.com).