The 2026 budget of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups surpassed 16 trillion won. It is up 8.4% from this year's main budget of 15.2488 trillion won. The small and medium-sized enterprises research and development (R&D) budget, which was cut under the previous administration, was expanded.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) said on the 2nd that at a National Assembly plenary session on the 2nd, the 2026 budget and fund operation plan total expenditure was finalized at 16.5233 trillion won.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) will use the 2026 budget to support the recovery and self-sustaining capacity of small merchants and concentrate fiscal resources on the global leap of small and medium-sized enterprises, ventures, and startups and on securing competitiveness in future industries.
First, it will focus on fostering artificial intelligence (AI), deep-tech ventures, and startups. To expand the base for venture investment, the budget for the parent fund will be increased by 320 billion won, from 500 billion won this year to 820 billion won next year. The "Unicorn Bridge" program will also proceed, comprehensively supporting commercialization funds, technology advancement, and overseas corporation establishment so that promising tech startups can grow into unicorns with competitiveness in global markets.
Startup packages for prospective entrepreneurs and corporations within seven years of founding were also increased by 32.9 billion won to 195.2 billion won. The budget for the Super-gap Startup 1000+ program, which supports startups in new industries such as AI and bio, was also set at 145.6 billion won.
It also put emphasis on the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises. The SME R&D budget will increase by 678.9 billion won, from 1.517 trillion won to 2.1959 trillion won. It is the largest ever. In the manufacturing innovation sector, the budget for spreading and adopting smart factories rose by 166 billion won, from 236.1 billion won to 402.1 billion won, and the budget for region-led AI great transformation was also expanded to 49 billion won.
Support by growth stage for corporations will also be strengthened. The budget for the Jump-up Program (57.8 billion won), which helps small and medium-sized enterprises grow into global mid-sized corporations, nearly doubled. Budgets for SME innovation vouchers, "K-beauty cluster development" to boost the export competitiveness of cosmetics corporations, and expansion of support for export consortia also increased from this year.
A budget was also allocated to establish a growth structure for small merchants. The Hope Return Package to ease the burden of business closures will increase from 245 billion won to 305.6 billion won. Support for store demolition costs will be expanded up to 6 million won. The issuance volume of Onnuri gift certificates will be increased from 390.7 billion won to 458 billion won. A total of 37.8 billion won will also be invested in fostering local commercial districts. The plan is to nurture everything from small commercial districts to representative regional hubs and areas with global competitiveness.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) will strengthen programs to foster small merchants into entrepreneur-type small merchants. The budget to foster entrepreneur-type small merchants increased by 47.7 billion won, from 83.4 billion won to 131.1 billion won, and the budget for creating a clean manufacturing environment to improve on-site conditions in manufacturing was also expanded.
The budget to build a cooperative ecosystem will also increase. To eradicate technology theft against small and medium-sized enterprises, support for technology protection will be strengthened, and funds will be allocated to help affected SMEs recover. It also secured 20.1 billion won for building a co-prosperity ecosystem between large and small corporations. While the government and global corporations join hands to provide opportunities for domestic startups to enter overseas markets, it will also promote collaborative commercialization by consolidation of innovative startups with large corporations, public agencies, and mid-sized corporations.
Minister Han Seong-sook of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) said, "We will swiftly push forward with drawing up detailed project plans and issuing project notices so that policy support for the rapid recovery and innovative growth of small merchants, and the future leap of SMEs, ventures, and startups can be carried out thoroughly," adding, "We will execute next year's budget as quickly as possible and without setbacks."