The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said on the 28th that it will issue a notice and accept applications for "new designation of innovative products by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) for the first half of 2026" to support small and midsize enterprises in establishing initial sales channels for outstanding products.
The "innovative product designation system," introduced in 2020, selects products with strong public value and innovation among the outcomes created by small and midsize enterprise research and development (R&D) support programs, helping SMEs enter the public market smoothly.
Eligible applicants are SMEs that, within the past five years, successfully completed an R&D support program under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and have commercialized products using the relevant technology. The application period runs from the 30th to Mar. 5. Corporations wishing to participate in the new designation should apply online through the integrated management system for SME technology development projects.
Submitted products will undergo evaluations of public value and technological innovation and a procurement suitability review by the Public Procurement Service. After that, through the Procurement Policy Deliberation Committee under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, they will be finally designated as innovative products in June.
Once designated as an innovative product, the company can enter into negotiated contracts with the state, local governments, and public institutions for up to six years from the date of designation. Through the "pilot purchase system," under which products are purchased with the Public Procurement Service budget and supplied to public institutions, companies with innovative products are receiving support in the early stages of market entry.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) last year designated a total of 95 outstanding products as innovative products, including a "drone route automatic construction solution" that uses precision maps to automatically create, distribute, and manage drone routes for road control, and a "non-shutoff butterfly valve for waterworks," which allows installing valves on existing pipes and adding facilities without shutting off water during water supply pipe isolation and relocation works or when replacing aging pipes.
Director-General for Technology Innovation Policy Hwang Young-ho said, "We expect the innovative product designation system to become a springboard for a new leap for SMEs that possess innovative technological capabilities but face difficulties in opening sales channels to public institutions," adding, "We will continue to provide policy support so that the public market becomes the first customer of excellent SME technology development products and serves as a ladder for innovative growth."