The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will fully push a program that supports small and mid-sized companies' entry into global markets by leveraging large corporations' overseas networks.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) said on the 8th it is recruiting small and mid-sized companies to join the "2026 large-small company joint overseas expansion support program," which supports joint entry into overseas markets through cooperation between large corporations and small and mid-sized companies.
The "large-small company joint overseas expansion support program" is a program that helps small and mid-sized companies lacking overseas resources pioneer markets by using the overseas infrastructure and networks held by industry-leading companies.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), together with the Large & Small Business, Agriculture and Fisheries Cooperation Foundation, which operates the program, selected 25 projects as first-round support targets for 2026 through a call for lead companies, and began recruiting small and mid-sized companies to participate in these projects.
This year's program totals 16.9 billion won, and about 50 projects will be selected. The second-round call for projects is planned for May.
Several changes are being introduced in this program. First, collaborative projects involving two or more lead companies, such as distributors, platforms, and broadcasters, are being introduced for the first time. Previously, K-content and distribution network support were run as separate projects, but going forward, a collaborative model that combines content and distribution networks will be pursued.
Mid- to long-term project-type support will also be expanded. The support limit per participating small or mid-sized company will increase from 50 million won to up to 200 million won. In addition, the "P-turn" type that transfers overseas production bases to a third country will also be included as an eligible target. Mid- to long-term projects will receive up to a total of 2 billion won for as long as three years.
Leading projects for global expansion such as K-beauty and artificial intelligence (AI) will also be expanded. The plan is to pursue various overseas expansion strategies, such as marketing to attract overseas buyers, by combining large corporations' overseas business experience with small and mid-sized companies' technological prowess.
Representative examples include the "K-Super Rookie With Young" beauty program with CJ Olive Young and Megazone Cloud's project to expand its AI solutions overseas.
Lee Sun-bae, director general for global growth policy at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), said, "Joint overseas expansion support is a representative cooperation program that promotes entry into global markets by combining the capabilities of large corporations with the innovativeness of small and mid-sized companies," adding, "We will expand cooperation with leading companies so that small and mid-sized companies can continue export performance stably."
Meanwhile, small and mid-sized companies wishing to participate in the program can check the lead companies' recruitment notices through "Sangsaeng Nuri," the shared growth cooperation platform operated by the Cooperation Foundation, starting on the 9th.