The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said it reported a plan to build a "one-stop support system for SMEs, startups, and small merchants," which includes reducing application documents for support programs and having artificial intelligence (AI) draft business plan outlines, at a Cabinet meeting presided over by the president in Sejong on the 17th.
According to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), as of last year corporations had to submit an average of nine documents themselves to apply for SME support programs, and business plans were limited to an average length of 14 pages.
Starting this year, the number of required submissions will be cut by more than 50%, from an average of nine to 4.4, by automatically collecting documents such as business registration certificates and financial statements through administrative information consolidation. Personal information consent forms and the like will be replaced with online check boxes. Documents unnecessary for corporate screening will be abolished or submitted only by selected corporations, and the page limit for business plans will also be reduced by more than 30%, from an average of 14 pages to 9.4 pages.
A system will also be established in which AI provides a draft business plan. By entering only business plan keywords, AI will learn corporate information such as industry, years in operation, and region; evaluation indicators of the support program; and the business plan template to produce a tailored draft.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) has also begun work to unify the provision of information on SME support programs. The current 67 information channels will be integrated into a "SME integrated support platform" for a pilot run. It will provide notices for all SME support programs from central and local governments, and a single log-in to the integrated platform will allow applications for support programs. AI will compare and analyze corporate and program information to recommend tailored support programs and conduct conversational consultations.
Call center phone numbers will also be consolidated. Although there is currently an integrated SME call center, separate call centers operate by field, including policy funds, small merchants, and public procurement. There is no unified phone number for services resolving business difficulties such as legal, tax, and accounting. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) plans to standardize the number to "1357" so that, with that single number, callers are automatically connected to the optimal support center according to their consultation purpose and field.
According to the Small and Medium Business Big Data Platform (SIMS), there are 722 central government support programs for SMEs, startups, and small merchants. Of these, excluding 141 programs (20%) run by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), 581 programs (80%) are operated by 17 ministries, including the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI), and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Minister Han Seong-sook of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) said at the Cabinet meeting that "the one-stop support system cannot be completed by the MSS's efforts alone," adding, "I ask all 17 ministries to join the simplification of application documents and other measures being pursued by the MSS."
She added, "We will make sure SMEs, startups, and small merchants do not give up after wandering in search of support policies," and "with a single call and a single connection, we will provide all the services customers want in a one-stop manner."