SMEs ministry opens final 2026 round of export certification support

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said Wednesday it will take applications from Oct. 14 to Nov. 13 for the year's final round of a programme that helps small companies pay for the overseas certifications they need to export, with about 240 firms to be selected.

It will cover 50 to 70 percent of the cost of certification, testing and consulting, up to 100 million won ($74,599) per company, or up to 150 million won ($111,899) for medical device makers. The rate depends on the company's revenue in the previous year: 70 percent for firms below 10 billion won ($7.46 million), 60 percent for those between 10 billion won and 30 billion won ($22.4 million), and 50 percent for larger applicants. A company may apply for up to four certifications a year, a limit waived for smaller claims under 35 million won ($26,110).

The programme covers 583 certifications, including the European Union's CE mark, U.S. NRTL approvals such as UL, and China's NMPA clearance. Eligible applicants are small and medium-sized companies with less than $50 million in direct exports last year; companies designated under the ministry's Global Strong Small Business 1000+ programme may apply even if their exports exceed that threshold.

This is the fourth and last recruitment round of the year, following rounds in January, April as a supplementary budget programme, and July.

"Demand for overseas certification among small and medium-sized companies continues to rise as the global export environment changes rapidly," said Shim Jae-yoon, the ministry's director-general for global growth policy.

"We will expand the government's role further, including securing additional budget for next year, so that companies can respond quickly to various global export regulations including certification requirements," he said.

Applications are submitted through the website of the SME Export Regulation Response Support Center.