The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that it will recruit companies to participate in the first round of the Export Voucher Program and the Global Small Giant 1,000+ Project from December 17 to January 9. The Export Voucher Program supports SMEs with marketing services necessary for export and overseas expansion. Selected companies can use various services with vouchers composed of government subsidies and company contributions.
In this first round, about 2,000 companies will be recruited, and support will range from 30 million to 100 million won depending on the company’s export scale. The 2026 Export Voucher budget is 150.2 billion won, an increase of 22.6 billion won from 2025. The program will be announced earlier to quickly execute the project considering the high uncertainty in the external environment. In 2026, the general export voucher and the tariff response voucher will be integrated, and the international transportation support limit will be increased.
The Global Small Giant 1,000+ Project designates SMEs with export amounts of over $100,000 in 2025 and high growth potential, providing preferential support for overseas expansion projects and financial support. Companies are selected in four stages based on export performance, and those designated as Global Small Giant and Global Small Giant+ will also receive support from regional government programs.
SMEs wishing to participate in both the Export Voucher Program and the Global Small Giant 1,000+ Project can apply on the Export Voucher website from December 17, 2025, to January 9, 2026. For detailed inquiries, companies can contact the Export Voucher Customer Service Center. Lee Soon-bae, Director of Global Growth Policy, stated that they will spare no effort to support SMEs in maintaining their competitiveness despite external uncertainties.