[Korea SMEs and Startups Agency]
[Korea SMEs and Startups Agency]

Support restructured into 3 tiers based on 10 billion, 50 billion and 100 billion won in sales

Selections expand from 100 to 220 firms annually; non-capital region companies to receive up to 1.3x voucher boost

Applications open through Nov. 13

The government will select 220 small and medium-sized enterprises with the potential to grow into mid-sized companies and provide up to 1.5 billion won ($1.11 million) per firm in commercialization costs. The existing SME development program will be restructured into three tiers based on sales volume, expanding support to cover management consulting, new business entry and mergers and acquisitions depending on each company's stage of growth.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency announced Friday that applications for the 2027 Jump-Up Program will be accepted through Nov. 13. The Jump-Up Program was introduced last year to help high-growth SMEs transition into mid-sized companies. The program selected 100 firms each in 2025 and 2026; next year, that number will expand to 220.

The revamped program puts into practice a tiered support framework announced in May, adding tracks for companies with annual sales of at least 10 billion won and those exceeding 100 billion won, beyond the existing focus on firms with sales around 50 billion won.

Specifically, the program will select 100 companies for "Jump-Up 100," targeting firms with annual sales of at least 10 billion won; 100 companies for "Jump-Up 500," for firms with sales of at least 50 billion won; and 20 companies for "Jump-Up 1000," for firms with sales of at least 100 billion won.

Eligible applicants must be SMEs with at least seven years of operating history that have met the relevant sales threshold at least once in the past three years. Each company may apply to only one track; duplicate applications are not permitted.

Support for regional companies will also be strengthened. Firms located outside the Greater Seoul area will receive open vouchers worth 1.1 to 1.3 times those given to companies in the capital region, depending on location. The measure aims to narrow the growth gap between metropolitan and non-metropolitan firms and improve investment and commercialization conditions for promising regional businesses.

Through this restructuring, the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency aims to cultivate 1,500 nationally recognized Jump-Up companies by 2030. Interested firms may apply through the Jump-Up Program integrated information management system.

"The growth barriers facing a company with 10 billion won in sales are different from those facing one with 100 billion won," said Kang Seok-jin, chairman of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency. He added that the agency would "support SMEs in making the leap to mid-sized company status through tailored, stage-by-stage assistance."


hong@heraldcorp.com