During the second week of June, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) released a series of support program notices targeted at startups and exporting SMEs. Between June 8 and 11, within just three days, notices were published for the bio-sector open innovation startup recruitment, the second round of general logistics vouchers for participating companies, and a revised notice for public-private cooperation open innovation demand-company collaboration tasks. As the first half of the year comes to a close, government support application channels have opened once again, making it essential for tech startups and exporting companies to review this week's notices.
'Everyone's Challenge' for Bio Startups Announced on the 11th… Applications Open Until July 1
The most recent notice targets startups in the bio sector. On June 11, the MSS published the recruitment notice for the 'Everyone's Challenge' Bio Startups under the 2026 Public-Private Cooperation Open Innovation Support program (Notice No. 2026-390), with the application period running from June 11 to July 1, 2026. The department in charge is the Technology Innovation Policy Division.
The public-private cooperation open innovation support program is structured so that startups participate as supply companies in collaboration tasks proposed by demand companies—such as large corporations and mid-sized enterprises—to jointly pursue technology verification and commercialization. 'Everyone's Challenge' operates as a sector-specific track within this program, and this notice is a procedure to recruit startups specialized in the bio sector. For startups possessing related technologies in bio-healthcare, new drugs, diagnostics, and digital healthcare, the core appeal is gaining access to clinical and verification infrastructure and sales channels through collaboration with demand companies that would be difficult to secure independently.
In particular, the bio sector is a representative field where technology verification requires a long period and high costs, making it difficult for early-stage startups to reach the commercialization stage on their own. Performance in carrying out collaboration tasks with large pharmaceutical companies or healthcare enterprises serves as a meaningful track record in subsequent policy funding and venture investment attraction processes. Although the application period is not short at about three weeks, given the nature of collaboration-matched projects, it is advantageous to start preparations early to specifically detail the relevance to the demand company's tasks in the business plan.
Demand Company Recruitment for the Same Project Closes on the 11th… Supply-Demand 'Relay Notice' Structure
Prior to the bio startup notice, the MSS published a revised recruitment notice on June 9 (Notice No. 2026-382) for the 2nd round of demand companies/institutions collaboration tasks and programs under the 2026 Public-Private Cooperation Open Innovation Support. The application period for this recruitment ran from May 20 to June 11, managed by the New Industry Technology Startup Division.
In other words, this follows a relay structure where the recruitment of startups (supply companies) begins right around the time the demand companies' task applications close. Because the open innovation project proceeds in the sequence of demand companies first registering tasks they want solved, followed by the recruitment of startups to solve those tasks, startups need a strategy of checking which demand tasks have been registered and then assessing alignment with their own technologies before applying.
Recruitment in the defense sector is also underway within the same framework. The recruitment notice for demand company collaboration tasks for the 202nd Defense Startup Challenge (Everyone's Challenge - Defense) under the 2026 Public-Private Cooperation Open Innovation Support, announced on June 2nd (Notice No. 2026-371), accepts applications until June 22. Companies aiming for collaboration with defense demand companies still have about ten days remaining.
Additionally, the recruitment extension notice (Notice No. 2026-376) for participation in the "AI+ OpenData Challenge," hosted by the MSS Informationization Division, was posted on June 5 and is currently ongoing. This provides yet another entry channel for companies possessing service models that combine public data with AI.
Relieving Logistics Cost Burdens for Exporting Companies… 2nd Round of General Logistics Vouchers Begins on the 8th
A notice for exporting SMEs has also been released. The MSS published the recruitment notice for participating companies in the 2026 General Logistics Voucher (2nd Round) program (Notice No. 2026-378) on June 8, with applications opening on that day. The responsible department is the Global Growth Policy Division. The notice was also posted on the Export Voucher Portal (Export Support Base Utilization Project website) on June 8.
The logistics voucher is a branch of the export support base utilization project, designed to support export logistics costs such as international shipping expenses through a voucher system. The parent export voucher program provides vouchers so that SMEs can immediately utilize various export services when needed—such as marketing, design, certification, exhibition participation, and intellectual property acquisition—operating under a structure that differentiates support amounts based on the company's export scale from the previous year.
The timeliness of this second round is significant given that recent fluctuations in global ocean freight rates combined with instability in the Middle East have once again increased the logistics cost burden for exporting SMEs. In fact, the government is operating a separate emergency support track to address export company difficulties. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has previously issued a notice to recruit participants for the 2nd round of emergency support vouchers to resolve export difficulties for exporting small and medium-sized enterprises caused by the Middle East situation. For companies experiencing logistics cost pressures, it is effective to review both the MSS logistics voucher and ministry-specific emergency support tracks to select the channel best suited to their situation.
Sector-Specific Application Strategy: Who Should Apply Where
Organizing this week's notices by industry and situation clarifies the application path.
First, startups possessing bio and healthcare technologies should prioritize the Everyone's Challenge Bio Track, which has a deadline of July 1. Because this is a demand-company collaboration task-based project, companies must specifically describe the industrial field problems their technology can solve within their business plan. Presenting a clinical/regulatory roadmap and a role-sharing plan for collaboration is advantageous in evaluations.
Startups aiming to enter the defense sector should check the Defense Startup Challenge demand company task notice running until June 22, and prepare for the subsequent supply company recruitment schedule. Because the defense sector has strict security and certification requirements, grasping the task details in advance is essential.
Manufacturing SMEs with export performance—especially those with a high proportion of maritime and air transport—can apply for the 2nd round of logistics vouchers. Applications are processed through the Export Voucher Integrated Platform, and preparing basic documents such as business registration certificates, financial statements, and export performance proofs in advance will expedite submission. General inquiries regarding export vouchers can be made at 055-752-8580, inquiries for the SME Support Platform at 02-3771-1050, and online inquiries are also available within the export voucher website (www.exportvoucher.com).
AI and data-based service companies are worth checking out the AI+ OpenData Challenge, which is currently under an extended recruitment period. Practical experience in utilizing public data also serves as a stepping stone for entering the public procurement market.
Pre-Application Checklist
First, checking the original notice text is the priority. Detailed support scales, qualification requirements, and evaluation criteria for recruitment notices must be verified in the body text and attached files of the notices posted on the MSS website business notice board, K-Startup, BizInfo, and the Export Voucher Portal. Second, businesses must handle programs with impending deadlines first. It is logical to schedule a timetable in the order of demand-company collaboration task recruitment (June 11), Defense Challenge (June 22), and Bio Challenge (July 1). Third, duplicate benefit regulations must be reviewed. Because duplicate support with other government projects for the same expense item may be restricted, if a company is already receiving export vouchers or logistics support from other ministries, it must check the exclusion clauses in the notice. Fourth, because all application and inquiry procedures are handled exclusively by each executing agency, they must be conducted through the contact information of the responsible agency specified in the notice.
First-half government support programs tend to have deadlines concentrated in June and July. Since there are quite a few programs without additional recruitment in the second half, the projects announced this week may effectively be the last opportunity to secure government support within this year.