Seoul City Announces Public Interest Activity Project Contest for Nonprofit Organizations... Up to 30 Million KRW Support

Selected Outstanding Public Interest Activities of Nonprofit Organizations to Receive a Total of 2 Billion KRW in Support

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 24th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will solicit and support public interest activity projects with a total budget of 2 billion KRW this year to guarantee the voluntary activities of non-profit private organizations and help them grow into sound private organizations that solve various social issues.

Public interest activity projects will be solicited and selected in four fields: welfare, health & safety, culture & tourism, and citizens & public interest, with up to 30 million KRW in project funds supported per project.

Until last year, the program operated in 12 fields such as climate environment, resource circulation, and unification & security, but by consolidating them into four fields, it is expected to increase the effectiveness and focus of the projects and maximize the autonomy of the project operators.

To reduce the burden on project operators, the project implementation procedures have been greatly simplified, the mid-term evaluation conducted twice a year has been improved to a single mid-term consulting session, and the submission method for settlement documents has been simplified. For small expenses under 30,000 KRW, when using check cards or Zero Pay, only the expenditure approval form and sales slip need to be submitted. During the settlement process, submission of settlement documents through the integrated subsidy management system will be recognized, and additional paper documents will not be collected as a pilot operation.

Furthermore, to enhance project outcomes, starting this year, for the top 10% of excellent projects selected, the full amount of the requested subsidy up to 30 million KRW will be supported. Even if a project is selected, 20-30% of organizations receiving lower evaluations can receive focused expert consulting on execution plan establishment before project commencement.

Projects applied for by private organizations will be reviewed by the ‘Seoul Metropolitan Public Interest Project Selection Committee’ based on criteria such as social problem resolution and ripple effects, budget feasibility, recent public interest activity performance, and the organization’s expertise.

Applications can be submitted only through the Seoul Metropolitan Subsidy Integrated Management System from the 28th until the 11th of next month. Reviews will be conducted in February, and the final selection results will be announced on March 11 on the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s website.

Lee Won-mok, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Citizen Cooperation Bureau, said, “We plan to revitalize private organizations that have been shrinking due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic by simplifying submission documents and reducing procedures so that they can focus on the original purpose of the projects and support them to carry out successful projects as much as possible.” He added, “We hope for active participation from private organizations so that various public interest projects can help improve citizens’ lives.”