"Recruitment of Participants for Women's Startup Competition"... Discovering and Nurturing Outstanding Entrepreneurs

Applications Accepted Until April 15
Prize Money Up to 20 Million KRW Awarded

The Women Entrepreneurs Comprehensive Support Center announced on the 25th that it is recruiting participants for the ‘25th Women Startup Competition 2024’ to discover and nurture outstanding women entrepreneurs until the 15th of next month. Any female-owned business less than three years old or prospective women entrepreneurs can apply.

The Women Startup Competition is hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and organized by the Women Entrepreneurs Comprehensive Support Center. Since 2000, it has produced a total of 375 outstanding winners, including Jjaekakak-eo, Roboarte, and NationA.

This year, the total prize money and commercialization support funds have increased by 28.4 million KRW from last year to 264 million KRW. Accordingly, the number of awardees has increased from 34 to 40 teams, and the number of commercialization support recipients has increased from 50 to 60 teams.

Participants are evaluated by startup investment experts such as domestic and international accelerators to select winners. Awards include the Minister of SMEs and Startups Award and prize money up to 20 million KRW. Twenty-six teams will qualify for the finals of ‘Challenge! K-Startup 2024.’

Follow-up support for business growth includes coaching for the K-Startup finals, IR mentoring, commercialization support in four areas: technology, production, marketing, and sales channels, media promotion, connections to venture capital (VC) and accelerator investment attraction, and additional scoring advantages for admission to the Women Entrepreneurs Comprehensive Support Center’s startup incubation rooms.

Additionally, mandatory pre-education has been introduced to support participants in writing business plans, and advanced business plan writing training will be provided to those who complete the pre-education and wish to participate.

Lee Jeong-han, Director of the Women Entrepreneurs Comprehensive Support Center, said, “We will spare no effort and support to help the promising and outstanding women entrepreneurs produced through the Women Startup Competition grow even further.” He added, “Through linkage with the Center’s global accelerating projects, we will actively support domestic and international investment attraction for women startups to establish a foundation for competitiveness in overseas markets.”