Ministry of Trade and KOTRA Launch First Recruitment for 2025 Export Voucher Participating Companies

Record Budget, Expansion of Supported Companies
Apply on the Export Voucher Website
Online Briefing Session for Project Application on the 26th

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA announced on the 22nd that they will begin the "First Recruitment of Participating Companies for the 2025 Ministry of Industry Export Voucher Project."

The Ministry of Industry Export Voucher Project is divided into two types: the Industrial Global Advancement Capability Enhancement Project (hereinafter Industrial Voucher) and the Global Support Project for Medium-sized Enterprises (hereinafter Medium-sized Voucher). Small and medium-sized enterprises in materials, parts, equipment, consumer goods, services, and green sectors can apply for the Industrial Voucher, while medium-sized and prospective medium-sized enterprises can apply for the Medium-sized Voucher.

Started in 2017, the Export Voucher Project is a representative government export support program that provides marketing services necessary for the entire export process, from export preparation to overseas market entry. Selected small and medium-sized enterprises receive vouchers in the form of online coupons and can freely choose from over 7,000 export support services provided by about 2,000 service providers (executing agencies) within the limit, including ▲overseas marketing ▲overseas certification ▲international transportation ▲promotion and advertising.

Exterior view of KOTRA headquarters in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Provided by KOTRA

The national budget for the Industrial Voucher has increased by 5 billion KRW from the previous year to 36.1 billion KRW, marking the largest scale ever. The number of supported companies is also planned to expand from 823 this year to 1,000 next year. Although the participating companies for the export voucher are usually announced in February, this time the Medium-sized Voucher will be announced by the end of January, and the larger-scale Industrial Voucher will be announced by mid-February at the latest, to enable companies to utilize the vouchers as soon as possible.

The scope of voucher services will also be further expanded. The types of trade guarantees and insurance support, such as export guarantee insurance, will increase from the existing five types to more than eight. The number of important global overseas certification support types, including ESG, carbon neutrality, and eco-friendly fields, will increase from 600 to more than 620. To reduce the burden of overseas certification costs, the support amount limit per certification, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certification (in the medical device field) and Blue Sign (textile supply chain ESG certification), will be expanded by up to 20 million KRW compared to before.

Companies interested in the Ministry of Industry Export Voucher Project can check the recruitment announcement on the export voucher website, prepare the required documents, and apply online within the deadline. On the 26th, an online briefing session for interested companies will be held to guide the application procedures and schedule. Participation registration for the online briefing session is also available on the export voucher website.

Jeon Chun-woo, Vice President of KOTRA and Head of the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Headquarters, said, "Through the Export Voucher Project, we will do our best to help our small and medium-sized enterprises respond promptly to changes in the global trade environment and resolve export difficulties in a timely manner."