Selecting 'Outstanding Small Business Owners Ready to Leap Toward 100 Years'

Announcement of New Selection for Baeknyeon Small Business Owners

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 23rd that it will implement the '2025 Recruitment Announcement for New Selection of Baeknyeon Small Business Owners' to discover excellent small business owners with long-standing experience and tradition and to spread successful models.

'Baeknyeon Small Business Owners' refers to small business owners who have operated their businesses for a long time, contributed significantly to the local community, and are expected to achieve continuous growth based on accumulated experience. Baeknyeon Gage refers to excellent small business owners with over 30 years of business experience, and Baeknyeon Sogongin refers to skilled small manufacturers with fewer than 10 employees and over 15 years of business experience.

Since 2018, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups has been operating the 'Baeknyeon Gage and Baeknyeon Sogongin Development Project,' and over the past seven years, it has selected a total of 2,288 Baeknyeon Small Business Owners, providing various support such as certification plaques and brand promotion, facility improvements, and online and offline market development. Additionally, last year, through the revision of the 'Small Business Act,' a legal basis was established for the designation and support of Baeknyeon Small Business Owners, and the special application of Onnuri gift certificate franchise stores was expanded, strengthening the institutional foundation to systematically foster and support the stable growth of Baeknyeon Small Business Owners.

This year, considering competition rates by industry and region, about 100 Baeknyeon Gage and Baeknyeon Sogongin will be selected. Selection will be based on a comprehensive evaluation of management capabilities, product/service differentiation and excellence, and contribution to the local community. In particular, this year, to actively discover excellent businesses growing together with the local community, such as hidden local restaurants and companies with high social contributions, a recognition voting event involving local residents will be conducted and reflected in the evaluation, with efforts to promote to the public and enhance brand awareness.

Businesses selected as Baeknyeon Gage and Baeknyeon Sogongin will receive a certificate, a certification plaque, and a storyboard containing their growth story. They will also receive benefits such as additional points and priority selection opportunities when applying for small business support projects within the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, including strong small business growth support, smart store technology dissemination, and small business collaboration activation projects. Furthermore, the Ministry will continue to expand various linked support programs to help Baeknyeon Small Business Owners develop sales channels and strengthen brand capabilities.

Lee Dae-geon, Director of Small Business Policy at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, stated, “Baeknyeon Small Business Owners are important members and assets who preserve the traditions and history of the region and lead the growth of the local economy,” adding, “we will strengthen support so that Baeknyeon Small Business Owners can grow beyond local anchor stores to become globally expanding companies.”