Win-Win Cooperation Foundation Recruiting Participants for the "Large and Small Self-Directed ESG Support Program"

Total Project Budget of 3 Billion Won
Applications Accepted Until March 26

The Large, Small and Medium Business and Agriculture and Fisheries Cooperation Foundation (Win-Win Cooperation Foundation) announced on the 25th that it is recruiting companies to participate in the 2026 Large and Small Self-Directed ESG Support Program, in response to the strengthening of overseas ESG regulations and the growing demand for supply chain due diligence.

This program is part of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' Public-Private Joint Strategic Win-Win Cooperation Project, in which large corporations contribute to a win-win cooperation fund and the government matches the same amount to provide support.

Large corporations will establish ESG activity plans together with their partner small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The SMEs will carry out ESG improvement activities on site, while implementing agencies (such as ESG-specialized consulting firms) will provide professional support including diagnosis, training, and consulting.

The total project budget is 3 billion won (1.5 billion won in government support funds and 1.5 billion won from the win-win cooperation fund), and the application period runs from February 26 to March 26. Large corporations wishing to participate must design an ESG support program together with their partner SMEs and implementing agencies and submit an application.

The support categories consist of a total of eight areas, including Environment (E), Social (S), due diligence response, and disclosure/certification support. The environmental area includes support for carbon reduction and greenhouse gas measurement and verification, while the social area supports the establishment of industrial safety and human rights and ethics systems.

In addition, the program will broadly support self-directed projects based on corporate demand, such as responding to global ESG initiatives, responding to customer supply chain due diligence, publishing sustainability reports, and obtaining ISO certifications.

The government will match contributions to the fund made by large corporations with up to 250 million won, and if facility support is included in the carbon reduction or industrial safety fields, the maximum support increases to 300 million won.

Applicant companies must be contributors to the win-win cooperation fund in accordance with the Act on the Promotion of Win-Win Cooperation Between Large Enterprises and Small and Medium Enterprises, and they must form a consortium with the beneficiary SMEs and ESG-specialized consulting firms (implementing agencies) when applying.

Byun Taeseop, Secretary General of the Win-Win Cooperation Foundation, said, "Supply chain ESG is a key factor that determines whether companies can maintain business relationships and remain competitive in exports," adding, "Large corporations and their partner SMEs must strengthen their ESG capabilities together in order to achieve sustainable growth in the global market." He continued, "Through practical support that is truly helpful in the field, we will reduce the burden on SMEs and expand a sustainable ecosystem throughout the entire supply chain."