Ministry of SMEs and Startups Recruiting SMEs and Small Business Owners Who Boosted Sales Through AI Adoption

Applications Accepted Until September 18
One Grand Prize, Three Excellence Awards, and Six Merit Awards to Be Selected

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups is recruiting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have successfully adopted artificial intelligence (AI) technology and achieved strong business results.

On August 27, the Ministry announced the recruitment of participants for the "2025 Outstanding SME AI Transformation Case Contest." The purpose is to discover cases of SMEs and small business owners who have achieved excellent business outcomes through the adoption of AI technology and to encourage further AI transformation.

Interested companies should first check the jurisdiction of the 13 local SME and Startup Offices, then send the application form, eligibility self-assessment, case description, pledge, and supporting documents to the relevant local office’s contact email. The application period runs until September 18.

The preliminary round will be conducted through document screening, with three companies from each first-grade local office and two companies from each second-grade office being recommended for the finals. In the final round, companies will be selected through presentation evaluations, with one Grand Prize, three Excellence Awards, and six Merit Awards to be given. The awards ceremony and announcement of outstanding cases are scheduled to take place in November.

In addition to receiving awards, selected companies will be given extra points when participating in R&D support projects run by the Ministry. Their cases will also be included in a collection of best practices, providing benchmarking opportunities for companies that are hesitant or reluctant to adopt AI.

Minister Han Sung-sook stated, "Through this AI Transformation Case Contest, we hope that many SMEs and small business owners will improve their awareness of AI adoption and achieve tangible results such as increased productivity and higher sales."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.