"Take on the Startup Challenge with Rural Resources"… Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Announces 'Rural Startup Competition' Call for Entries

Until April 10 Next Month

Up to 10 Teams in "Rural Amenity Startup" Category

Up to 5 Teams in "Local Food" Category to Be Recruited and Selected Separately

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on March 15 that it will be recruiting participants for the 2026 Rural Startup Competition (Rural Amenity Startup category) until April 10, 2026. The competition aims to discover promising startups that combine tangible and intangible resources and ideas from rural areas to generate economic value and invigorate the rural economy.

The Rural Startup Competition is organized by the Ministry to select outstanding startups utilizing various tangible and intangible rural resources, support their growth, and foster an atmosphere that encourages rural entrepreneurship. The inaugural competition was held in 2025, during which a total of 11 outstanding startups were selected.

Last year’s competition uncovered a variety of startup cases based on unique local resources, such as the development of processed products using regional agricultural products, development of high-value-added materials from agricultural by-products, and planning and operation of rural stay-type tourism content.

In 2026, the Rural Startup Competition will be expanded and reorganized. The Rural Amenity Startup category (up to 10 teams) and the Local Food category (up to 5 teams) will be recruited and selected separately, and a new nurturing program in partnership with private companies tailored to each category will be introduced.

The selected teams will receive the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Award and a monetary prize. In addition, they will receive customized support, such as product and content planning and development and branding, through a leading company matching program in partnership with private companies. They may also receive up to 100 million won in commercialization funding in collaboration with local governments.

In March, applications are being accepted for the Rural Amenity Startup category. Any entrepreneur with less than seven years of business experience and an innovative business model utilizing the diverse tangible and intangible resources of rural areas is eligible to apply.

Applications can be submitted through the official website of the Rural Convergence Industry by April 10. A total of 10 teams will be selected after document review and presentation evaluation. In April, applications will be accepted for the Local Food Startup category, targeting food and manufacturing businesses utilizing regional agricultural specialties from rural areas.

Park Seongwoo, Director General of the Rural Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "We hope that this Rural Startup Competition will provide an opportunity for outstanding startups to strengthen their connections with the diverse tangible and intangible resources of rural areas and to grow. The Ministry will continue to provide policy support to ensure that promising startups can be attracted to rural areas."

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