Ministry of SMEs and Startups Meets Nationwide CEIC Leaders to Hear Challenges of "Startup for All" Initiative

Discussion on Strengthening Organizational Capacity

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups gathered feedback from the heads of 19 Creative Economy Innovation Centers (CEICs) nationwide regarding entrepreneurship activation policies, including the "Startup for All" initiative.

On May 13, the Ministry announced that it held a meeting at the Seoul Creative Economy Innovation Center in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, focusing on these topics. This meeting was organized to listen to on-site challenges experienced by the CEICs during the implementation of the Startup for All project and to seek practical solutions together.

The CEICs serve as regional hubs that directly execute the government's key entrepreneurship policies, such as the Startup for All project and the Startup City Creation project. They lead the spread of the startup boom and the development of entrepreneurship ecosystems in their respective regions.

The Startup for All project is a state-supported entrepreneurship talent development platform that allows anyone with an idea to take on the challenge of starting a business. Applications began on March 26, and as of May 11, the number of applicants surpassed 30,000. Notably, the time required to reach each milestone of 10,000 applicants has been decreasing, indicating that public interest in entrepreneurship is rapidly growing.

Going forward, the Ministry plans to carefully review startup ideas submitted through more than 100 operating institutions nationwide and select 5,000 innovative entrepreneurs. Selected entrepreneurs will receive comprehensive support, including consultations, mentoring, startup activity funding, and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. Those not selected will also be offered counseling and mentoring for re-challenging.

Additionally, during the meeting, measures to strengthen the organizational capacity of the CEICs as regional startup hubs were discussed. The CEICs will take part as core operating organizations in the Ministry’s Startup City Creation project, connecting various startup resources and planning and operating support programs that reflect the industrial characteristics of each region.

Minister Han Sung-sook stated, "The CEICs are essential hubs that ensure the government’s entrepreneurship policies reach every corner of the local field. Through this meeting, we will actively reflect the voices from the field in our policies and create an environment where the CEICs can perform their roles even more effectively."