If smart factories cover manufacturing processes, Smart Service covers service delivery. Adopting companies and suppliers apply together as a consortium.
Figures below follow the 2026 call. They change by year, so check that year's call before applying.
Eligibility and conditions of the program
Processes and metrics to improve
Scope · cost · schedule
Follow the procedure in the call
Recruitment for 2026 ran from 20 April to 22 May. Check the programme portal and Bizinfo for the next round.
A program that helps SMEs build solutions to innovate their services with advanced ICT such as big data and AI. It is organized by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and run by the Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs (TIPA).
Support is split into new and upgrade. New funds core solutions for creating a business model or improving service delivery; upgrade funds functional improvements or wider service scope for solutions already built. Under the 2026 call, it is up to KRW 60–100 million per company.
The biggest difference from the smart factory programs is the application structure. The SME adopting the solution (the adopting company) and the technology company supplying it (the supplier) form a consortium and apply together, which means you must choose a supplier before you can apply.
As of the 2026 call.
| Item | 2026 call |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | SMEs under Article 2 of the Framework Act on Small and Medium Enterprises (adopting company) |
| Application structure | Consortium of adopting company + supplier |
| Funding | Up to KRW 60–100 million per company |
| New | Core solutions for new business models or improved service delivery |
| Upgrade | Functional improvements or wider service scope for existing solutions |
| 2026 applications | 20 Apr – 22 May 2026 (closed) |
| Applications | Online via the smart factory programme portal |
The overall flow is the same whatever the type.
Start with the current year's call: the funding cap, cost-share ratio, eligibility and application window. Requirements differ by type, so read the call for that specific type rather than the combined announcement.
Decide what to build and prepare the business plan with your supplier. Survey equipment communication and the signals you can collect at this stage, or the plan will not be realistic.
Applications go through the smart factory programme portal. The adopting company is the applicant; for consortium types, both the company's and the supplier's details are required.
After evaluation and selection you sign an agreement and start the build. Changes outside the agreed scope need a separate procedure, so it is better to fix the scope at the planning stage.
The build is inspected and project costs are settled. Improvements and upgrades needed in operation continue in later stages.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Apply at | Smart factory programme portal |
| Operator | Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs [email protected] |
| General enquiries | SME integrated call center 1357 |
With the information below, writing the plan goes faster.
Because it is a consortium application, an adopting company cannot apply alone. Decide which solution you will build with which company before the call, so you are ready within the application window.
Connecting production equipment and managing processes is the domain of the smart factory programs. Whether the target is service delivery or a manufacturing process decides which program to apply for.
The right program depends on your situation.
The basic type: companies apply directly, with no lead organization. You set the build scope yourself, so the quality of the business plan largely decides selection and results.…
Win-Win TypeA lead organization such as a large company or public institution contributes funds and the government adds part of the build cost. The company share is usually the lowest, but not everyone can apply, so check the route first…
Gyeonggi ProvinceA regional program funded by Gyeonggi Province and its cities and counties. Only manufacturers with a site in Gyeonggi are eligible; the call usually opens early in the year and selection ends in the first half.…
Manufacturing AIIt is an AI program, but what really decides the outcome is data. Without accumulated process data, no AI has anything to learn from, which is why data collection and validation is a separate stage…
The figures above are as of the 2026 calls and change every year. Always check the original call for the year in question for funding caps, cost-share ratios, schedules and eligibility.
Source: Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Smart Manufacturing Innovation Agency, "2026 Integrated Call for Smart Manufacturing Innovation Support Programs", Bizinfo (bizinfo.go.kr). Checked 30 August 2026.
What companies most often check at the review stage.
The target differs. Smart factories cover manufacturing processes and equipment; Smart Service covers service delivery and business models. Applications go through the same portal, but they are separate programs.
Under the 2026 call, up to KRW 60–100 million is provided per company, and the company pays the rest of the total project cost. The cost-share ratio is stated in each year's call, so check that year's announcement.
Talk in advance with technology companies in the solution area you want to build. Forming the consortium is an application requirement, so it is safer to settle it before the call.
SMEs are eligible, but the program funds service innovation, so it does not fit manufacturing builds. For a manufacturing site, the government-type smart factory is the better fit.
IYULAB's focus is shop-floor manufacturing systems. Smart Service targets service businesses, so applicability has to be checked first; we decide after reviewing your build target and requirements in a consultation.
Terms and procedures on this page follow the public standards and official sources below. Figures are as of each source's publication date.
| Topic | SME Smart Service program |
|---|---|
| Section | Smart factory grants |
| Standards applied | 1st Smart Manufacturing Innovation Survey (Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Smart Manufacturing Innovation Agency, announced 28 April 2025) · Smart Manufacturing Innovation Agency, smart factory programme portal (smart-factory.kr) |
| Public record | GS certification grade 1 of 2 grades · 7 patents registered |
| Reviewed by | IYULAB engineering team |
| Last updated |
Public record: GS certification, grade 1 of 2 grades (U-CMMS 3.0, Telecommunications Technology Association) · 7 patents registered (10-2141840, 10-2141847, 10-2147747, 10-2354546, 10-2408497, 10-2408501, 10-2698341; searchable by number on KIPRIS) · Certifications and patentsReviewed by the IYULAB engineering team · Last updated:
Once we see your equipment and the scope you want to build, it becomes clear which program fits.
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