Among the results of government-supported R&D
By supporting public procurement of innovative products
Promoting the growth of innovative small and medium-sized enterprises


The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will begin accepting applications for the 'Designation of Excellent R&D Innovative Products' starting on the 26th to promote public procurement of products produced through R&D support.

Accordingly, if a product developed through the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' R&D support is designated as an innovative product after evaluating its innovativeness, it can be procured through direct contracts with public institutions.

To this end, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups has prepared the 'Guidelines for Designation of Excellent R&D Innovative Products' through continuous consultations with relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Public Procurement Service, and has been implementing them since February 13.

To designate innovative products, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to issue recruitment notices for innovative products once in the first half and once in the second half of this year. Applications for the first half of the year are planned to be accepted until April 8, and the announcement for the second half is scheduled for July.

Eligibility is limited to small and medium-sized enterprises that have completed development within five years of the application deadline with R&D funding from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and applications can be submitted through the Ministry of SMEs and Startups Technology Development Project Management System .

Based on the submitted applications, three indicators—technological innovation, marketability, and social necessity—are comprehensively evaluated. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to include public procurement experts as evaluation committee members to ensure that suitability for public procurement is reflected in the evaluation.

Once designated as an innovative product, the product is registered on the Public Procurement Service's electronic procurement system, and if a public institution wishes to purchase the product, it may enter into a direct private contract with the relevant company or enter into a contract in accordance with the Public Procurement Service's purchase request procedures.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to organize a pitching day between company representatives producing innovative products and public procurement officials as a side event of the SME Technology Innovation Fair scheduled for August of this year to help connect designated innovative products to purchases.