초기창업패키지 starts where 예비창업패키지 stops: registered, three years in, up to KRW 150 million
The second rung of KISED's commercialisation line: registered companies within three years of founding, three tracks, up to KRW 150 million for deep tech, and a cycle that runs a season earlier than the pre-startup package.
Korea's second funding rung begins where the first one legally ends. The moment a founder crosses the registration line, 예비창업패키지 closes and 초기창업패키지 opens — if the company is still inside its first three years.
The boundary, stated both ways
The pre-startup rung's criterion is negative: no business registration, no incorporation registration, as of the announcement date.
This rung's criterion is positive: 초기창업기업 within 업력 3년 — a registered early-stage company with three years of business tenure or less.
Read together, the two definitions tile the earliest stage of a Korean company's life with no gap and no overlap: unregistered, or registered and inside the window.
Three tracks, two ceilings
The 2026 page splits about 614 selections across three tracks: 일반형 (general) 400, 딥테크 (deep tech) 146, and 투자연계형 (investment-linked) 68.
The funding ceiling tracks the track. 일반형 and 투자연계형 reach KRW 100 million; 딥테크 reaches KRW 150 million.
| 예비창업패키지 | 초기창업패키지 | |
|---|---|---|
| Who applies | Not registered, as of the announcement date | Registered, within 3 years of founding |
| Funding ceiling | KRW 80 million | KRW 100M · KRW 150M (딥테크) |
| 2026 selections | about 300 | about 614, three tracks |
| Budget | KRW 49.125 billion | KRW 55.852 billion |
| Cycle, as printed | Call late Feb 2026, funding from June | Call Dec 2025, funding from March 2026 |
Every figure in that table comes from the two programme pages KISED publishes — read on the same day, and both marked with planned-date qualifiers where they appear.
What the money and programmes cover
The commercialisation fund (사업화자금) covers prototype production, marketing, and intellectual-property filing and registration — the same spending categories as the rung below.
The programme side shifts upmarket with the company: support tailored per administering institution around market entry (시장진입), early investment attraction (초기 투자유치), and pilot validation (실증검증).
The 2025-26 cycle, as printed
The page's four steps: the 공고 in December 2025, applications in January to February 2026, selection and agreement in February to March 2026, funding from March 2026 — the later steps marked 예정 (planned).
Note the season. The pre-startup rung calls in late February and funds from June; this rung called in December and funds from March. The two windows do not compete for the same calendar space, which is what makes riding both rungs in sequence practical.
Applying
Applications go online through the K-Startup portal (k-startup.go.kr), with a business plan (사업계획서) and supporting documents.
The page lists two contact points: the MSS office (중소벤처기업부 신산업기술창업과, 044-204-7648 or 7666) and KISED's 초기도약실 (044-410-1831, 1834, 1836 or 1864).
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between 예비창업패키지 and 초기창업패키지?
- Registration and tenure. 예비창업패키지 takes founders who have not registered a business as of the announcement date; 초기창업패키지 takes registered companies within three years of founding (업력 3년 이내). The ceilings, budgets and cycle seasons also differ — the early-startup rung pays more and opens earlier in the year.
- My company is four years old. Can I apply?
- Not under the printed criterion. KISED's page defines the target as 초기창업기업 within 업력 3년 — three years of business tenure. Past that line, this page does not offer a rung.
- How much does 초기창업패키지 pay?
- Up to KRW 100 million (1억원) for the 일반형 and 투자연계형 tracks, and up to KRW 150 million (1.5억원) for 딥테크 — covering prototype production, marketing, and intellectual-property filing and registration.
- What are the three tracks?
- The 2026 page prints a scale of about 614 companies across three tracks: 일반형 (general) 400, 딥테크 (deep tech) 146, and 투자연계형 (investment-linked) 68. What qualifies a company for each track is set in the announcement, not on this overview page.
- When did the 2026 cycle run?
- The page prints: announcement December 2025, applications January to February 2026, selection and agreement February to March 2026, funding from March 2026. The later steps are marked 예정 (planned), so the live announcement is the binding document.
- Who do I contact about 초기창업패키지?
- The page lists the MSS office (중소벤처기업부 신산업기술창업과) at 044-204-7648 or 7666, and KISED's 초기도약실 at 044-410-1831, 1834, 1836 or 1864.
Sources
- KISED, 초기창업패키지 programme page — eligibility, budget, tracks, funding ceilings, 2026 schedule, contacts — read 2026-09-01
- KISED, 예비창업패키지 programme page — comparison figures for the pre-startup rung — read 2026-09-01
- Hero photograph: WeWork Jongno Tower, Seoul, by Steve46814, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 — read 2026-09-01
Everything above is the rule as published. See how it applies to your case.