TIPA — Technology Innovation Promotion Agency for SMEs

Supports TIPA by managing public programs that fund innovation personnel, industrial commercialization, and research teams in Korea.

TIPA, the Technology Innovation Promotion Agency for SMEs, is South Korea's main SME R&D executing agency under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. Established in 2002 and based in Sejong, it is the national public institution that channels SME technology-development funding, with a 2026 budget of KRW 2.2 trillion. The agency's role is broad, but its core function is to turn SME research plans into funded development and commercialisation work.

TIPA supports startup growth, technology innovation, smart manufacturing, industry-academia collaboration, research personnel support, regional innovation, and international joint R&D. Its major routes include Startup Growth Technology Development, SME Technology Innovation Development, Industry-Academia-Research Collaborative R&D, Research Personnel Support, Regional Innovation Leaders Development, and the International Joint R&D Program. Award sizes vary widely, from a KRW 260 million ceiling on standard collaborative R&D to KRW 1.04 billion for consortium collaborative work and KRW 1.39 billion for full international joint projects.

Applications run through SMTECH rather than the agency's main website, and the 2026 calendar shows both dated rounds and rolling routes. The strongest applicants are Korean SMEs with a clear technology path, a workable commercialisation plan, and the internal capacity to handle reporting and evaluation. The 2026 reorganisation of an AI Innovation Unit also points to a stronger emphasis on manufacturing digitisation and AI-enabled productivity.