Kickstart Your SMB's Digital Transformation with Korea's 2026 Cloud Voucher

INSIGHT

March 24, 2026

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Overview of the 2026 Cloud Service Expansion Program

The "Cloud Service Expansion Program," led by Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT and the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA), is a government-backed initiative that directly supports digital transformation (DX) for domestic SMEs. It goes beyond simply subsidizing software subscription fees — the program's core value lies in combining expert consulting with cloud service adoption to help companies build data-driven management systems.

A wide range of SaaS solutions — including ERP, CRM, and collaboration tools — are already being deployed at Korean SMEs through this program. In 2026, applicants that select services with embedded AI capabilities receive preferential treatment during the evaluation process, creating an especially favorable environment for companies considering AI-powered solutions.

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How Much Funding Can SMEs Receive?

The total funding cap per company is 69.1 million KRW, split across two categories.

Support Items

Support Item	Funding Limit	Description
In-depth Consulting Required	Up to KRW 25M	Business environment analysis, data migration & cloud utilization strategy
Cloud Service Usage Fee	Up to KRW 44.1M	Subscription costs for SaaS and other cloud services
Total	Up to KRW 69.1M

※ In-depth consulting is a mandatory prerequisite before cloud service usage can begin.
※ Total program budget is capped at KRW 4,146M.

Cost-sharing ratios are structured by company size as follows.

Cost-Sharing Structure

Category	Government Support	Applicant's Share	Vendor's Share
SME	Up to 75%	20% (cash)	SME/Mid-size vendor 5% / Large enterprise 10%

Government 75%

Applicant 20%

Vendor

Government support (up to 75%) Applicant's share (20%, cash) Vendor's share (5–10%)

※ Eligibility is limited to domestic SMEs as defined under Article 2 of the Framework Act on Small and Medium Enterprises.
※ VAT is billed separately to the applicant company.

Advanced consulting is not optional — it's a mandatory step. Companies must complete the consulting phase and establish a strategy before cloud service usage begins. The consulting process analyzes the company's operational environment and develops a cloud-based data migration and utilization roadmap. Only when this groundwork is thorough can the subsequent service subscription investment translate into tangible results.

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Types of Cloud Services Eligible Under the Program

Cloud services supported through this program fall into three categories: SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS.

SaaS (Software as a Service) refers to subscription-based software accessed via the internet — think collaboration tools and accounting software — offering rapid deployment and minimal maintenance overhead. The vast majority of SME adoption cases under this program fall into this category, with organizational management and communication tools representing the largest share. IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) replaces physical infrastructure like servers and storage with cloud-based alternatives. PaaS (Platform as a Service) provides a ready-made software development environment.

In recent years, growing interest has centered on AI-powered SaaS solutions that support supply chain management (SCM) functions — from AI demand forecasting and inventory optimization to raw material price analysis. For industries with frequent demand fluctuations, such as manufacturing, retail, and food, adopting these solutions can directly translate into meaningful cost savings.

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2026 Application Timeline and Required Documents

Application Period and Key Dates

Application Period & Schedule

Late Feb – Late Mar

Open recruitment announced
Apr 3 (Fri) –
Apr 21 (Tue)

Application window Closes 11:00 AM
※ Deadline is 11:00 AM, not noon — plan accordingly.
Late April

1st round: Document review
Late May (wk 3)

2nd round: Presentation evaluation (top 90 applicants)
Late May (wk 4)

Final selection & notification
June – December

Consulting & cloud service usage

※ Dates are subject to change depending on program progress.

How to apply: Submit online through the Cloud Service Support Portal (https://www.cloudsup.or.kr).

Required Documents (7 items)

The application package consists of the demand-side company application form, cloud service utilization plan, personal information collection and usage consent form, business registration certificate, SME certification (validity must be confirmed as of the application date), national and local tax clearance certificates, and the SME support program integrated management system consent form.

Pre-Application Checklist

Simultaneous participation in similar government support programs — such as the AX Voucher or AI Voucher — is not permitted, so companies currently enrolled in other programs should verify eligibility in advance. Selected companies are obligated to cooperate with performance surveys for three years following selection (typically conducted October through December); non-compliance may result in penalties for future program participation. Companies whose representative is age 39 or younger (born on or after March 1, 1986) receive a 1-point bonus in the evaluation.

Final Thoughts

Korea's 2026 Cloud Service Expansion Program offers SMEs the opportunity to rapidly adopt proven SaaS solutions with minimal upfront investment. With clearer preferential evaluation criteria for AI-powered solutions this year, companies exploring data-driven decision-making upgrades — whether in demand forecasting, inventory optimization, or beyond — have strong reason to take advantage of this program.

Companies interested in adopting Deepflow through the Cloud Voucher can reach ImpactiveAI at sales@impactive-ai.com.

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