Recruiting 10 people aged 19 and older from May 26 to June 11
[Korea Economic Daily] Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Economic & Science Promotion Agency are recruiting a provincial evaluation panel to conduct the final evaluations for the '2026 Gyeonggi Startup Contest (G-Star Audition) Preliminary & Early Stage League' until the 11th of next month.
The 'Gyeonggi Startup Contest Preliminary & Early-Stage League' is a startup competition designed to discover and nurture early-stage startups with excellent business ideas, targeting prospective entrepreneurs residing in Gyeonggi Province and companies within the province that have been established for less than three years. Winning teams (companies) will receive various benefits, including funding for commercialization and capacity-building programs, as well as support for participation in the 'Gyeonggi Startup Summit' scheduled for this coming October and priority access to startup spaces within the province.
This year's competition saw a high competition rate of 186:1 with a total of 558 teams applying to select the final 3 teams, and 10 teams that received excellent evaluations through document screening and presentation evaluations advanced to the finals.
A total of 20 million won in prize money and certificates will be awarded to the three teams finally selected through the final judging, including 10 million won for the Grand Prize, 7 million won for the Top Excellence Prize, and 3 million won for the Excellence Prize.
Ten members will be selected for the Citizen Evaluation Panel following an evaluation process, with priority given to employees of startup support organizations or startup incubation experts. The selected panel members will participate in the final evaluation held at the Gyeonggi Startup Bridge on June 23 to directly assess (prospective) startups in cutting-edge fields such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and Biotechnology from the perspective of Gyeonggi residents. Participating members will also be provided with the opportunity to attend the 'Gyeonggi Startup Summit' and receive specific benefits.
The application period runs from May 26 to June 11, and Gyeonggi residents aged 19 or older who wish to participate can apply online through the Gyeonggi Startup Platform. For further inquiries, please contact the Startup Strategy Team at the Gyeonggi Economic & Science Promotion Agency or send an email.
Ryu Soon-yeol, Head of the Venture Startup Division of Gyeonggi Province, stated, “Through this competition, we aim to directly discover promising companies with innovative startup ideas from the perspective of the residents,” adding, “We will do our best to increase the sense of tangible impact and empathy regarding startup support programs by expanding resident participation, and to foster a startup ecosystem that grows together with the residents.”
