KBIZ

What KBIZ does

KBIZ (중소기업중앙회, Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises) is the central private federation for small and medium enterprises in Korea, operating since 1962 from its headquarters in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, with 251-500 employees and a network of 15 regional offices plus a secondary Seoul facility in DMC Tower (Sangam). The federation delivers a multi-pronged support portfolio spanning SME financing facilitation (working capital and facility loans with up to 1.3 percentage point guarantee fee reductions via KOTEC), smart factory construction programs (mentored by a 170+ person Samsung Electronics organization under a January 2026 agreement), cooperative consulting and joint business support funds (up to ₩15 million per cooperative for R&D consulting), export consortiums, ESG management toolkits and online education, business succession advisory, foreign worker hiring support, and specialized workforce subsidies. KBIZ also administers an integrated insurance and guarantee product family — Yellow Umbrella (노란우산) compulsory insurance, the SME Reserve Fund (중소기업공제기금), SME Guarantee Insurance, loss compensation (손해공제), and product liability (PL보험) — accessible through its cooperative portal at johap.kbiz.or.kr and supported by statistical publications such as the monthly SME Business Outlook survey and annual SME Survey.

The federation's revenue mechanics combine government-administered program funds (under oversight of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups), insurance premium and reserve flows, cooperative membership fees, and ancillary venue rental from six publicly priced meeting room facilities at the Yeouido and DMC Tower locations. Distribution is multi-channel: direct enterprise service through 15 regional headquarters and dedicated Seoul offices, self-service through the cooperative portal, online customer consultation, the SME Express Hotline, and a network of partnerships with Samsung Electronics, Woori Bank, KOTEC, and HRD Korea. KBIZ does not disclose revenue, is structured as a private non-profit membership federation rather than an investable equity, and is not listed on any public exchange.

Name

KBIZ

Legal name

중소기업중앙회 (KBIZ, Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises)

Website

https://kbiz.or.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

KBIZ (Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises) is the central private SME federation in Korea, providing financing facilitation, smart factory mentoring with Samsung, cooperative consulting, ESG toolkits, export consortiums, and an integrated insurance and guarantee product family to Korea's 8.3 million SMEs through 15 regional offices and digital portals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

SME Support Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Corporate, Subsidiary, and Regional Managing Offices (551114)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Licensing, Permitting & Regulatory Administration (Cross-sector) (BPAIABAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

SME Sector/Specialty Banking (Vertical-focused: Healthcare, Agri, Tech, etc.) (FSABABAI)

Keywords

• SME support services
• Cooperative consulting
• Smart factory programs
• SME business succession
• SME export consortium

Headquarters

HQ city

Yongdungpo

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KBIZ (Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises) is a national federation established in 1962 that provides comprehensive support services to small and medium enterprises in Korea, including financing access via guarantee fee reductions, smart factory construction programs in partnership with Samsung Electronics, cooperative consulting, business succession advisory, export consortium support, ESG management tooling, and group insurance/mutual aid programs. The organization operates 15 regional headquarters and multiple online service platforms to deliver these programs to SME members.

Product overview

KBIZ 중소기업중앙회 (Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises) is a comprehensive SME support organization offering a diverse portfolio of programs and services. The organization operates multiple integrated platforms including the Cooperative Portal (협동조합포탈), insurance programs (노란우산, 중소기업공제기금, 손해공제, PL보험), and online service platforms (중기익스프레스핫라인, 온라인 고객상담). KBIZ provides statistical and research services through its SME Statistics Database, monthly business outlook surveys, and annual SME surveys. The organization supports SME internationalization through export consortium programs and the Overseas Private Diplomats network. Key support areas include smart factory construction (스마트공장) in partnership with Samsung, ESG management guidance, business succession advisory services, cooperative consulting, workforce development, joint business support funds, and financial guarantee programs. The organization also maintains regional headquarters across 15 locations to provide localized support throughout Korea.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cooperative Portal (협동조합포탈) Online portal platform for managing SME cooperatives, providing consulting applications, business system access, and consortium management for cooperative members.
• Yellow Umbrella Insurance (노란우산) Compulsory insurance system for micro enterprises and individual proprietors, providing income insurance and benefits.
• SME Reserve Fund (중소기업공제기금) Reserve fund program providing financial protection and stability services for SMEs.
• SME Guarantee Insurance (중소기업보증공제) Guarantee insurance program supporting SME access to financing and credit.
• Loss Compensation Insurance (손해공제) Compensation insurance service for SMEs covering various business losses.
• Product Liability Insurance (PL보험) Product liability insurance for SMEs to cover damages caused by their products.
• SME Express Hotline (중기익스프레스핫라인) Hotline and consulting platform providing policy suggestions, regulatory forecasts, and SME support services.
• ESG Management Toolkit (중소기업 ESG경영 툴킷) Comprehensive ESG management toolkit including sector-specific guides, greenhouse gas calculation templates, ESG data management templates, case study collections, and sustainability reporting manuals for SMEs.
• Smart Factory Program (스마트공장) Program supporting SME smart factory construction in collaboration with Samsung Electronics, providing mentoring, step-by-step support, and financial incentives such as up to 1.3 percentage point guarantee fee reductions.
• Export Consortium (수출컨소시엄) Program supporting SMEs in forming industry-specific consortia for overseas market expansion, including overseas exhibition participation, buyer matching, and export counseling.
• Family Business Succession Support Center (가업승계지원센터) Government-designated center supporting smooth SME business succession, providing succession surveys, next-generation CEO schools, and tax information.
• SME Succession Advisory (중소기업승계 자문) Free advisory program for SME business succession, including consultation on succession methods and tax benefits.
• Joint Business Support Fund (공동사업지원자금) Fund established to promote collaborative business among SMEs, providing support for joint R&D, testing/certification, joint marketing, informatization, with tax benefits for contributors.
• Cooperative Consulting Support Team (협동조합 컨설팅지원단) Consulting team providing support for cooperative operations, joint business development, and establishment guidance using consultants with extensive cooperative knowledge and experience, including up to 15 million won in R&D consulting support.
• Specialized Workforce Support (전문인력 지원사업) Program supporting cooperatives by subsidizing up to 70% of wages (up to 2 million won per month) for personnel engaged in joint business activities for up to 2 years.
• Innovative Joint Business Support (혁신형 공동사업 지원사업) Program supporting innovative joint businesses pursued by cooperatives, providing direct project costs for digitalization, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance across the business value chain.
• Joint Purchase Special Guarantee (공동구매 전용보증) Guarantee program supporting price reduction for raw materials through joint purchasing by SMEs, with reduced guarantee fees (0.5 percentage point discount) and favorable bank loan rates (up to 2.0% reduction).
• Overseas Private Diplomats (해외민간대사) Network of SME CEOs with overseas business experience who provide free consulting on overseas investment, market information, and local networking for SMEs seeking to expand internationally.
• Strong SME Program (참 괜찮은 강소기업) Program supporting excellent SME companies with quality job creation and recruitment support.
• Noble Long-Standing Companies (명문장수기업) Annual recognition program (currently in its 10th edition) celebrating companies that have maintained successful operations for extended periods.
• Online Customer Consultation (온라인 고객상담) Online consultation system for inquiries about KBIZ tasks, support programs, and comprehensive counseling services.
• SME Statistics Database (중소기업통계DB) Comprehensive database providing SME basic statistics, management indicators, and wage surveys.
• Payment Linkage System (납품대금 연동제) System ensuring fair payment practices by linking SME product prices to changes in raw material and energy costs.
• KBIZ Hall Venue Rental (Yeouido) Conference and event venue rental at KBIZ Yeouido headquarters, with public pricing disclosed for morning/afternoon/full-day and hourly slots across multiple rooms.
• KBIZ DMC Tower Venue Rental (Sangam) Conference and event venue rental at DMC Tower in Sangam, with publicly disclosed pricing across Convention Hall, DMC Hall, and Conference Room options.

Quantifiable outcome

• Guarantee fee reduction of up to 1.3 percentage points for SMEs participating in smart factory projects
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Samsung ElectronicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2026KBIZ signed a business agreement with Samsung Electronics to strengthen financial support for SMEs participating in their joint smart factory construction project. Under the agreement, KBIZ and Samsung Electronics provide mentoring and step-by-step support for smart factory construction through the program. Samsung provides a dedicated organization of 170+ personnel for company-specific mentorship and manufacturing innovation support.
• Woori BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 27 January 2026As part of the smart factory financing agreement with KBIZ, Samsung, and KOTEC, Woori Bank provides market access support by purchasing products from supported SMEs. They also offer financial products to participating companies.
• Korea Employment Agency (HRD Korea)minorOthersPartnership for ESG online education services, where KBIZ courses are offered through the SME Human Resources Development Institute platform.
• Ministry of SMEs and StartupscoreOthersGovernment ministry overseeing SME policies, working with KBIZ on export consortium programs, smart factory initiatives, and various SME support schemes.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Korea Small Business Promotion Corporation (SBC / 중소기업진흥공단): Korean government-backed SME support institution directly overlapping with KBIZ on financing, consulting, and SME guarantee programs. Serves the same SME customer base in Korea with similarly mandated policy functions.
• Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI / 대한상공회의소): Korea's largest business federation, also a membership-driven organization providing policy advocacy, training, and SME support. Comparable in scope, governance, and revenue base to KBIZ, though more diverse across all enterprise sizes.
• Federation of Small Businesses (FSB, UK): UK membership federation representing small businesses with lobbying, training, insurance, and advisory services. Closest international analogue to KBIZ's combined advocacy-plus-service-delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• Ministry of SMEs and Startups (중소벤처기업부): The Korean government ministry that oversees SME policy and funds many of KBIZ's programs. It is the broader incumbent authority under which KBIZ operates and would be involved in any direct policy execution.
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): U.S. federal agency providing loan guarantees, contracting, and advisory services to small businesses. The closest government-side analog to KBIZ's quasi-public SME support role.

Regional players

• Japan Federation of Small Business Associations (Sho-Ren / 商工会議所): Japan's national SME chamber network providing financing facilitation, business matching, training, and policy advocacy — a near-functional mirror of KBIZ in the Japanese market.
• SME Corp Malaysia: Malaysian government-linked agency supporting SME development through financing, training, and advisory programs. Comparable mandate and program mix to KBIZ, though operating in a different country.
• Bpifrance: French public investment bank dedicated to SME financing, guarantees, and innovation support. Overlaps with KBIZ on guarantee and SME financing programs in Europe.
• Hong Kong Trade and Industry Department (TID): Government department providing SME funding schemes, advisory, and industry support, similar to KBIZ's ministry-coordinated SME funding role but smaller in scale.

Emerging players

• NASE (National Association for the Self-Employed, US): U.S. membership organization providing self-employed small businesses with benefits, advocacy, and resources — structurally similar to KBIZ's member-services angle on the smallest end of the SME spectrum.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnEy4rElv_d-Tm9XvY-wsQg/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/Kbiz.9988
• Xx.com/kbiz_twit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/korea-federation-of-smes-kbiz-vietnam-office

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KBIZ