[Seoul = Newsis] Lim Ki-keun, Administrator of the Public Procurement Service (PPS) (fifth from left in the front row), takes a commemorative photo with representatives of participating companies at the G-PASS Certification Ceremony and Briefing held at the Seoul Regional Office of Public Procurement on the 22nd. (Photo: Courtesy of PPS)
[Daejeon = Newsis] Reporter Kim Yang-soo – On the 22nd, the Public Procurement Service (PPS) held a certification ceremony and on-site briefing at the Seoul Regional Office of Public Procurement for newly selected G-PASS (Government Procurement Assistance Suite) companies—firms recognized for their high potential in entering overseas procurement markets.
A total of 52 companies were newly designated as G-PASS firms in the first quarter of this year. These companies are considered highly competitive candidates for global markets, as they already possess international certifications and industrial property rights.
Among the new designees, expectations are high for innovative tech firms and startups that have already proven their competitiveness domestically and abroad. Notable examples include an AI diagnostic device manufacturer with a supply chain of over 2,000 locations in the U.S., and a company that exported cap-type sterilizers to Ukraine and Nigeria through Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects last year.
The G-PASS program, which launched with 95 companies in 2013, has now grown to a total of 1,293 designated firms. These companies receive various benefits, including preferential treatment in the domestic procurement market and PPS export support programs, as well as real-time access to international procurement bidding information.
G-PASS companies contributed significantly to the nation’s export growth last year, achieving $1.63 billion in exports, an increase of more than 8% compared to the previous year.
During the briefing held alongside the ceremony, the PPS introduced its new "Comprehensive Overseas Procurement Market Entry Support Project"—a voucher-based system launching for the first time this year. They also outlined plans to provide customized market information, expand professional workforce training, and listened to the challenges faced by companies on the front lines of exporting.
Success stories were shared by senior firms, including BANF, which received an Innovation Award at CES 2024 and the Grand Prize at the 21st World Korean Business Convention (World Hansang Convention) while securing 6.5 billion KRW in cumulative investment. KSI, which saw a significant increase in exports last year through government support, also shared its experience in global expansion.
PPS Administrator Lim Ki-keun emphasized, "The domestic market is too small compared to the technological prowess and capabilities of our companies. Exporting is the definitive 'relief pitcher' to overcome difficulties in the economy and public livelihoods. Both the PPS and procurement-linked companies must stand at the forefront of the export drive."
