If you're a Korean or Japanese manufacturer looking to sell overseas, there's a good chance your government will pay for half your website. Not a typo. Both KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency) and JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) run digital export promotion programs that cover 50% of costs for building export-oriented websites, e-commerce platforms, and digital marketing infrastructure. I've helped multiple manufacturing clients claim these subsidies, and the money is real -- but the application process has enough friction that most companies never bother. This guide fixes that.

We're going to walk through both programs side by side: what's covered, what isn't, how to apply, and how to structure your web development project so it actually qualifies. Whether you're a Korean SME building a global B2B site or a Japanese company launching an English-language e-commerce store, this is the playbook.

KOTRA & JETRO Digital Export Subsidies: Get 50% of Your Website Covered

Table of Contents

Why These Subsidies Exist

Both South Korea and Japan have aging domestic markets and export-dependent economies. Their governments figured out something obvious years ago: if small and mid-sized manufacturers can't sell internationally, the entire economy stagnates. And in 2025, selling internationally means having a proper digital presence -- not a brochure site from 2012 with Google Translate slapped on it.

KOTRA has been running export promotion programs since 1962. JETRO since 1958. But the digital-specific programs have ramped up significantly since 2020, when COVID made it painfully clear that companies without online sales channels were stuck. Both agencies now actively fund website development, digital marketing, e-commerce platform integration, and overseas market entry through digital channels.

The basic math for both programs is similar: SMEs can get up to 50% of eligible digital project costs reimbursed, with caps that vary by program tier. For manufacturers, this typically means getting ₩15-50 million (KOTRA) or ¥10-20 million (JETRO) back on your web development investment.

That's not pocket change. That's the difference between building a basic WordPress site and building a proper multilingual headless CMS platform that actually converts international buyers.

KOTRA Digital Export Support Programs

KOTRA runs several programs that overlap with website development funding. The most relevant ones for 2025:

Global Online Marketing Support (글로벌 온라인 마케팅 지원)

This is KOTRA's flagship digital export program. It covers:

  • Website development and redesign for export markets
  • Online marketplace entry (Amazon, Alibaba, etc.)
  • Digital advertising for overseas markets
  • SEO and content localization
  • Video production for product marketing

The subsidy rate is 50% for SMEs, with an annual cap typically between ₩25-50 million depending on the specific sub-program and your company's export history. Companies with less than $5 million in annual exports often qualify for higher support tiers.

Export Voucher Program (수출바우처)

The Export Voucher is broader and more flexible. You receive vouchers that can be spent on pre-approved service providers (including web development agencies) for export-related services. The government covers 50-70% of costs depending on company size and export stage.

For 2025, the typical allocation is:

  • New exporters: up to ₩30 million in vouchers
  • Growing exporters ($1-5M annual): up to ₩40 million
  • Established exporters ($5M+): up to ₩50 million

The catch? Your development agency needs to be registered as an approved KOTRA service provider. Not every agency qualifies, and the registration process takes 2-3 months.

SME Digital Transformation Support

A newer program that specifically targets manufacturing companies adopting digital tools. Website development qualifies when it's part of a broader digital transformation initiative -- for example, integrating your website with ERP systems, implementing product configurators, or building B2B portals with real-time inventory data.

Coverage: 50% of costs up to ₩100 million for qualifying projects. The bar is higher here, but so is the payout.

KOTRA & JETRO Digital Export Subsidies: Get 50% of Your Website Covered - architecture

JETRO Investment and Export Subsidies

JETRO's approach is slightly different. While KOTRA focuses on helping Korean companies export, JETRO runs programs both for Japanese companies expanding abroad AND for foreign companies investing in Japan. Both paths can fund website development.

Subsidy for Projects to Stimulate Direct Investment

This is JETRO's most documented program. It targets foreign-affiliated companies establishing or expanding operations in Japan:

  • SMEs: Up to 1/2 (50%) of eligible expenses, maximum ¥20 million
  • Large enterprises: Up to 1/3 of eligible expenses, maximum ¥20 million

Eligible expenses explicitly include advertising, equipment, subcontracting (which covers development agencies), and personnel costs. If your company is establishing a Japan-based operation and needs a Japanese-language website, e-commerce platform, or digital marketing infrastructure, this program applies directly.

Projects must demonstrate technological novelty or introduce new business models. A standard brochure site won't qualify. But a headless CMS-powered multilingual platform with integrated product catalogs, localized content, and real-time pricing? That clears the bar.

Digital Overseas Expansion Support for Japanese SMEs

For Japanese manufacturers selling abroad, JETRO and METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) jointly fund digital export initiatives. The 2025 program offers:

  • 50% coverage for website development targeting overseas markets
  • Support for e-commerce platform integration
  • Funding for multilingual content creation
  • Digital advertising budget matching

Typical caps range from ¥5 million to ¥20 million depending on company size and project scope. Applications open quarterly, and approval rates for manufacturing companies have been running around 35-40% -- not guaranteed, but decent odds if your application is solid.

Regional Government Add-On Programs

Here's something most people miss: prefectural and municipal governments in Japan often have their own digital export subsidies that stack on top of JETRO's programs. Tokyo, Osaka, Aichi (where many manufacturers are based), and Fukuoka all run separate programs. In some cases, you can get JETRO's 50% plus a regional government's additional 25%, bringing your total coverage to 75% of project costs.

The same applies in Korea -- individual provinces and cities run supplementary programs through their local economic development agencies.

Side-by-Side Comparison: KOTRA vs JETRO

Feature KOTRA (Korea) JETRO (Japan)
Primary program Global Online Marketing Support Digital Overseas Expansion Support
SME subsidy rate 50% 50%
Large company rate 30-50% 33%
Typical cap ₩25-50M (~$18-36K USD) ¥10-20M (~$65-130K USD)
Application frequency Annual (Jan-Feb typically) Quarterly
Approval timeline 4-8 weeks 6-12 weeks
Website dev eligible? Yes, explicitly Yes, under subcontracting
CMS/platform costs? Yes Yes
Hosting/SaaS fees? First year only Project period only
Agency must be pre-approved? Yes (for voucher program) No, but helps
Stacks with regional programs? Yes Yes
Reimbursement model Post-project payment Post-project or milestone
Required documentation Export business plan, quotes Project proposal, cost breakdown

One important note: JETRO's caps are significantly higher in absolute terms. A Japanese manufacturer can realistically get ¥15-20 million (~$100-130K USD) back on a major web platform build. That's enough to fund a serious headless CMS implementation with proper localization, not just a translated homepage.

What Expenses Actually Qualify

This is where things get specific, and where I've seen the most confusion. Both programs cover website development, but the devil is in what counts as an "eligible expense."

Typically Covered (Both Programs)

  • Design and UX work: Wireframes, prototypes, visual design, user research
  • Frontend development: HTML/CSS/JS, React, Next.js, Astro -- the actual build
  • Backend development: API integrations, CMS setup, database architecture
  • Content creation: Copywriting, translation, localization, photography, video
  • SEO implementation: Technical SEO, keyword research, content optimization
  • E-commerce setup: Product catalogs, payment integration, shipping calculators
  • Digital advertising: First 3-12 months of paid ads for overseas markets
  • Analytics and tracking: GA4 setup, conversion tracking, reporting dashboards

Typically NOT Covered

  • Ongoing hosting fees beyond the project period (usually 12 months max)
  • Internal employee salaries (JETRO is an exception here -- they do cover personnel)
  • Hardware purchases unrelated to the project
  • Domain registration (trivial cost, but explicitly excluded in some programs)
  • Maintenance contracts beyond the initial project scope
  • Software licenses for internal tools not directly part of the website

The Gray Zone

SaaS subscriptions are tricky. A headless CMS subscription (Contentful, Sanity, Storyblok) is usually coverable during the project period because it's directly tied to the website build. A Slack subscription for team communication is not. When in doubt, list it in your proposal and let the review committee decide -- they'll strike items they don't approve rather than rejecting the whole application.

How to Structure Your Web Project for Subsidy Approval

I've reviewed probably a dozen subsidy applications for manufacturing clients over the past few years. The ones that get approved share common traits:

1. Frame Everything Around Export Revenue

Neither KOTRA nor JETRO cares about your brand refresh. They care about exports. Your proposal needs to draw a straight line from website investment to international sales. Don't write "we want a modern website." Write "we need a multilingual B2B platform to capture inquiries from North American and European buyers, targeting $2M in new export revenue within 24 months."

2. Choose the Right Technology Stack

Reviewers look for projects that demonstrate innovation, not just a fresh coat of paint. This is where headless architecture becomes genuinely strategic. A proposal for a Next.js-powered headless site with a structured CMS backend scores better than "we'll update our WordPress theme" because it demonstrates technological investment.

Similarly, an Astro-based static site with internationalization baked in shows you're thinking about performance for overseas visitors -- page load times matter when your buyers are 8,000 miles from your server.

3. Include Measurable KPIs

Your proposal needs numbers. Target overseas visitor counts, inquiry conversion rates, expected export volume increases. Make them realistic -- reviewers can smell BS.

4. Budget in Detail

Vague line items get rejected. Don't write "Website Development: ₩40,000,000." Break it down:

Information Architecture & UX Research:     ₩4,000,000
UI Design (Desktop + Mobile):               ₩6,000,000
Frontend Development (Next.js):              ₩10,000,000
CMS Integration (Contentful):                ₩5,000,000
Multilingual Content (EN, DE, ES):           ₩8,000,000
SEO Implementation:                          ₩3,000,000
E-commerce Integration:                      ₩4,000,000
─────────────────────────────────────────────
Total:                                       ₩40,000,000
Subsidy Request (50%):                       ₩20,000,000

That level of detail shows you've actually planned the project, not just picked a number.

Real Budget Examples and Calculations

Let me walk through two real-world scenarios:

Korean Auto Parts Manufacturer (KOTRA Program)

Company: 150 employees, $8M annual revenue, $3M exports Goal: English/German B2B website with product configurator

Project Budget:
  UX/UI Design:                    ₩8,000,000
  Next.js Development:             ₩15,000,000
  Headless CMS (Sanity):           ₩6,000,000
  Product Configurator:            ₩12,000,000
  Translation & Localization:      ₩5,000,000
  SEO & Analytics:                 ₩4,000,000
  ──────────────────────────────
  Total:                           ₩50,000,000 (~$36,000 USD)
  KOTRA Subsidy (50%):             ₩25,000,000 (~$18,000 USD)
  Company Pays:                    ₩25,000,000

Japanese Precision Equipment Manufacturer (JETRO Program)

Company: 80 employees, ¥1.2B revenue, establishing US sales channel Goal: English e-commerce site with real-time inventory from Japanese ERP

Project Budget:
  UX Research & Design:            ¥2,500,000
  Headless E-commerce (Shopify):   ¥4,000,000
  Frontend (Next.js/Astro):        ¥5,000,000
  ERP Integration Development:     ¥4,500,000
  Content Creation & Photography:  ¥2,000,000
  Digital Advertising (6 months):  ¥3,000,000
  ──────────────────────────────
  Total:                           ¥21,000,000 (~$137,000 USD)
  JETRO Subsidy (50%, capped):     ¥10,500,000 (~$68,000 USD)
  Company Pays:                    ¥10,500,000

Notice how the Japanese program's higher caps make it feasible to fund a genuinely ambitious project.

Application Process Step by Step

KOTRA (Typical Timeline: 3-4 Months)

  1. Check eligibility on KOTRA's website (kotra.or.kr) -- you need a valid business registration and export history or export plan
  2. Attend orientation session -- KOTRA runs these in major cities and online. Not always mandatory, but reviewers notice attendance.
  3. Prepare export business plan -- This is the meat of your application. 10-15 pages covering market analysis, competitive positioning, and digital strategy.
  4. Get development quotes -- You need at least 2-3 quotes from different agencies. If using the voucher program, quotes must come from registered providers.
  5. Submit application during the open window (typically January-February for the main round, with supplementary rounds mid-year)
  6. Interview/review -- Some programs require a presentation to a review committee
  7. Approval notification -- 4-8 weeks after submission
  8. Execute project -- You have 6-12 months to complete the work
  9. Submit completion report with invoices, deliverables, and KPI progress
  10. Receive reimbursement -- 4-6 weeks after report approval

JETRO (Typical Timeline: 4-6 Months)

  1. Contact JETRO's regional office or your nearest Invest Japan center
  2. Confirm program eligibility -- requirements vary by program tier
  3. Draft project proposal -- Emphasize technological novelty and economic contribution
  4. Prepare detailed budget with supporting quotes
  5. Submit during quarterly application window
  6. External review committee evaluates proposals (6-12 weeks)
  7. Contract signing upon approval
  8. Execute project within designated period
  9. Interim and final reporting required
  10. Reimbursement processed after final audit

Common Mistakes That Get Applications Rejected

I've seen applications fail for frustrating reasons. Here are the biggest pitfalls:

Treating it as a rebrand project. Both agencies fund export infrastructure, not corporate identity work. If your proposal reads like you're refreshing your logo and colors, it's dead on arrival.

Missing the application window. KOTRA's main round opens in January. Miss it, and you're waiting a year. Set calendar reminders in November.

Inflated budgets. Reviewers know what things cost. A ₩100M quote for a 10-page website will get flagged immediately. Keep budgets realistic and detailed.

No market research. You need to show you understand the target export market. Include competitor analysis, market sizing, and buyer personas.

Vague technology descriptions. "We'll build a modern website" means nothing. "We'll implement a Next.js frontend with incremental static regeneration, connected to a Sanity CMS for multilingual content management, deployed on Vercel's edge network for sub-200ms TTFB in North American markets" -- that shows you've done the homework.

Forgetting post-launch plans. Reviewers want to know the site won't rot after launch. Include a 12-month plan for content updates, SEO monitoring, and performance optimization.

Working With a Development Agency

Here's my honest take: the subsidy application process is enough work that you want an agency partner who's done it before. Not every development shop understands how to structure proposals for government programs, and the documentation requirements are specific.

At Social Animal, we've helped manufacturing clients on both sides of the Korea Strait put together subsidy-eligible proposals. Our headless CMS development capabilities and Next.js expertise map directly to the kind of technologically differentiated projects that reviewers approve. If you're curious about what a subsidy-eligible project might look like for your company, our pricing page gives you a starting point, and we're always happy to talk through the specifics.

But whether you work with us or another agency, make sure whoever builds your site understands that the documentation and reporting requirements are part of the project scope. Budget for it. A well-documented project with proper deliverable tracking isn't just good for the subsidy -- it's good for you.

FAQ

Can I apply for both KOTRA and JETRO subsidies at the same time?

Not for the same project. Each program requires that the project isn't double-funded by another government program. However, if you're a Korean company with a Japanese subsidiary (or vice versa), you could theoretically fund different projects through each agency -- a Korean-language B2B site through KOTRA and a Japanese market entry site through JETRO, for example.

Does my website have to be built by a local Korean or Japanese agency?

Not necessarily. KOTRA's voucher program requires registered service providers, but the broader Global Online Marketing Support program accepts overseas agencies as long as proper invoicing and contracts are in place. JETRO's programs generally allow foreign subcontractors. That said, having a local entity or registered branch makes the paperwork easier.

What if my company is too large to qualify as an SME?

You can still apply -- you'll just get a lower subsidy rate (typically 30-33% instead of 50%). Both programs have tiers for larger enterprises. The project caps are often the same, so the absolute maximum reimbursement is lower for large companies.

How long does the entire process take from application to reimbursement?

Realistically, 8-14 months. That breaks down to 1-2 months for preparation, 1-3 months for review and approval, 4-8 months for project execution, and 1-2 months for final reporting and reimbursement. Don't plan your cash flow around getting the money back quickly.

Can I use the subsidy to rebuild an existing website?

Yes, as long as the rebuild serves an export purpose. A redesign of your Korean-language domestic site wouldn't qualify, but rebuilding it as a multilingual export platform absolutely would. The key is demonstrating that the new site serves international markets in a way the old one didn't.

Are SaaS and hosting costs covered?

First-year subscriptions during the project period are typically eligible. Ongoing hosting and SaaS fees after the project completion date are not. This is one reason headless architectures work well for subsidy projects -- the CMS subscription during build and launch is coverable, and ongoing costs are relatively modest.

What happens if I don't meet the export targets in my proposal?

You don't have to pay the subsidy back in most cases. The targets in your proposal are goals, not contractual obligations. However, KOTRA does consider your track record when you apply for future programs. Consistently missing targets can affect future approvals. Be ambitious but realistic.

Can startups or companies with no export history apply?

Yes. Both KOTRA and JETRO have specific tiers for "new exporters" or companies entering international markets for the first time. In fact, these companies sometimes get priority because the programs are designed to create new exporters, not just support existing ones. You'll need a solid market entry plan to compensate for the lack of track record.