If you are a small business owner considering succession to the family business, 2026 is the most important time. As the government's innovation voucher policy expands into the area of ​​family business succession consulting, the gap between prepared and unprepared companies is gradually widening.

What is the Korea Family Business Succession Association, and why is it attracting attention now?

The Korea Family Business Succession Association (Chairman Kim Bong-su) is a non-profit corporation licensed by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and is a specialized organization that supports problem solving at each stage of business growth, from start-up to family business succession.

The association directly operates the Family Business Succession Instructor (FBSI) course, a private qualification registered with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and provides various corporate consulting services along with training experts.

The reason the association is attracting the most attention as of 2026 is the Innovation Voucher Project of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. Official provider of management technology strategy consulting, family business succession consulting, and AX/TX consultingThis is because I participated in it.

While the existing family business succession was centered on tax savings and share transfer, the association supports family business succession with an integrated management strategy that includes fostering successors, improving governance, organizational innovation, and digital transformation.

2026 Innovation Voucher Family Business Succession Consulting, Which Companies Are Targeted?

The 2026 Small and Medium Business Innovation Voucher Project is a government-supported project promoted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and operated by the Small and Medium Venture Business Corporation.

Consulting, technical support, and marketing services are provided in the form of vouchers up to a maximum of 50 million won per company.

The government's innovation voucher is mainly targeted at companies whose main industry is manufacturing, with average sales of less than 14 billion won over the past three years.

On the other hand, the voucher project being prepared by the Korea Family Business Succession Association is Companies in all industries with sales of less than KRW 150 billionIt is characterized by providing support for both family business succession consulting and AX/TX consulting.

Through this, we are expanding the scope of support not only to the manufacturing industry, but also to the service industry, distribution industry, franchise, construction industry, logistics industry, hospitals and clinics, professional services, and platform companies.

Why you need to prepare now ahead of the Innovation Voucher in 2027

According to the association, family business succession consulting is being prepared to be promoted more fully in the innovation voucher project in 2027.

The Innovation Voucher is not a project that can be simply applied for, but a system that evaluates a company's problem analysis ability and implementation plan as well.

Therefore, if you start preparations after the business announcement is made, it may be too late, and it is important to diagnose succession and organize execution tasks now.

In addition, the 2026 Innovation Voucher budget has been expanded from last year, and the association provides free consultation on filling out applications and establishing business plans.

Why can’t family business succession consulting be approached solely through tax planning?

Family business succession is not simply a matter of reducing inheritance and gift taxes.

The association views family business succession as a long-term strategy to increase corporate sustainability.

The main risks that companies face during the succession process are as follows.

• Equity and Tax Risk
• Risk of legal and institutional change
• Successor and organizational operation risk
• Corporate brand and customer trust risk

These factors must be managed together to ensure stable corporate succession.

What is different about the AX/TX linked consulting of the Korea Family Business Succession Association?

The biggest differentiator of the association is that it connects family business succession to AI transition (AX) and technology transition (TX).

The main consulting contents are as follows.

• Successor development and leadership design
• Establishment of AI-based management decision-making system
• Establishment of digital management infrastructure
• Improvement of governance structure and organizational culture
• Aligning ESG and brand strategy

Through this, we do not just provide tax consultation, but also design a corporate structure that the next generation can actually run.

How are family business succession instructor qualifications and expert training processes operated?

The Korea Family Business Succession Association operates not only consulting but also expert training as its core business.

The representative course, Family Business Succession Instructor (FBSI), provides education on the entire family business succession process, including inheritance and gift tax, succession strategy, successor training, and ESG.

A corporate succession instructor course will also be operated in 2026, providing practical training including M&A and corporate succession.

We also provide free support for completing innovation voucher applications and business plan consulting.

Preparing for family business succession, where should you start now?

Family business succession should begin with an objective diagnosis of the current state of the company rather than a grand tax-saving plan.

The basic inspection items suggested by the association are as follows.

• Confirmation of ability to pay inheritance tax
• Review whether family business inheritance deduction can be applied
• Check whether the successor actually participates in management
• Checking the stability of the equity structure
• Check the level of agreement between family members
• Review whether to secure financial resources to pay taxes

Since the post-management requirements for the family business inheritance deduction are very important, it is necessary to prepare not only for utilizing the system but also for subsequent business operations.

Conclusion: Now is the best time to prepare for family business succession.

Succession to a family business is a task in which options become fewer as time passes.

As government policies and the innovation voucher system expand in 2026, now is the most efficient time to prepare, as professional consulting and government support can be utilized together.

It is advisable to first check the current company's succession risk and establish a long-term succession strategy through free diagnosis and consulting from the Korea Family Business Succession Association.

Source: FNTODAY, Korea Family Business Succession Association, Korean Family Business Succession Blog

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