2026 Youth BizCool Festival to Showcase 88 Schools’ Ideas

By Amara Osei

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups expects more than 100 participants at the three-day 2026 Youth BizCool Festival in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. Those include BizCool youth teams, entrepreneurship education support organizations and companies, elementary, middle and high school students, teachers and members of the public.

The ministry's Nov. 3 announcement sets the run through Nov. 5 at Cheongju OSCO's first-floor exhibition hall. BizCool combines “business” and “school” and means “learning about business at school”; the ministry has supported entrepreneurship education and mock startup experiences since 2002.

The ministry's event slogan is “Everyone’s Dreams in Motion!” The ministry says the gathering gives young people from across the country a chance to share startup ideas they developed at school and the results of their entrepreneurship education. Its activities will connect students from different regions through shared exhibitions, networking and encounters with experienced entrepreneurs.

Mok Seung-hwan heads the ministry’s Startup and Venture Innovation Office. He said: “The Youth BizCool Festival is a celebratory gathering where young people—the innovators of the future—can connect their ideas across school and community boundaries, discover new possibilities and grow.” His statement put links between schools, communities and young innovators at the center of the festival.

He added: “We will continue to provide active support so young people can grow by imagining boldly and taking on challenges without fear of failure.” The ministry has backed entrepreneurship education and mock startup experiences for young people since 2002.

The ministry says the program connects schools, communities and businesses. It helps students explore career paths through the experiences of established entrepreneurs and share the results of startup challenges.

What will the festival showcase?

According to the ministry's program, the BizCool school pavilion will remain open throughout the event and feature students' ideas and educational achievements from 88 participating schools nationwide. Other exhibits include a promotional pavilion introducing the “Startup for All” youth entrepreneurship policy and an entrepreneurship textbook, plus a corporate pavilion with innovative companies in fields such as aerospace and beauty.

The ministry says an “Exciting Zone” will let visitors try emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. It also lists a networking lounge for participants as part of the three-day program.

How will students participate?

According to the ministry, the opening ceremony is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on the first day, with a student musical performance by the team that won last year's “BizCool Showcase Grand Prize.” The ceremony will honor contributors to youth entrepreneurship education and winners of final-round investor presentations at BizCool Camp, held as part of the “Startup for All Project.”

Minister Lee So-young leads the ministry, which plans 50 awards for the festival. They include 25 commendations and five certificates from the minister, plus 16 commendations and four certificates from the head of the Korea Institute of Startup and Entrepreneurship Development.

The ministry's Nov. 4 schedule gives participating young people a networking program to share startup ideas and experiences. On the main stage, Kwon Do-kyun, CEO of Primer, and Son Joo-eun, chairman of Megastudy, will share their experiences and discuss entrepreneurship and career paths.

The ministry's Nov. 4 program includes a talk show with four young entrepreneurs discussing startup experiences as teenagers, failure and taking on challenges. On Nov. 5, students will take the stage at “BizCool Showcase” to demonstrate their talents and abilities, followed by awards for the accompanying events.

The ministry's program will put student ideas from 88 schools on the main stage, while 50 awards recognize education, startup and event contributions. The ministry has backed school-based entrepreneurship education and mock startup experiences since 2002, and Mok said support would continue.