The Catholic University of Korea’s Startup Incubation Center is recruiting aspiring entrepreneurs and startup companies to occupy 11 spaces in the BI Building and the Bambino Building (BA Building) at the Sungsim Campus. The center issued a call for applications on September 22 and will accept applications via email until 10:00 p.m. on October 6.
The available spaces consist of seven in the BI Building and four in the Bambino Building. In the BI Building, the spaces are Rooms 203, 204, 304, 305, and 306 (each 30 m², 9 pyeong), Room 207 (16.5 m², 5 pyeong), rooms 301–302 (60 m², 18 pyeong), while the Bambino Building includes rooms BA102 and BA103 (24 m², 7.3 pyeong each), BA104 (56 m², 17 pyeong), and BA107 (48 m², 14.5 pyeong).
Eligibility is limited to prospective entrepreneurs who are in the technology development stage, have a specific commercialization goal, and can register their business within three months of moving in; or technology-intensive startups that have been in operation for no more than seven years as of the announcement date and can relocate their main office within three months of being accepted. Selected companies must relocate their primary business location (headquarters) to the facility. Preference will be given to companies in the BT/IT, electrical/electronics, and biology/biotechnology sectors, as well as to current students and alumni of The Catholic University of Korea, faculty members who are entrepreneurs, and companies with a high likelihood of participating in programs linked to the university or the startup support team.
Companies currently subject to regulatory restrictions due to default on debt or delinquency in national or local taxes; businesses in industries excluded from the startup program, such as entertainment establishments; industries prone to causing pollution, such as wastewater, noise, or vibration; and affiliated research institutes of companies whose headquarters are already located in government- or local government-supported spaces are ineligible to apply.
Selection will be based on a written evaluation and a presentation evaluation. The presentation evaluation consists of a 10-minute presentation by the representative followed by a 10-minute question-and-answer session. The evaluation criteria are as follows: business viability and market potential (30 points), technology and product competitiveness (25 points), founder’s capabilities (20 points), specificity of the business plan (15 points), and ties to universities and centers (10 points). Applicants with an average score of 70 points or higher will be selected in descending order of score; in the event of a tie, priority will be given to the applicant with a higher score for collaboration with universities and centers. The schedule is as follows: eligibility review on October 7, in-person evaluation on October 12, individual notification of results on October 13, and signing of the occupancy agreement on October 15; occupancy will take place in October.
The contract term is one year from the move-in date and may be extended annually following a performance evaluation. Tenant companies pay a security deposit of 200,000 won per pyeong upon signing the initial contract and are responsible for monthly rent of 25,000 won per pyeong, a maintenance fee of 5,000 won (excluding VAT), and actual expenses such as electricity bills. For a 30-square-meter (9-pyeong) space, the security deposit is 1.8 million won, with a monthly rent of 225,000 won and management fees of 45,000 won. Office furniture, telephones, and internet service are not provided.
The center assesses the market potential, technological capabilities, and business viability of tenant companies to design tailored support programs, providing assistance with prototype development, marketing, intellectual property rights, and mentoring. Even after graduation, the center continues to provide follow-up support through advisory group activities and industry-academia collaboration for technology development. Prospective entrepreneurs who fail to register their business within three months, or existing companies that fail to relocate their main office within three months, may be evicted.
