Performance Certification (EPC), Excellent Procurement Product Designation and Eco-Label Certification — Eligible Products, Documents and Validity

Procedure

1. 1. Choose the scheme that fits the product

   Performance Certification (EPC) is applied for by SMEs that intend to supply public agencies with products certified as New Excellent Technology (NET) or New Excellent Product (NEP) under the Industrial Technology Innovation Promotion Act, or with technology products designated by public notice of the Minister of SMEs and Startups. Excellent Procurement Product designation is applied for by SMEs (including certain mid-sized enterprises) for goods that implement a patent, utility model or design or hold a statutory certification, and the product must be registered as a manufactured good on the applicant's KONEPS bid participation registration certificate. Eco-Label certification is for products whose environmental performance is improved compared with other products of the same use, and only product categories for which the Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment has announced eligible products and certification criteria can apply.

2. 2. Apply for Performance Certification (EPC) and go through review

   Submit the performance certification application, the product description, evidence of the underlying technology and the performance test report to the specialized institution through the public procurement information network, together with type approval evidence for items that require type approval. Review proceeds through a suitability review, a specification check by up to 3 public agencies expected to purchase the product, a factory audit (pass mark of 65 points) and a performance test. If supplementation is requested, it must be made within 5 days from the application deadline, and the basic fee under the enforcement rules is 770,000 won (VAT included).

3. 3. Apply for Excellent Procurement Product designation and go through review

   Submit the designation application, technical evidence, quality evidence and product specification by the method set in the Public Procurement Service designation plan notice, and obtain a product identification number before the second-stage review. A patent must be within 7 years of registration and a utility model within 3 years of registration, and products whose foreign parts exceed 50% of direct material cost generally cannot apply. Review consists of a first-stage review requiring at least 70 points for technology, quality and credibility combined, an on-site inspection of the production facility and a second-stage review by the contract review council, and the Public Procurement Service decides on designation within 90 days from the application deadline.

4. 4. Apply for Eco-Label certification

   Submit the Eco-Label certification application with environmental performance data and quality data on the product to the Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute. Food, pharmaceuticals and quasi-drugs, pesticides and similar items cannot become Eco-Label product categories, and for items not yet announced as a product category, a proposal for selecting the product category can be filed first. The certification is valid for 3 years.

5. 5. Manage validity after certification

   Performance Certification is valid for 4 years from the date of certification and can be extended within 4 years, while Excellent Procurement Product designation lasts 3 years and can be extended within 3 years, with the extension application filed between 1 year before expiry and the expiry date. For Eco-Label certification, an extension application filed before expiry leads to a 3-year extension if the certification criteria are met. The patents, certifications and specifications on which a designation is based must be kept valid throughout the designation period, and failing to distribute an Eco-Label certified product for 1 year in a row is a ground for revoking the certification.

Required documents

• Performance certification application (Enforcement Rule of the Act on Facilitation of Purchase of Small and Medium Enterprise-Manufactured Products and Support for Development of Their Markets, Form No. 5)
• Excellent Procurement Product designation application (statutory form, Enforcement Decree of the Public Procurement Business Act, Article 30(3))
• Eco-Label certification application (Enforcement Rule of the Environmental Technology and Industry Support Act, Form No. 23)
• Performance Certification: product description (specification description), evidence of the underlying technology (NET or NEP certificate, etc.), performance test report, and type approval evidence for items subject to type approval
• Excellent Procurement Product: technical evidence (patent or utility model registration certificate, certification, etc.), quality evidence (test reports, evaluation reports), product specification, and an agreement if the technology is jointly owned
• Eco-Label: environmental performance data and quality data on the product
• Evidence of SME status (SME confirmation certificate, etc.) and the KONEPS bid participation registration certificate (Excellent Procurement Product)
• Letter of authorization (when submitted by an agent)

Fees

Typically several hundred thousand won to several million won in the industry · Quoted after consultation depending on the number and type of schemes, the volume of technical and quality evidence to organize, and whether test reports and certificates are already in hand. Government fees and testing and review costs are separate.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Act on Facilitation of Purchase of Small and Medium Enterprise-Manufactured Products and Support for Development of Their Markets, Article 15
• Act on Facilitation of Purchase of Small and Medium Enterprise-Manufactured Products and Support for Development of Their Markets, Article 16
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on Facilitation of Purchase of Small and Medium Enterprise-Manufactured Products and Support for Development of Their Markets, Article 27
• Enforcement Rule of the Act on Facilitation of Purchase of Small and Medium Enterprise-Manufactured Products and Support for Development of Their Markets, Article 10
• Enforcement Rule of the Act on Facilitation of Purchase of Small and Medium Enterprise-Manufactured Products and Support for Development of Their Markets, Article 11
• Enforcement Rule of the Act on Facilitation of Purchase of Small and Medium Enterprise-Manufactured Products and Support for Development of Their Markets, Form No. 5
• Detailed Rules on the Operation of the Priority Purchase System for SME Technology Development Products, Articles 6, 6-2, 9 and 10
• Public Procurement Business Act, Article 26
• Enforcement Decree of the Public Procurement Business Act, Article 30
• Regulation on Designation and Management of Excellent Procurement Products, Articles 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 15, 25 and 26
• Environmental Technology and Industry Support Act, Article 17
• Environmental Technology and Industry Support Act, Article 22-2
• Environmental Technology and Industry Support Act, Article 23
• Enforcement Decree of the Environmental Technology and Industry Support Act, Articles 23, 24 and 33
• Enforcement Rule of the Environmental Technology and Industry Support Act, Articles 34, 35 and 44
• Enforcement Rule of the Environmental Technology and Industry Support Act, Form No. 23

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-10

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• An Excellent Procurement Product may not be designated if it is confirmed that the applicant contacted review committee members in advance, directly or through another person, before the review.
• If supplementation of Performance Certification documents is requested and not made within 5 days from the application deadline, the application is returned and closed, so have test reports and technology evidence ready before applying.

Frequently asked questions