Below is a general overview of major grant programs. This table was prepared based on the information available as of May 25, 2021.
Please note that we currently provide support services in English only for Innovative technology Grant Program and Business Restructuring Grant Program for corporations. We provide support services for other grants including Small Business Sales Expansion Grant Program in Japanese.
| Small Business Sales Expansion Grant Program (Sho Kibo Jigyosha Jizokuka Hojokin) | Innovative Technology Grant Program(Monozukuri Hojokin) | Business Restructuring Grant Program(Jigyo Sai Kochiku Hojokin) | |
| Purpose | Sales expansion / Productivity improvement | Investment in equipment in order to improve the productivity by developing innovative service, developing prototype model or improving production process. | Changes in business in order to survive along with economic and social shifts in the new normal and post pandemic world. |
| Eligible applicants | Small businesses(Note 1) | Small and medium sized businesses(Note 2) | Small and medium sized businesses (Note 2) and Medium sized corporations (Note 3) |
| (Subject to the sales decline conditions: 10% (15% in Type C below) or more declined compared to the sales before the pandemic.) | |||
| Award ceiling | Type A (Regular) :JPY500,000 Type B (Start-up Business):JPY1,000,000 |
Type A (Regular):JPY10,000,000 Type B (Overseas Business):JPY30,000,000 |
Type A (Regular):JPY60,000,000 or JPY80,000,000 Type B (Aiming expansion of corporate scale) and Type C (Overseas Business):JPY 100,000,000 |
| Current closing date for applications | October 1, 2021 | August 17, 2021 | July 2, 2021 |
| How may the grant be used? (Examples) | Website or facilities for new business / Renovation of a shop or restaurant / Domestic or overseas exhibition | New facilities at a dental clinic / New machine of a manufacturer / VR (Virtual Reality) facilities in order to reduce the risk of infection of COVID-19 | Business format conversion of a clothing store to online sales / New start of manufacturing of healthcare facilities by an airplane parts manufacturer |
(General note)
Foreign companies are not eligible for the above government grants.
(Note 1)
Corporations and business owners with employees of 20 or less (5 or less in case of service industry except hotels/entertainment).
(Note 2)
The threshold depends on the industry. For example, in case of manufacturing industry, the threshold is corporations and business owners with capital of JPY300,000,000 or less or with employees of 300 or less. In case of service industry (other than IT and hotel businesses) the threshold is corporations and business owners with capital of JPY50,000,000 or with employees of 100 or less.
(Note 3)
Medium sized corporations with the capital of less than JPY 1 billion which do not fall under “small and medium sized businesses” (Please see Note 2).
Some general things you should keep in mind when you consider a government grant
- A business plan must be submitted together with the application.
- You cannot purchase a new facility or start a new business until the announcement of the result of the review, which takes one or two months.
- Grant will be paid to you after you paid to the supplier.
