Checked against the official page on 2026-10-20. Part of Oak’s directory of Japanese business grants.
Before you apply
- The money is not up front. You pay for the whole project yourself. The grant reimburses a share of it (often half to two-thirds) after a completion report has been checked, typically 6 to 18 months after applying.
- Do not spend before approval. Costs ordered, contracted or paid before the official grant decision (交付決定) are usually not eligible.
- Competitive and strict. Business plans are scored against other applicants and many are rejected. Eligibility rules on company size, ownership and tax compliance are applied to the letter.
- Obligations continue after payment. Reports for up to five years, inspections, and targets in your plan. Missing them can mean repaying part or all of the grant.
| Japanese name | 新事業進出・ものづくり商業サービス補助金 革新的新製品・サービス枠 |
|---|---|
| Level | National · Nationwide |
| Administered by | METI SME Agency / SMRJ (fund-based 基金) |
| Type | Capex / innovation |
| Maximum amount | ≤5 staff 7.5M (8.5M); 6–20 10M (12.5M); 21–50 15M (25M); 51+ 25M (35M). Brackets = large wage-raise special. Min 1M |
| Subsidy rate | 1/2; small/turnaround firms 2/3; minimum-wage special 2/3 |
| Who can apply | SMEs, small businesses, specified NPOs, 農事組合法人 etc. with Japanese HQ; ≥1 employee |
| Support organisation | No 認定支援機関 confirmation required. 金融機関による確認書 needed only if a bank finances the project. Any outside plan-writer must be disclosed with name, scope, fee and contract term. |
| How to apply | Dedicated e-application system; GビズIDプライム required (not jGrants) |
| Rounds and deadlines | 1st call: guidelines 2026-06-29; applications 2026-09-30 to 2026-10-30 18:00 (deadline extended from 9/30); results ~Jan 2027 |
| Adoption rate | New programme – no results yet. Predecessor ものづくり 22nd round 37.5%, 23rd round 35.1% |
Can a foreign-owned company apply?
Verified in 第1回公募要領 v1.2: applicant must have 本社 AND project site in Japan. みなし大企業 excluded: (ア) single large company owns >=1/2, (イ) large companies own >=2/3, (ウ) large-company officers/staff >=1/2 of directors, plus chained (エ)-(カ) holdings. 公募要領 states 海外企業 whose capital AND employees both exceed SME limits are treated as 大企業. Change of shareholders into みなし大企業 status before project completion cancels the grant. Avg taxable income >15億円 (3 yrs) excluded. VC LPS / 投資育成 holdings exempt.
Points to note
Created in FY2026 by merging ものづくり補助金 and 中小企業新事業進出補助金. 3–5 yr plan: value added +4.0%/yr, per-head pay +3.5%/yr, in-house min wage = regional min +30円; missing wage targets triggers repayment. The applicant must write the plan; plans written by others lead to rejection or cancellation. Abusive success fees are flagged, and support providers may be named publicly or (if 認定支援機関) lose certification. FY2027 request: 2,200億円, with a ¥1bn-sales (売上高10億円) declaration in principle mandatory.
How Oak can help
Oak is a licensed gyoseishoshi (administrative scrivener) firm. We check eligibility before you spend time on an application, help set up the GビズID Prime account most programmes require, prepare and organise the supporting documents within the programme's rules, and handle the reporting that follows an award.