[Up to 50 billion yen] Subsidy for Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Growth Investment (XNUMXth round) open to applications
Posted: May 2025, 7
The fourth public call for applications has been announced for the SME Growth Investment Subsidy, which offers subsidies of up to 50 billion yen.
Application period: Monday, July 2025, 7 to Monday, August 7, 2025, 8:8 (strictly adhered to)）
Overview of the Subsidy for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Growth Investment
The Medium and Small Enterprise Growth Investment Subsidy is a subsidy for large-scale growth investment such as labor-saving measures aimed at raising wages at medium and small enterprises.
The aim is to achieve sustainable wage increases in regional areas by promoting large-scale investments by medium-sized and small enterprises that support local employment in order to address current issues such as labor shortages and achieve growth.
Target person
Small and medium-sized enterprises (companies with 2,000 or fewer full-time employees) *Non-consolidated basis
*Joint applications (consortium format: up to 10 companies) mainly consisting of medium-sized enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises are also eligible if certain requirements are met.
* Subsidies are not available to deemed large companies or companies whose main business is primary industry, such as those related to agricultural production itself, or those that implement subsidy projects.
Subsidized Project Requirements
Subsidies are available to small and medium-sized enterprises that meet the following criteria:
- Investment amount of 10 million yen or more (subsidized expenses excluding expert expenses and outsourcing costs)
- Wage increase requirement (annual average increase in total salary per employee involved in the target project for three years after the end of the subsidy project is 3% or more)
* In order to achieve sustainable wage increases, if the wage increase target set at the time of applying for the subsidy is not achieved,
Subsidies will be required to be returned depending on the percentage of non-achievement.
(Except in cases where the cause is not attributable to the business operator, such as a natural disaster. The name of the business operator will not be made public.)
Subsidy upper limit/subsidy rate
0 billion yen (subsidy rate 1/3)
Subsidized project period
From the date of grant decision until the end of December 9 at the latest
Example) Grant decision date: November 2026, 3 ⇒ Project implementation end date: October 1, 2027
<Major upcoming schedule>
| Schedule | Message |
|---|---|
| 2025/7/7(Mon) | Start of public offering |
| 2025/8/8(Fri) | Application Deadline |
| Early to mid-September 2025 | Announcement of the first selection results |
| Around the end of March 2025 | Presentation review (attended by the applicant company's managers, etc.) |
| Early to mid-September 2025 | Announcement of the selection results |
| Late October to late November 2025 | Application for grant and grant review |
| After late April 2025 | Issuance decision |
| Early January 2026 to late December 1 | Subsidized projects will be implemented (from the date of grant decision until the end of December 9 at the latest) |
| (After the subsidy project is implemented) | Performance report, final inspection, subsidy payment |
| Three years after the end of the subsidy project | Report on wage increases and business operations |
Subsidized expenses
Documents to be submitted
<List of documents to be submitted>
| Application Name | Important points to note |
|---|---|
| 1) Growth investment plan | ・Fill in the required information on the designated form and submit it in PDF format |
| ②Growth Investment Plan Attachment | ・Fill in the required information on the designated form and submit it in Excel format |
| ③Local benchmark | ・Fill in the required information on the designated form and submit it in Excel format |
| ④ Financial statements (for three periods) | - Balance sheet, profit and loss statement, details of selling, general and administrative expenses ・If you are in the manufacturing industry, a manufacturing cost statement is also required. |
| ⑤Confirmation from financial institution | ・Necessary if investment plans are confirmed by financial institutions ・Fill in the required information on the designated form and submit it in PDF format |
| ⑥ Lease transaction pledge | ・Necessary when applying jointly with a leasing company ・Fill in the required information on the designated form and submit it in PDF format |
| ⑦ Lease fee reduction statement | ・Necessary when applying jointly with a leasing company ・Fill in the required information on the designated form and submit it in PDF format |
| ⑧Regional economic driving business plan | ・Create a "Regional Economic Driving Business Plan" (※1) and start public recruitment Required if approval has been obtained from the prefectural governor at the time of application (※2) ・Fill in the required information on the designated form and submit it in PDF format |
| 9. Declaration of transition from small to medium-sized enterprise | ・Necessary if you wish to receive additional points for transitioning from a small or medium-sized enterprise to a medium-sized enterprise ・Fill in the required information on the designated form and submit it in PDF format |
Examination items
Applications will be reviewed based on the following criteria:
① Management skills
(A) What kind of company do you want to be in 10 to XNUMX years' time, providing value to society, taking into account megatrends such as social issues and changes in customer needs?
Are the long-term growth vision and wage increase plans concrete?
Is the amount of increase in sales shown?
(a) Strengths and weaknesses of the external environment, including market and customer trends, and the company’s management resources (people, goods, money, information, etc.)
After analyzing the internal environment, a business strategy for the next 3 to 5 years will be logically constructed, within which the subsidized business will be effectively implemented.
Are the sales from the subsidized business in relation to the company's overall sales at a high level?
(c) The performance targets of both the company as a whole and the subsidized business are set out, and a system is established for efficiently managing the achievement of those targets (governance by directors)
Have systems (such as a financial reporting system and a system for communicating with stakeholders) been established?
(D) An appropriate financial plan has been considered that will lead to sustainable growth and the realization of a long-term growth vision through the support project.
?
②Advancedness/growth potential
(a) Understand the situation of competitors in the target market and analyze their products and services.
Is the plan differentiated so that the company can continuously secure its superiority (including drastic reform of production process and introduction of latest equipment)?
We will create high added value and uniqueness through logistics centers and other facilities we have acquired, and automate the upstream and downstream parts of the supply chain and commercial distribution.
Building business models that are difficult for other companies to imitate, such as building them together in one company, and providing highly original products and services in niche fields
We have differentiated ourselves through development, strict quality control, and industry-academia collaboration with universities, and established a top position in the global market.
(e.g. has great potential to become a
(a) Whether the subsidized project is intended to drastically improve labor productivity and alleviate the labor shortage situation (labor
Are the growth rates of labor productivity and the increase in added value of these initiatives sufficiently high?
(c) Is there expected to be a sustainable growth in sales of the products and services provided through the support project? Furthermore, what is the growth rate?
Does this increase exceed the overall growth in the market size related to the subsidized business?
3) Ripple effects on the region
(a) The project has had a ripple effect on the local area, such as an increase in total wages paid per employee or employment compared to the time of application.
In particular, there are concrete plans for wage increases to return the profits generated by the investment to employees as wages.
Is the increase in total wage payments significant and substantially higher than the wage increase requirements?
(b) Will the leadership have a ripple effect on participants and local businesses, and will it have a synergistic effect through collaboration? (Mainly
(This assumes a consortium format.)
4. Large-scale investment and cost-effectiveness
(A) Is it a large-scale growth investment that takes risks commensurate with the scale of the company's revenue? (The proportion of capital investment in the total sales of the business operator)
Is the capital ratio at a high level?
(a) Is the project cost-effective (the amount of added value increased relative to the amount of subsidy, etc.)?
By utilizing the strengths of the company, such as materials, technology and know-how, and by expecting synergy effects with existing businesses,
Are these efforts being implemented effectively?
(c) Are there indications of changes in corporate behavior, such as aiming for a higher level of growth and wage increases than before? (The amount of investment and wage increases funded by subsidies)
(Increase in the rate of pregnancy, etc.)
⑤Feasibility
(a) Based on the structure for implementing the project in accordance with the project objectives and the recent financial situation, etc., it is expected that the subsidized project will be carried out appropriately.
(local benchmark total score).
(a) In order to implement this project, have you verified the issues of the subsidy project in the medium to long term? Also, how will you proceed until the project is realized?
Are the methods, schedules and solutions to problems clear and reasonable?
(c) Are the users, market and size of the products and services provided by the subsidy project clear?
Can you verify nothingness?
Summary
Applying for a grant can be a complex and time-consuming task, but with proper preparation and expert support, you can increase your chances of success.
At Support Administrative Scriveners Corporation, experienced professionals provide support for applying for various subsidies.
We also provide free consultation regarding grant applications.
Please feel free to contact us.
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