[Available to sole proprietors] Points to note when applying for the Small Business Sustainability Subsidy
Updated: July 2026, 8
"As a sole proprietor, I want to apply for the Small Business Sustainability Subsidy, but I don't know where to start..."
"I'm worried about the complicated application procedures and the expenses that are eligible for subsidies..."
Aren't there many people who have the same concerns?
In this article, we will explain in detail how to apply for the Small Business Sustainability Subsidy, which is also available to sole proprietors, and what points to note.
Make sure you fully understand the benefits of the subsidy, the eligibility requirements, and specific application procedures so that you can apply with confidence.
Characteristics and benefits of the Small Business Sustainability Subsidy
Eligible businesses and eligible expenses
How to apply for the Small Business Sustainability Subsidy
Tips to make it easier to pass the subsidy review
Examples of how subsidies are used and other support systems
Support for applying for subsidies
First, let's understand the "eligible businesses" and "how to use"
The Small Business Sustainability Subsidy is a support measure to help you take your business to the next stage in today's tough business environment.
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Characteristics and benefits of the Small Business Sustainability Subsidy
Cover the costs of expanding your business
The Small Business Sustainability Subsidy is a system that supports sole proprietors and small businesses with the expenses they need to continue and develop their business.
Subsidies are available for expenses necessary to increase sales, such as advertising expenses, new product development costs, and capital investment, making it easier to make investments to grow your business.
By using the Small Business Sustainability Subsidy, you can receive support for expenses that directly contribute to business growth, such as advertising costs to try out new marketing techniques and capital investments to improve the quality of products and services.
Even if you do not have sufficient personal funds, you can cover necessary expenses to a certain extent and further expand your business.
Additionally, subsidies allow you to spread the risks associated with growing your business.
The costs of entering new markets and investments to strengthen competitiveness usually involve risks.
However, by taking advantage of subsidies, you can make proactive investments while conserving your own funds.
This helps to minimise the risk of business expansion.
Many businesses have taken advantage of this subsidy to enjoy these benefits.
This is an opportunity to review the business plan.
To apply for a grant, you will need to submit a detailed business plan.
This is also a good opportunity to review your own business and clarify your future direction and strategy.
Preparing a business plan is not just part of the application process; it is an important task for analyzing the current state of your business and concretizing your vision for the future.
Through a business plan, sole proprietors can re-examine the strengths and weaknesses of their business and develop appropriate strategies based on the market environment and competitive situation.
In addition, the process of creating a business plan can help you clarify your business goals and the means of achieving them.
For example, setting specific goals such as sales targets, expanding market share, and plans to introduce new products and services can help clarify the direction of your business.
Get advice from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry
During the application process, you can seek advice from the Chamber of Commerce or the Chamber of Commerce if necessary.
This allows you to create a more effective business plan with expert advice and support.
Chambers of commerce and commercial associations are important organizations that support local economic activity and have a wealth of experience and knowledge.
During the grant application process, you can improve the quality of your business plan by receiving advice on strategies to maximize your business' strengths and specific measures to compensate for its weaknesses.
In addition, chambers of commerce and commercial associations have networks with other local businesses and can provide support in various ways, such as sharing information and promoting joint projects.
This may also help you find new opportunities to grow your business.
Eligible businesses and eligible expenses
Eligible small businesses
Businesses eligible for the Small Business Sustainability Subsidy are small businesses and sole proprietors registered with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry or the Chamber of Commerce.
In addition, regardless of size or industry, certain conditions must be met.
First, the law applies to businesses with 20 or fewer full-time employees (with some exceptions).
The number of employees considered to be a small business varies depending on the industry, but there are no restrictions by industry.
| Industry | The number of employees who constantly use |
|---|---|
| Wholesale / Retail | 5 people or less |
| Service industry (other than accommodation and entertainment industry) | 5 people or less |
| Lodging and entertainment industry in the service industry | 20 or fewer |
| Manufacturing and others | 20 or fewer |
You do not need to be registered with a Chamber of Commerce or Chamber of Commerce, but you must submit a business plan to the Chamber of Commerce and receive feedback on your plan.
Additionally, if you are a sole proprietor, it is important to check whether your business falls under the definition of a small business.
For example, depending on the method of counting the number of employees and the type of business, you may not be eligible, so it is recommended that you check with your chamber of commerce or the chamber of commerce.
In some cases, freelancers and small and medium-sized enterprises may also be eligible, so it is important to check the conditions.
Eligible expenses required for the subsidized project
Expenses eligible for subsidies include public relations, equipment installation, product development, etc.
Basically, expenses are limited to those that directly contribute to the development of the business, so it is important to check the details and record appropriate expenses.
| Subsidy eligible expense items | Example |
|---|---|
| ① Machinery and equipment expenses | Purchase of manufacturing equipment, etc. |
| ②Public relations expenses | Creating and distributing flyers introducing new services, installing signboards, etc. |
| ③Website related expenses | Expenses required to build, update, and repair websites, EC sites, etc. |
| ④Exhibition fees | Exhibition fees for exhibitions and business meetings, etc. |
| ⑤Travel expenses | Travel expenses for market development (including travel to and from exhibition venues, etc.) |
| ⑥Development costs | Prototype development costs for new products and systems, etc. (raw material costs for sold products are not covered) |
| ⑦Material purchase cost | Materials, books, etc. related to subsidized projects |
| ⑧ Miscellaneous service expenses | Expenses for part-time and temporary employees hired for subsidized projects |
| ⑨Rent fee | Equipment/equipment lease/rental fees (those that do not involve transfer of ownership) |
| ⑩Equipment disposal cost | Equipment disposal to secure space for new services, etc. |
| ⑪Consignment/outsourcing expenses | Request a third party to perform tasks that are difficult to perform in-house, such as store renovations (contract required) |
*It is not possible to apply for “③ Website-related expenses” alone.
*The maximum amount for "⑩ Equipment disposal costs" is 1/2 of the amount requested for the grant.
Eligible expenses for grant funding include a variety of costs necessary to support business growth.
For example, public relations expenses are an important means of acquiring new customers and increasing sales.
Public relations can include a wide range of activities, such as online advertising, creating print materials, and hosting events.
In addition, equipment installation costs are the costs incurred for purchasing and installing equipment necessary to improve business efficiency and productivity.
Introducing new machines and systems can improve operational efficiency and strengthen competitiveness.
Additionally, product development costs are the costs incurred in developing new products or services.
By developing new products that meet market needs, you can aim to increase sales and expand your market share.
For each eligible expense, you are required to clearly describe what equipment, media, etc. will be used and for what purpose.
This will allow you to clearly demonstrate how they contribute to the growth of your business.
There are many expenses that are difficult to approve, so be sure to check carefully in advance!
However, there are some expenses that are not eligible for subsidies.
For example, expenses such as the employer's salary, rent, and food and beverage costs are not eligible.
Please be careful when including these expenses in your application as it may be detrimental to your application.
When applying for a grant, it is important to understand exactly what expenses are eligible and what are not.
For example, the subsidy does not cover the business owner's personal salaries, rent, food and beverage expenses, etc.
Including these expenses in your application may not only be detrimental to your application, but may also be considered a fraudulent application.
Additionally, when completing your application, you will be required to clearly provide detailed information about your expenses.
You can increase your credibility with the judges by clearly stating the specific use and purpose and demonstrating that it is in line with the grant's intended use.
For example, when applying for public relations expenses, you will be required to provide detailed information about what media you will use and who your advertising targets will be.
This will give you a clear picture of how your advertising efforts contribute to the growth of your business.
How to apply for the Small Business Sustainability Subsidy
Required documents and how to prepare them
Applying for a grant requires several documents, including a business plan, grant application form, and expense estimate.
A business plan must clearly describe the business's objectives, what it will do, and the results it expects.
By gathering all the necessary documents and making sure they are complete, you can increase the chances of your application being successful.
The specific documents include the following:
- Business plan: A description of the project outline, objectives, implementation details, expected results, etc. A specific and realistic plan must be included.
- Latest financial statements: A document to show the financial status of the business. If you are a sole proprietor, submit a copy of your tax return.
- Letter of confirmation from the chamber of commerce or chamber of commerce: A document that allows the contents of the application to be verified with the support of a chamber of commerce or a chamber of commerce.
When preparing these documents, be careful to ensure that there are no missing documents.
In particular, the business plan plays a very important role during the review process, so it is required to contain detailed and specific content.
It is also important to check the deadlines and methods for submitting documents in order to ensure proper preparation.
How to use the invoice exception
The invoice exemption is a measure that increases the subsidy limit by 50 yen in all categories.
Applicants are those who have been or are expected to be tax-exempt businesses at least once during the tax period from September 2021, 9 to September 30, 2023, and those who were established after October 9, 30 and have been confirmed as registered as a qualified invoice issuing business.
Tips to make it easier to pass the subsidy review
Write a clear business plan
The business plan is the most important document in the grant application process.
By describing a specific and clear plan, you can convey to the judges the future potential and effectiveness of your business.
A business plan is a document that details the current state of a business and also concretely outlines future vision and strategies.
For example, by specifically describing your sales goals, market share expansion plans, and plans to introduce new products and services, you can appeal to the judges about the future potential and feasibility of your business.
It is also recommended that your business plan include a SWOT analysis to analyze your business' strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
This allows you to clarify the overall picture of your business and present specific strategies and measures.
In addition, it is important to demonstrate the profitability and sustainability of the business by providing details of your income and expenditure plans and cash flow.
For example, a business plan should include detailed descriptions of the business's background and objectives, current situation analysis, competitor situation, marketing strategy, risk management, etc.
The judges look through a large number of application documents for each open call.
In order to make your application memorable to the judges, it is very important that you state these points clearly and in an easy-to-understand manner.
Check all the points you can earn
There are specific factors that are weighted in the grant review process, so it is important to create a business plan based on these.
For example, businesses that engage in community contribution activities or environmental protection activities may be eligible for additional points.
This not only gives you an advantage during the judging process, but also allows you to highlight your contributions to the local community and the environment.
Additionally, the uniqueness and innovativeness of the business may also be taken into consideration as additional points.
It is necessary to introduce new technologies and ideas and strengthen competitiveness in the market.
By clearly stating these elements in your plan and actively promoting them, you will increase your chances of passing the grant review.
Examples of how subsidies are used and other support systems
IT introduction subsidy
The IT implementation subsidy is a subsidy that supports business efficiency and digitalization.
We cover the implementation costs of IT tools and system development, and support the automation of business processes, the introduction of cloud services, and customer management systems.
This will enable cost reduction, improved productivity, and faster market response, and will also make it easier to manage and analyze customer data, improving the accuracy of marketing strategies and increasing sales and customer satisfaction.
Specific examples of implementation include the introduction of customer relationship management systems (CRM) and inventory management systems.
Manufacturing subsidies
The manufacturing subsidy is a subsidy that supports the development of new products and new technologies by businesses, mainly in the manufacturing industry.
It covers the costs of introducing new manufacturing equipment, developing technologies, creating prototypes, etc., allowing you to strengthen your competitiveness and expand your market share.
By utilizing this subsidy, you can introduce the latest technology and equipment, improve productivity and quality, and acquire new customers, accelerating the growth of your business.
Specific examples include the introduction of new manufacturing processes and the development of higher quality products.
Business restructuring subsidy
Business restructuring grants are grants that help restructure existing businesses and enter new markets.
It covers the costs of developing new products or services, transforming your business, or entering new markets.
For example, developing new product lines or entering new markets could help diversify the business, increase market share, and achieve sustainable growth.
Please leave your subsidy application to Support Administrative Scrivener Corporation!
If you have any concerns about the application or require further support, please contact Support Administrative Scriveners Corporation.
Furthermore, we also assist companies selling products by partnering with them to provide subsidy support and help them increase their sales.
Advantages of partnering with us
1. Utilizing subsidies can reduce purchaser's installation costs
→This will be a sales approach for buyers who are hesitant to introduce the product due to the price!
2. In order to achieve XNUMX., it is necessary to create a business plan that meets the requirements.
→With our assistance in applying, it will be easier for both your company and your buyers to utilize the subsidy!
3. Support Administrative Scrivener Corporation is the largest administrative scrivener corporation in the country. We can handle applications from any region and for any person!
→There is no need to change the support organization for each purchaser.
No matter what kind of issue you have, once you consult with us, we can give you the best advice.
*Our companyCertified Support OrganizationCertified by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (as a person with a certain level of specialized knowledge and practical experience related to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises).
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