Ageo City Startup Support Subsidy (FY2026)

(1) Overview: Ageo City (Saitama Prefecture) operates the Ageo Startup Support Subsidy to revitalise the local economy by funding a portion of start-up costs for people newly founding a business, undertaking a second-founding, or succeeding to an existing business in Ageo City during FY2026. (2) Eligible recipients: people who newly start a business in Ageo City between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027 and meet ALL of: (i) have or will have a business location (office/store) inside Ageo City; (ii) have a residence inside Ageo City; (iii) are a city-tax payer with no arrears; (iv) hold a valid certificate that they have received Designated Startup Support (特定創業支援等事業); (v) are a member of (or intend to join before project completion) the Ageo Chamber of Commerce. Excluded: prior recipients of this subsidy, tax delinquents, businesses in sex-related industries under the Entertainment Business Law, businesses involved with organised crime, those without required permits, those in bankruptcy/civil-rehabilitation proceedings, and others judged inappropriate by the Mayor. (3) Eligible expenses and benefit content: eligible projects must (i) provide goods/services to customers from a facility within Ageo City, (ii) be original/unique, and (iii) continue for at least 3 years per the founding plan and ordinarily operate 5 days/40 hours per week or more. Eligible expenses: (a) capital — interior construction and purchase of equipment, fixtures, tools and furnishings; (b) operating — advertising costs (flyers/posters, newspaper/magazine ads, website production). Excluded: costs contracted before grant decision, consumption tax and other public charges, costs of producing/procuring sale goods, personnel costs, indirect costs (communications, postage, travel), gift certificates/prepaid cards, real-estate purchase or rent, and general-purpose items. (4) Subsidy rate, ceiling, schedule and application points: subsidy = 1/2 of eligible expenses, capped at JPY 200,000 (rounded down to nearest JPY 1,000). Application window: Monday 1 June 2026 to Friday 29 January 2027 (closes earlier when budget exhausted; first-come). Project must complete by 26 Feb 2027 latest; results report due within 1 month of completion or by 27 Feb 2027, whichever is earlier. After applying, the city reviews and within ~2 weeks notifies the grant decision by post. Submission: 8 documents at application (forms 1-3 plus quotations, residence cert, tax-clearance cert, designated-startup-support cert) and 4 at results (forms 4 plus receipts and photos). Contact: Ageo City Commerce & Industry Section, 048-777-4441.