Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Products Certification Acquisition Support Project (Fishery Certification Acquisition Support Project) Subsidy

This subsidy is operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Promotion Foundation to support fishery operators and aquatic product processing/distribution businesses within Tokyo in obtaining, maintaining, and renewing international fishery certifications (MEL V2 and MSC), thereby advancing sustainability in Tokyo's primary industries. The grant ordinance took effect on April 1, 2022 (Reiwa 4) under Document No. 38, and operates under the Tokyo Metropolitan Subsidy Grant Rules (Showa 37 Rule No. 141). Eligible applicants are defined in Appendix 2. For production-stage certification (fishery certification), eligible parties are the Tokyo Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives and fishery operators located in Tokyo who belong to a Tokyo-based fisheries cooperative. For processing/distribution-stage certification (CoC certification), eligible parties are aquatic product distributors and processors handling fishery products from production-stage-certified fisheries. Members or affiliates of organized crime groups are excluded. Eligible expenses depend on the certification stage. For initial acquisition, the initial audit fee and the annual public notice fee are covered. For periodic and renewal audits, the periodic audit fee, renewal audit fee, and annual public notice fee are covered. Consumption tax is excluded. Quotations or cost estimates must be attached per expense category, and a copy of the logo-mark use contract is required when annual public notice fees are included. The subsidy rate is up to two-thirds (2/3). For processing/distribution-stage certification, when the applicant is not also a production-stage certification holder, the subsidy is granted only for the first time across acquisition, periodic, and renewal audits combined, capped at 300,000 yen per business operator. Applications are submitted to the Foundation's President using Form No. 1-1 (production stage) or Form No. 1-2 (processing/distribution stage), with electronic submission permitted via the Foundation's designated subsidy application system. After completion, a performance report (Form 5) and a subsidy payment request (Form 7) must be filed, and related accounting records must be retained for five years after the end of the relevant fiscal year.