Chiba Prefecture Business Succession Support Subsidy (FY R8)

①Overview: This is the Chiba Prefecture Business Succession Support Subsidy administered by the Chiba Industrial Promotion Center (a public-interest foundation). It subsidizes part of the costs SMEs incur when entrusting specialists to help with business succession activities — including succession plan formulation, corporate value assessment, successor training, and M&A brokerage. Full details are in the Subsidy Grant Outline (交付要綱), which applicants must read before applying. ②Eligible applicants: SMEs as defined by Article 2(1) of the SME Basic Act that meet ALL of the following: (a) headquartered or with a business location in Chiba Prefecture and able to respond to on-site inspections there; (b) will continue to operate in Chiba after succession; (c) for kabushiki kaisha, no more than 1/2 of issued shares held by non-SME corporations; (d) no Chiba prefectural tax arrears; (e) not an organized-crime group or member, nor closely related; (f) not engaged in adult-entertainment-related special businesses; (g) recommended by a designated support organization (e.g. Chiba Business Succession & Takeover Support Center); (h) has not previously received this subsidy (one-time only per business). ③Eligible expenses & content: Four eligible project types — succession plan formulation outsourcing, corporate-value (share-price) assessment outsourcing, successor training (seminar fees), and M&A brokerage (brokerage fee, matching registration fee, retainer). M&A brokerage must be paid to a broker registered under METI's M&A Support Organization Registration System; the acquiring side is ineligible. Excluded: consumption tax, transfer fees, retainer/advisory fees, government-procedure fees, litigation/trouble-handling fees. ④Rate / cap / schedule / application tips: Up to 1/2 of eligible expenses, capped at ¥500,000 per business. Application period opens April 8 2026 and runs on a rolling basis until the budget is exhausted. The implementation period is from the grant-decision date through Feb 26 2027. Procedure: (1) confirm remaining budget by phone; (2) submit draft application to the Center for pre-check (in person or email); (3) after pre-check and on-site visit, mail the signed package (1 original + 1 copy) to the Chiba Chamber of Commerce / Chiba Succession Support Center; (4) the support organization issues a recommendation letter; (5) the Center reviews and issues a grant decision. Work must start strictly after the grant-decision date, and competitive estimates (≥2) are required for requests of ¥100,000 or more.