Chino City Manufacturing Labor Environment Improvement & Competitiveness Enhancement Subsidy

(1) Overview: Chino City provides subsidies to local SME manufacturers and related businesses to promote labor environment improvement and competitiveness enhancement responding to economic/social changes, DX (digital transformation) and GX (green transformation). The program supports capital investment expenses within budget to raise manufacturing value-added and build a digital-technology industrial cluster. (2) Eligible Applicants: SMEs with a main business establishment in Chino City whose primary business falls under Japan Standard Industrial Classification major group E (manufacturing), G-39 (information services), or L-726 (design, limited to manufacturing-related) and L-743 (machine design). Deemed-large enterprises, municipal-tax delinquents/non-filers, anti-social businesses, and organized crime members are excluded. (3) Eligible Expenses & Content: Two project types — Capital Investment Projects covering labor-environment-improvement equipment (dust collectors, soundproofing, auto-washers, industrial AC; min JPY 100,000/unit) and competitiveness-enhancement equipment (CMM, CNC lathes, machining centers; min JPY 300,000/unit), and Expert-Guidance Projects covering DX/GX consulting fees. Excluded: consumption tax, general-purpose PCs, transport/installation/construction, labor costs, leasing, used equipment as same-spec replacement, purchases from related companies. (4) Rate, Cap, Schedule, Application Notes: Capital Investment — 20% (18% if vendor outside Chino) for labor-environment equipment, 10% (9% outside) for competitiveness equipment, combined cap JPY 550,000 (or JPY 450,000 if outside-city vendor). Guidance: 50%, cap JPY 100,000. Application deadline: last day of February of the fiscal year, first-come first-served until budget exhausted. Capital investment requires prior consultation (Form 1) before equipment purchase; starting the project before grant decision disqualifies it. Project must complete by March 31 with performance report within 30 days of completion or by fiscal year-end, whichever is earlier.