Chino City New Technology / New Product R&D Subsidy (Manufacturing & Digital Technology Industries)

①Overview: Chino City (Nagano Pref.) subsidizes R&D of new technologies and products in manufacturing and digital-technology-related industries undertaken by city-based SMEs alone or in collaboration with universities ("Industrial Challenge"). Eligible themes include labor-saving / high-performance / automation of machines, new materials development, new product creation, production / processing, new systems or methods. ②Eligibility: City-based SMEs, SME associations, or groups of 2+ SMEs where ≥1/2 of members are city-based SMEs. Excluded: applicants receiving similar national/prefectural subsidies; those who received the general-type subsidy in the prior 2 fiscal years (when re-applying for general type); city-tax delinquents or non-filers; recipients for duplicate work; businesses against public order; organized-crime members. ③Eligible Expenses & Programs: Five program types — (1) General type (highly novel/innovative R&D), (2) Prototype/Improvement type (small-scale prototyping), (3) IP-rights type (acquiring patents, utility models, designs, trademarks), (4) University-Liaison Study Group type, (5) University-Liaison Technical Guidance type. Eligible costs: raw materials, machinery purchase / prototyping / installation / lease / repair, design outsourcing, testing & data acquisition, technical guidance, R&D personnel cost (capped at 1/5 of total). ④Rate, Caps, Schedule, Tips: Subsidy rate 1/2 of eligible costs (all types). Caps: General 1,000,000 yen / Prototype 100,000 / IP-rights 100,000 / University study group 500,000 / University technical guidance 150,000. If general-type R&D fails to deliver new tech/product, rate drops to 1/5 with 400,000 yen cap. General-type plan application (Form 1) due end of May; thereafter screening + adoption notice, then formal subsidy application (Form 5). Other types skip the plan-application step. One subsidy per business type per year (general & prototype-improvement count jointly). Performance report due within 1 month of completion or fiscal year-end, whichever is earlier.