Foreign Infringement Investigation Cost Subsidy Program FY2026

1. Overview: The FY2026 Foreign Infringement Investigation Cost Subsidy supports Tokyo-based SMEs and related organizations that respond to imitation, counterfeiting, or infringement of their products or technologies overseas. The program helps cover part of the costs required to investigate and address such infringement. Applicants must both file through jGrants and send paper application documents, and they must receive an intellectual property consultation from the Tokyo Intellectual Property Center before the application date. 2. Eligible applicants: Eligible applicants include SMEs, sole proprietors, SME associations, general incorporated associations, and general incorporated foundations that substantially operate in Tokyo. Companies must have a registered head office or branch in Tokyo as of the base date and must either have operated substantially in Tokyo for at least one year or have been founded and operated in Tokyo. Large companies must not substantially participate in management, and applicants must have no tax arrears, no duplicate public subsidy for the same content, and no exclusion status such as organized crime or inappropriate business categories. 3. Eligible costs: Eligible projects are measures against infringement of industrial property rights and other intellectual property rights held overseas or licensed to the applicant. Covered activities include fact-finding investigations in the affected country, appraisal of infringing goods, warnings to infringers, and customs import suspension measures in Japan. Eligible costs include external investigation costs, purchase of infringing products, and fees paid to patent attorneys, lawyers, or other experts for appraisals, warning letters, and customs procedures. Domestic investigations, litigation, negotiations, consumption tax, transfer fees, and related-party transactions are excluded. 4. Rate, cap, and schedule: The subsidy cap is 2,000,000 yen, and the rate is up to one-half of eligible expenses. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until October 1, 2026 at 17:00. Grant decisions are planned for late January 2027, and the eligible project period runs from April 1, 2026 to November 30, 2027 at the latest. Application documents are extensive, so applicants should prepare the G Biz ID, prior IP consultation, application form, tax certificates, rights registration documents, product materials, and evidence of suspected infringement early.