Funabashi City Support Subsidy for SMEs Using National Wage-Increase Grant Programs

1. Program overview: Funabashi City’s support subsidy assists local SMEs that use national grant or subsidy programs connected to wage increases. When an applicant receives support from an accredited management innovation support organization or experts such as SME consultants, labor and social security attorneys, tax accountants, lawyers, accountants, judicial scriveners, or administrative scriveners to apply for national programs where wage increases are a requirement, scoring factor, or add-on factor, the city subsidizes part of the application support cost. The application period is April 1 to December 31, 2026. 2. Eligible applicants: Applicants must have a business office in Funabashi City and intend to continue business activities in the city. They must have applied on or after April 1, 2026 to an eligible national program tied to wage increases, and must have contracted with and paid an eligible expert on or after the same date. Applicants must have no city tax arrears and must cooperate with interviews or on-site inspections if requested by the mayor. Organized crime parties, religious or political bodies, prior recipients, and businesses exceeding the listed SME thresholds are excluded. 3. Eligible costs: Eligible costs are fees paid under contracts with experts for application support for eligible national programs on or after April 1, 2026. Advisory services under ordinary retainer contracts are excluded, and eligible costs are calculated excluding consumption and local consumption taxes. Payments to parent companies, subsidiaries, representatives, spouses, relatives within the second degree, or related companies are not eligible. 4. Rate, cap, schedule, and application points: The subsidy covers three quarters of eligible costs, rounded down below 1,000 yen, with a maximum of 150,000 yen. Applications may be submitted online, at the counter, or by post. Required documents include the application form, pledge, city tax payment confirmation, proof of applying to the national program, expert contract, payment evidence, bankbook copy, and proof of a city business office. Records must be retained for ten years after the fiscal year of the grant decision.