[FY R8 Transaction Capability Enhancement Promotion Project Public Call]

①Overview: The Ibaraki SME Federation supports projects by cooperatives, associations, and similar bodies that promote the transaction-capability strengthening of their member SMEs and small businesses. The subsidy covers five categories: (A) Joint Business Activation (joint purchasing/advertising via cooperative websites and flyers), (B) Order Promotion (cooperative brand-product websites/flyers for joint ordering), (C) Brand Building (collaborative brand concept, operational standards, logos, unified packaging), (D) Transaction Condition Improvement (collective bargaining, negotiation), and (E) Others (industry-specific transaction-capability projects). ②Eligible Applicants: (1) business cooperative associations, commerce/industry cooperatives, and shopping-district promotion cooperatives where at least half of direct or indirect members are small businesses; (2) small business cooperatives and business cooperative companies; (3) collaboration cooperatives (5 or fewer permanent employees or with at least 3/4 of members being small businesses prior to collaboration); (4) federations of the above (at least half of total direct/indirect members of member cooperatives are small businesses); (5) life-hygiene business associations (at least 2/3 SMEs and at least half small businesses); (6) sake-brewing/sake-distribution associations (same conditions); (7) general incorporated associations (same conditions). Requirements: proper management/governance, separate accounting from other projects, no other national funding for the same project this year, sound finances, and no anti-social-forces violations. For categories 5–7, the organization must have been established at least 1 year before 1 April 2026. ③Eligible Expenses & Content: Honoraria (committee/specialist allowances), travel, supplies, meeting costs (committee tea), printing, venue rentals, miscellaneous labor (necessary part-time staff for the project plus their commuting), communication/transport, consignment (web production, info-system development, design, surveys, tabulation). Spending limits: committee allowance (chair ¥30,000, others ¥20,000), specialist fees (university professors/lawyers ¥40,000, associate professors/SME diagnosticians ¥30,000, others ¥20,000), tea ¥500/person/meeting, copies ¥10 B&W / ¥20 color, miscellaneous labor ¥9,800/day. ④Subsidy Rate, Cap, Schedule, and Application Tips: Up to ¥500,000 (tax excluded) per project (minimum ¥100,000), and 2/3 of total eligible expenses (tax excluded). Implementation period: from grant decision through 30 January 2027 (Sat); payments must be completed by 29 January 2027 (Fri). Three application rounds: Round 1: 27 April – 18 May 2026; Round 2: 8 – 29 June 2026; Round 3: 21 July – 24 August 2026. Submit application form + appendices (articles, recent business report and financial statements, current-year business plan and budget, member roster). 10万 yen+ business consignments/printing/rentals require 2-vendor quote comparison; 100万 yen+ requires 3-vendor.