FY2026 65-Plus Employment Promotion Subsidy (Continued-Employment-Beyond-65 Course)

①Overview: The 65-Plus Employment Promotion Subsidy aims to realize a lifetime-active society by subsidizing employers that raise the retirement age to 65 or above, build management systems for older workers, or convert fixed-term older workers to indefinite-term employment. The scheme is administered by JEED (Japan Organization for Employment of the Elderly, Persons with Disabilities and Job Seekers) and comprises three courses: Course I (Continued-Employment-Beyond-65 Promotion), Course II (Older-Worker Evaluation System / Employment-Management Improvement), and Course III (Older-Worker Indefinite-Employment Conversion). Course I funds employers that implement A. raising the retirement age to 65+, B. abolishing the retirement age, C. introducing a continued-employment system that extends to 66+, or D. introducing a continued-employment system at another company. ②Eligible applicants: Employers that have codified the relevant rule in a collective labor agreement or work rules (for D, the receiving employer must also have such rules in place); and have at least one age-60+ employment-insurance insured employee continuously employed for at least one year as of the day before application. Across all courses, employers must NOT have provisions inconsistent with Articles 8 / 9(1) of the Act on Stabilization of Employment of Elderly Persons, and must not have received a recommendation under Article 10-3(2) of that Act. Courses II and III require advance certification of a written plan (Employment-Management Plan / Indefinite-Conversion Plan) submitted to the JEED Chairman no later than three months before the plan start date. ③Eligible expenses & benefit content: Course I pays a flat amount keyed to measure type (A–D), the age-increase band or maximum continued-employment age (66–69 / 70+) and the number of age-60+ employment-insurance employees (1–3 / 4–6 / 7–9 / 10+). For example A with a 5+-year increase and 10+ insured = JPY 1,350,000; B with 10+ = JPY 2,400,000; C reaching 70+ with 10+ = JPY 1,300,000 (or JPY 1,200,000 if limited to qualifying persons). Course II pays JPY 600,000 (SME) / 450,000 (non-SME) for measure ①, JPY 300,000 / 230,000 for ②–⑤, plus 60 % / 45 % of equipment introduction costs up to JPY 500,000. Course III pays JPY 400,000 (SME) / 300,000 (non-SME) per converted employee, up to 10 employees per establishment per fiscal year. ④Rate, ceiling, schedule, application pointers: For Course I, applications are accepted from the first of the month to the 15th, for the 4 calendar months following the month in which the measure (A–D) was implemented (next business day if the 15th falls on a holiday). Because Course I is paid within the national budget, JEED may suspend acceptance of new applications without prior notice if a quarterly budget cap is foreseen to be exceeded. Electronic application via e-Gov became available 2025-04-01. Review takes about 3 months. Documents must be retained for 5 years from the day after the subsidy decision. Contact the prefectural JEED branch (Tokyo / Osaka: Elderly & Disabled Service Counter).