FY2026 Industrial Robot Adoption Promotion Subsidy (Pre-adoption FS Subsidy / Adoption Support Subsidy)

1) Overview: The Kitakyushu Foundation for Industry, Science and Environmental Protection (FAIS) is launching the FY2026 Industrial Robot Adoption Promotion Subsidy to support SMEs located in Kitakyushu City that wish to introduce or update industrial robots and related systems. The program has two tracks: (1) a Pre-adoption Verification / Feasibility Study subsidy covering analysis, ROI calculation, and system design, and (2) an Adoption Support subsidy covering actual purchase, lease, installation, and tuning of the equipment. System integrators (SIer) may also apply. 2) Eligible applicants: SMEs as defined by Article 2(1)-(4) of the SME Basic Act that have a business site in Kitakyushu City and that have created (or plan to create) a productivity-improvement plan under expert guidance; applicants must not be delinquent on municipal taxes nor affiliated with organized-crime groups. When an SIer applies, both the SIer and the user company being verified must satisfy these requirements. The actual installation site must be inside Kitakyushu City; an off-city factory of a Kitakyushu-headquartered company is not covered. 3) Eligible expenses: Track 1 covers personnel costs for FS work, fees for SIer-led business analysis, model evaluation and simulations, plus other items approved by the FAIS chairman. Track 2 covers robot purchase or lease (lease only if expenditure occurs in the grant FY), transportation, installation and adjustment, raw materials, consumables, equipment, and ancillary costs such as moving existing machinery, technical guidance fees, instructor honoraria and travel, employee travel, and outsourcing costs. 4) Rate, cap, schedule and key points: The subsidy rate is up to two-thirds of eligible expenses for both tracks. The cap per case is JPY 2 million for Track 1 and JPY 5 million for Track 2. Project period: April 20, 2026 to end of January 2027. Application period: April 20, 2026 (Mon) through June 12, 2026 (Fri). Application forms (ZIP) are downloadable from the FAIS official page; contact the FAIS Robot/DX Promotion Center, Robot Industry Department (Tsubone / Shiota, TEL 093-695-3085).