FY2026 Medical and Healthcare Development Demonstration Subsidy

(1) Overview: The Noastec Foundation and the City of Sapporo offer this subsidy to support the development of highly novel technologies, products, and services in the medical and healthcare field. It targets companies that conduct or plan to conduct development demonstrations such as trial introductions and prototype evaluations at medical institutions, aiming for early commercialization and social implementation. The program seeks to promote R&D and commercialization through joint demonstrations with medical institutions, thereby revitalizing Sapporo's industry. (2) Eligibility: Eligible applicants are SMEs that either (i) have a head office in Sapporo, or (ii) have a business activity base in Sapporo with their head office outside the city. Project members may include universities and research institutions. SMEs are defined under Article 2(1) of the Small and Medium Enterprise Basic Act. A business activity base means a facility (research lab, factory) capable of R&D, prototyping, and manufacturing; pure sales offices are not accepted. Applicants must have or plan to build a cooperative relationship with a medical institution (hospital, clinic, dental clinic, pharmacy, nursing care provider) for trial implementation. (3) Eligible Expenses and Content: Eligible expenses include raw materials and consumables, equipment lease, equipment purchase (capped at JPY 500,000 total), facility/equipment rental, IP application costs, outsourcing (survey, analysis, processing), and other costs such as joint research with universities and travel. General-purpose items (PCs and peripherals, digital cameras, common software, office supplies) are not eligible. Consumption tax, land/building purchase, facility renovation, vehicle rental, fuel, and entertainment/food expenses are excluded. (4) Rate, Cap, Schedule, and Application Points: The subsidy rate is up to 10/10 for Sapporo-based companies and up to 1/2 for outside-Sapporo companies. The cap is JPY 1,000,000 per project, with about 5 projects to be adopted. The application period is April 1, 2026 (Wed) to June 22, 2026 (Mon) 17:00. The subsidy period runs from the grant decision date to March 5, 2027 (expense execution deadline February 26, 2027). Adoption decisions are expected in late July 2026. Applications are accepted only via the online subsidy application system; email, fax, and mail are not accepted. Required documents are application forms 1-6, corporate municipal tax certificate, and company brochure.