FY2026 Sumida City Digital Technology Utilization Support Subsidy

(1) Overview: This is the FY2026 Sumida City Digital Technology Utilization Support Subsidy, administered by the Industry & Tourism Department Management Support Division of Sumida City, Tokyo. It supports SMEs based in Sumida City that work on digitalizing their business operations to improve efficiency and productivity. A prior consultation (by appointment) at the Sumida Business Support Center is mandatory before submitting an application, and the center provides hands-on support during preparation of the business plan (Form No. 2). (2) Eligible applicants: SMEs as defined under Article 2(1) of the SME Basic Act, with a main business location in Sumida City for at least one year (corporations must have head office registration AND actual business operations in the city; sole proprietors must have business location AND actual operations in the city). Applicants must not be in arrears on special ward resident tax (corporate residence tax for companies), must not be a member or affiliate of organized crime groups under Sumida City's Exclusion of Organized Crime Ordinance, and must not engage in adult entertainment business regulated under the relevant law. (3) Eligible expenses & content: Eligible projects must use digital technology, target existing internal workflows (new initiatives only), be expected to produce measurable improvement, use widely commercially available products released or version-upgraded within the last 5 years. Eligible expenses include software / cloud service / hardware purchase costs, usage / maintenance fees, configuration / customization, technical guidance / training. Excluded: security or general-purpose office software, general PCs / tablets / printers, used items, EC site / website creation or renewal, communication fees, consumption tax equivalent, expenses already supported by other national / metro / city subsidies. (4) Rate, cap, schedule, key points: Subsidy rate is 3/4 of eligible expenses, with a cap of JPY 500,000 (rounded down to thousands, minimum JPY 50,000). Application period: April 1, 2026 (Wed) through November 30, 2026 (Mon) 17:00 (must arrive), but receipt closes once the budget is reached. Completion report (Form No. 8) must be submitted by February 19, 2027 (Fri). Quotes from at least 2 vendors are required per order over JPY 500,000 (tax included); contracts / payments before the grant decision are ineligible; only one application per fiscal year per business.