FY2026 Yamaguchi Intellectual Property Utilization Support Grant

1. Program overview: This grant is administered by the Yamaguchi Industrial Promotion Foundation to support small and medium-sized businesses in Yamaguchi Prefecture that use intellectual property as part of their business strategy. The grant guidelines state that the program subsidizes part of the costs required for domestic filings for patents, utility models, designs, and trademarks, so that companies can make broad use of excellent technologies, brands, and other intellectual property. The focus is not merely on acquiring rights, but on using those rights to advance business development, commercialization, branding, and market expansion. 2. Eligible applicants: Eligible applicants are SMEs as defined under Article 2 of the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Basic Act that have their principal office in Yamaguchi Prefecture, as well as research-and-development-oriented groups centered on such SMEs. Deemed large enterprises are excluded. This includes corporations where a single large company owns at least one-half of the shares or investment, corporations where multiple large companies own at least two-thirds, and corporations where officers or employees of large companies account for at least one-half of all officers. Applicants therefore need to confirm their local presence, SME status, capital relationships, and officer composition. 3. Eligible expenses and support details: Eligible costs include filing fees payable to the Japan Patent Office, domestic agent fees, and other costs deemed appropriate by the foundation president for implementing the project. If a request for examination is made at the same time as the filing, that cost may also be covered. The application form and grant project plan ask applicants to describe the project title, total and eligible costs, requested grant amount, completion schedule, implementation structure, project content, expected effects, and novelty or superiority of the business. Supporting materials include estimates, financial statements, registry documents, company profile materials, prior art search results, and an eligibility confirmation form. 4. Rate, cap, schedule, and application points: The subsidy rate is up to one-half of eligible costs, with a maximum grant amount of JPY 400,000 and a project period of up to one year. The official page states that applications are accepted from May 12, 2026 through June 11, 2026 at 17:00, so the program is open as of May 24, 2026. After approval, changes to the project content or cost allocation generally require prior approval, and a performance report must be submitted by the earlier of 20 days after completion or February 28 of the fiscal year in which the grant ends. Applicants must also report JPO examination status annually until results are received and cooperate with follow-up surveys for five years after completion.