Gifu City Business Succession Support Subsidy

①Overview: The Gifu City Business Succession Support Subsidy is provided by Gifu City within its budget to promote smooth business succession among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the city. Established by the subsidy ordinance dated March 25, 2016 (with revisions in 2021, 2022, and 2024), it subsidizes part of the initial fees paid by SMEs without successors to specialized firms that handle M&A (business transfer / share transfer) procedures, thereby preserving local employment and the regional economy. ②Eligible Applicants: SMEs (as defined in Article 2(1) of the SME Basic Act) operating in Gifu City and having their head office or address in the city. The applicant must lack a successor and must commission a specialized firm registered under the M&A Support Agency Registration System (or with the help of a financial institution with a branch in the city or a public agency such as the Business Succession Support Center or SMRJ) to handle the M&A succession process. Excluded: parties already receiving similar subsidies from the national or other local governments, municipal tax delinquents, and adult-entertainment businesses. ③Eligible Expenses: Initial fees (excluding consumption tax) paid to the specialized firm: (1) initial diagnostic fee for succession strategy formulation, (2) corporate issue analysis cost, (3) corporate valuation cost, (4) corporate profile creation cost, (5) consulting fees, (6) succession plan creation cost, and (7) other costs approved by the Mayor. ④Rate, Cap, Schedule and Key Points: The subsidy rate is one-half of eligible expenses, capped at JPY 500,000. Applications require the business plan (Form 1), revenue/expense budget (Form 2), M&A Support Certificate (Form 3), and quotation copy, due by the end of February of the fiscal year in which the project starts. Completion reports require the business report (Form 4), settlement (Form 5), the outsourcing contract copy, and receipt copies. An M&A Progress Report (Form 6) must be filed annually by April 15 for three fiscal years following completion.