Higashimiyoshi Town Startup & New-Business Support Subsidy

①Overview: This subsidy program by Higashimiyoshi Town (Tokushima Prefecture) supports persons newly starting a business inside the town or existing businesses entering a new field, by reimbursing part of the start-up costs within the annual budget (Notification No.94 of 18 June 2021, full revision of the prior 2015 notification). ②Eligible applicants: Individuals or corporations planning to launch a business or enter a new business field within the town during the subsidy fiscal year. The representative must have an address in Higashimiyoshi Town on the date of business establishment / opening, must not be in arrears of town tax, must not have already filed a notification of opening with the tax office, must have no connection with organised-crime groups, and must not have previously received this subsidy. ③Eligible expenses & content: Drafting fees paid to judicial/administrative scriveners for opening or incorporating, refurbishment costs (exterior/interior/parking) for stores, factories or offices, purchase of machinery, tools, equipment and fixtures, software usage rights (only the portion within the fiscal year), patent / utility-model / design / trademark acquisition fees, prototype development, packaging & label design, website creation and updates, advertising, exhibition fees, direct-mail postage, and other expenses approved by the mayor. Franchise businesses and businesses listed in Appendix 1 (agriculture, forestry, fisheries, finance/insurance, adult entertainment, gambling-related, medical, legal/accounting professions, religious/political bodies, etc.) are excluded. ④Rate / cap / schedule / application: 1/2 of eligible expenses (excluding consumption tax), capped at JPY 500,000 (amounts under JPY 1,000 truncated). Application must be filed before the project starts, using the subsidy application form under Rule §3 with three attachments: a New-Business / New-Field Confirmation, a Business Plan, and a Written Pledge & Consent. The mayor screens novelty, future potential, concreteness and regional contribution. The final completion report requires income/expenditure statements, payment evidence and a copy of the notification of opening; recipients must submit annual status reports for three years after the completion fiscal year.