Kobe City Energy-Saving Equipment Renewal Subsidy

Kobe City's Energy-Saving Equipment Renewal Subsidy supports businesses affected by rising energy prices when they replace business-use equipment at offices or facilities located in Kobe with more energy-efficient equipment. The program uses national local-support funding and is intended to reduce operating costs on a continuing basis, strengthen business foundations, and stimulate the local economy. The city announced the start of applications on May 22, 2026, and the official detail page, application guide, grant rules, FAQ, and reference quotation format were checked during deep fetch. Eligible applicants are SMEs and mid-sized companies, including sole proprietors, that have a business office in Kobe City. Applicants must be liable for Kobe municipal tax and must have no arrears or unfiled city tax. Entities that are not companies under the Companies Act, deemed large enterprises, anti-social forces, adult entertainment businesses, and organizations mainly engaged in religious or political activities are excluded. One applicant may apply only once across both application rounds. Eligible costs include equipment purchase, integral accessory equipment, installation work, removal and disposal of existing equipment, and transport costs for renewal of existing business-use equipment. Eligible equipment categories are high-efficiency commercial air-conditioning, commercial water heaters, refrigeration/freezer equipment, industrial motors, and LED lighting, subject to energy-performance requirements. New installation, household equipment, leases, used goods, equipment already installed before grant decision, and projects below 300,000 yen before tax are excluded. The subsidy rate is one half of eligible expenses. The ordinary cap is 500,000 yen, but the cap rises to 750,000 yen for certain decarbonization program participants, so amount_max is set to 750,000 yen. Applications open from June 22 to July 24, 2026 for round 1 and from August 3 to September 11, 2026 for round 2, closing earlier if budget capacity is reached. Installation, payment, and performance reporting must be completed by January 31, 2027. Applications are submitted online through e-KOBE.