Minamisoma City Energy-Saving Support Subsidy for SMEs

1. Program overview: Minamisoma City’s Energy-Saving Support Subsidy for SMEs is a city top-up subsidy designed to help local SMEs reduce energy costs amid crude oil price and general inflation pressures. It covers part of the applicant’s remaining burden for high-efficiency energy-saving equipment introduced under Fukushima Prefecture’s SME Energy Cost Reduction Support Subsidy. Official page verification shows the application period from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, with early closure possible when the budget is exhausted. 2. Eligible applicants: Eligible applicants are local businesses that have received a prefectural subsidy decision and have a head office or business site in Minamisoma City. The scope includes SMEs, SME associations, shopping street promotion associations and federations, and sanitary trade associations. Applicants must have no arrears of Minamisoma city taxes and must not be organized crime groups, members, or related parties under the city’s anti-organized-crime ordinance. 3. Eligible equipment and costs: Eligible equipment must be installed at a head office or business site in the city and includes high-efficiency lighting such as LEDs, air-conditioning equipment, electric refrigerators and freezers, machinery and equipment, and special vehicles. Eligible costs are limited to costs clearly attributable to the project and approved under the prefectural subsidy, including costs necessary to update energy-saving equipment, outsourcing costs necessary for the update, and removal costs for existing equipment. 4. Rate, cap, schedule, and application points: The subsidy amount is calculated by applying the city subsidy rate to the applicant’s own burden after deducting the prefectural subsidy from the prefectural eligible cost. The rate is within one half and the maximum is 750,000 yen, with amounts below 1,000 yen rounded down. Applicants submit the combined application and completion report with required attachments, then submit a claim after the city decision. Property disposal restrictions and five-year document retention apply.