Nakayama Town's Startup Challenge Subsidy (Yamagata) promotes new business openings by subsidizing preparation costs for those opening businesses in town. Operated by the Industry Promotion Division under FY Reiwa 8 Guidelines; applications run April 1, 2026 to March 12, 2027. Eligible applicants open a commercial/industrial business between March 11 of the prior FY and March 10 of the current FY, complete a startup school or specified support, receive consultation from the Town Chamber of Commerce, have no tax arrears or organized-crime ties, and commit to operating in town for 2+ years. Eligible expenses: equipment (interior/exterior, machinery; 100k yen+ tax-incl.), supplies (tools, software, PCs; 20k yen+), public-agency fees (registration, permits, IP), insurance (fire/quake/liability), and PR (cards, websites, logos). Subsidy rate is 4/5 of eligible expenses (rounded to thousands), base cap 1.5M yen. Add-ons: 200k yen for new in-town residents from April 1, 2026; 100k yen for under-35; 200k yen for buying a vacant house/store — max 2M yen total. Required forms: application (Form 1), startup plan (Form 2), budget (Form 3), tax consent (Form 4). Up to 60% advance payment is available.