Okazaki City Small and Medium Enterprise Business Loan Guarantee Fee Subsidy

1) Overview: Okazaki City offers three complementary subsidies that cover credit-guarantee fees and loan interest paid by SMEs for business funding within the city. The schemes are governed by the Okazaki City SME Business Loan Guarantee Fee Subsidy Outline (est. 2014-04-01, last amended 2026-04-01), the Okazaki City Emergency Economic Measure Guarantee Fee Subsidy Outline (est. 2020-03-13, last amended 2024-07-01), and the Okazaki City Startup Loan Interest Subsidy Outline (est. 2014-04-01, last amended 2026-04-01). Only one application per fiscal year per applicant is allowed. 2) Eligible applicants: Small/medium enterprises, small-scale enterprises or specified SMEs as defined in Article 2 of the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Credit Insurance Act. They must have received financing under the Okazaki City SME funding mediation rules, the Aichi Prefecture small-enterprise promotion fund, an Article 2(5)(4)/(5)/(6) certified emergency loan, or Japan Finance Corporation startup loans. The applicant must maintain a registered address or head office and a principal business office within Okazaki City from the loan date through the application date, owe no municipal tax arrears, and hold any required permits or licenses. 3) Eligible expenses & benefits: Credit-guarantee fees paid to the Aichi Credit Guarantee Association on qualifying loans; emergency-measure guarantee fees on certified emergency loans; and interest paid to Japan Finance Corporation on startup loans (capped at six consecutive interest installments starting from the second post-loan payment). Excluded: passenger cars with capacity of 10 or fewer (unless commercial), equipment installed outside city limits, and loans whose registered user differs from the applicant. 4) Subsidy rates, caps, schedule & application tips: Standard guarantee-fee subsidy = 45%/90%/35% of the fee depending on loan type, capped at JPY 100,000 (except for Article 4(1)(2) loans). Emergency-measure guarantee-fee subsidy = 100% of the fee, capped at JPY 1,000,000. Startup loan interest subsidy = 45% of interest paid (60% for With Certification holders), capped at JPY 200,000 over six installments. Submit the prescribed Form 1 (application and performance report) with the credit-guarantee certificate copy, loan disbursement notice, tax certificate and other attachments to the Mayor within 60 days of the loan date.