SME Sales Channel Expansion & Productivity Support Subsidy (General / DX Enhancement)

This grant is administered by the Kitakyushu Foundation for the Advancement of Industry, Science and Technology (SME Support Center) and helps small and medium-sized enterprises and sole proprietors in Kitakyushu City cover part of the cost of productivity-improvement activities such as sales channel expansion, digitalization, and energy-saving investment, with the aim of strengthening competitiveness and regional economic revitalization. Two windows opened in FY2026: the General window and the DX Enhancement window. Eligible applicants are SMEs and sole proprietors as defined under Article 2(1) of the SME Basic Act that (i) maintain a place of business (head office, branch, sales office, factory, etc.) in Kitakyushu City and intend to continue operations, (ii) if a stock company, are not majority-owned (>1/2) by non-SME companies, (iii) have no municipal-tax delinquency or other debt default against Kitakyushu City, and (iv) have no relationship with organised crime. The General window additionally requires that gross profit in any continuous 3-month period on or after April 2024 has decreased by 10% or more compared with the same period from April 2022. Eligible expenses cover only 'new initiatives'; they include (1) energy-saving investment, (2) efficiency / high-yield projects, (3) new product / service development (marketing, technical instruction, outsourcing, advertising, IP rights, fixed costs, HR training, etc.), (4) sales expansion / management improvement (venue prep, online-store registration, sales agent fees, etc.), and (5) HR acquisition & development (recruitment ads, broker fees, training fees, etc.). Consumption tax, transfer fees, existing-business cost transfers, food & beverage, land acquisition, and tyre purchase are excluded. Procurement from in-city vendors is the principle. The subsidy rate is up to one-half (1/2) of eligible expenses; the General window cap is JPY 1,000,000 (min 300,000) and the DX Enhancement cap is JPY 2,000,000 (min 300,000). Applications are accepted for the General window from 2026-04-30 (Thu) to 2026-12-04 (Fri) (closed when budget runs out), and for the DX Enhancement window from 2026-04-30 (Thu) to 2026-05-29 (Fri) 17:00. Projects must complete by 2027-01-07 (Thu); results reports are due within 20 days of completion or by 2027-01-07, whichever is earlier. Submission is via web, email or postal mail to the Kano Planning Co., Ltd. secretariat.