2026 subsidy & grant
calendar and deadlines
Only dates we have verified against official pages. The first barrier is time, not eligibility — most people miss the deadline rather than fail the requirements.
As verified on 2026-09-03: Labor-Saving Investment Subsidy Round 8 opened 8/18 with intake mid-September and deadline mid-October (planned); Digitalization & AI Adoption Subsidy 2026 5th deadline 10/7 (planned); New Business/Monozukuri Round 1 9/30–10/30 18:00; Small Business Sustainability Round 20 11/5–12/15 17:00 (Form 4 by 12/4); Tokyo Zero-Emission Round 4 9/16–10/2, Round 5 11/9–11/20, Round 6 2027/1/18–1/29 (lottery); Career-Up and HR Development grants year-round with prior plan filing.
September 2026 – January 2027
| Program | Round | Opens | Deadline | Status (as verified) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor-Saving Investment Subsidy (general) | Round 8 | Call opened 2026-08-18; intake mid-Sep | Mid-Oct (planned) | Call open · intake pending | Round 7 closed 7/31 17:00; 21+ staff must publish action plan |
| Digitalization & AI Adoption Subsidy 2026 | 5th deadline | Open since 2026-03-30 | 2026-10-07 (planned) | Open | 4th deadline 8/25 passed; via registered IT vendor; 17:00 cutoff |
| New Business / Monozukuri Subsidy | Round 1 | 2026-09-30 | 2026-10-30 18:00 | Call open | First round after merger; caps vary by cost category |
| Small Business Sustainability Subsidy (general) | Round 20 | 2026-11-05 | 2026-12-15 17:00 | Pre-intake (guidelines v8 published) | Form 4 from Chamber by 12-04 |
| Tokyo Zero-Emission energy-saving grant | FY2026 Round 4 | 2026-09-16 | 2026-10-02 | Pre-intake | Lottery if oversubscribed; Round 5 11/09–11/20; Round 6 2027-01-18–01-29 |
| Career-Up Grant (regularization) | — | Year-round | — | Open | File plan before conversion; new ¥200k disclosure bonus from Apr 2026 |
| HR Development Grant | — | Year-round (plan 1–6 months before training) | — | Open | Reskilling and Investment-in-People courses end FY2026 (2027-03-31) unless extended |
Countdown checklist
| Time left | Round-based (Labor-Saving / New Business / Sustainability) | AI Adoption (via IT vendor) | Tokyo Zero-Emission (lottery) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8+ weeks | GビズID Prime (1–2 weeks); define investment and quotes | Select registered vendor and tool; GビズID | Select registered contractor; confirm eligible equipment |
| 4–8 weeks | Business plan draft; financials; Sustainability: book Form 4 | Vendor initiates application | Quotes; application form; confirm completion deadline |
| 2–4 weeks | Finalize plan and bonus items; pre-fill e-application | Confirm wage condition for 2/3 | Submit on opening day (order irrelevant for lottery) |
| Final week | Submit and save confirmation; avoid last hour | 17:00 cutoff is absolute | Confirm receipt; await lottery |
Three intake types
- Round-based competitive (Labor-Saving, AI Adoption, New Business, Sustainability): hard deadlines, 2–4 months between rounds.
- Lottery rounds (Tokyo Zero-Emission): submit within the window; lottery if oversubscribed.
- Year-round (Career-Up, HR Development): apply anytime but plan must be filed before implementation.
FY2026 time-limited items
- HR Development Grant Reskilling (¥100M cap) and Investment-in-People (¥25M) courses end FY2026 (2027-03-31) unless extended.
- Tokyo Zero-Emission extended to FY2029 with ~¥10.23B FY2026 budget; lottery each round.
- Labor-Saving: 21+ staff must publish a general employer action plan from 2026.
FAQ
QExact Round 8 Labor-Saving deadline?
Officially 'mid-October (planned)'; updated here once announced. Round 7 closed 7/31 17:00.
QCan I still apply for AI Adoption this year?
Yes, 5th deadline 2026-10-07 (planned). Work through a registered IT vendor.
QWhen does Sustainability Round 20 open?
Intake 2026-11-05 to 12-15 17:00; Form 4 by 12-04.
QIs Tokyo AC first-come?
No, lottery. Rounds: 9/16–10/2, 11/9–11/20, 2027/1/18–1/29.
QGrants are year-round — apply anytime?
Intake is year-round, but plans must be filed before conversion/training.
QMissed the deadline?
Wait for the next round and use the time to prepare GビズID, quotes and the plan.
QDo dates change?
Yes. Verify the official page before submitting.
QCan Shisei track deadlines for me?
Yes, after the free diagnosis we provide a reverse timeline and reminders.
- Labor-Saving Investment Subsidy — Round 8 schedule
- Digitalization & AI Adoption Subsidy 2026 — schedule
- New Business / Monozukuri Subsidy
- Small Business Sustainability Subsidy — Round 20
- Tokyo Zero-Emission energy-saving grant — intake periods
- Career-Up Grant (MHLW)
- HR Development Grant (MHLW)
※ Amounts, subsidy rates and application windows follow each authority's latest guidelines; outcomes depend on review. This page is not a guarantee of approval.