The Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Small and Medium Sized Enterprise Promotion Corporation subsidizes capital investment by small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) in the capital. It is offering grants of up to 100 million yen to help SMEs to improve productivity and maintain vigorous and sustainable growth after 2020. The idea is to strengthen the competitiveness of Tokyo’s SMEs so that they can expand, thereby strengthening their earning power.

Examples of investments that qualify for the Tokyo Small and Medium Sized Enterprise Promotion Corporation’s grants are the purchase and installation of the latest machinery and equipment. The corporation is keen to help SMEs take advantages of the competitive edge offered by investment in new technology, such as robotics and the internet of things (IoT).

The corporation is keen to hear from SMEs that support the industries of the future, such as medicine and healthcare, welfare, environmental management, energy, crisis management, aircraft, spacecraft, robots, and automobiles. The corporation is also keen to hear from business owners who have inherited an SME and would like to update aging machinery and equipment.

This will be the seventh round of the corporation’s Expansion Capital Investment Support Project. Since the first round in 2017, the corporation has helped more than 500 companies.

Past recipients are keen to praise the scheme. The owner of a metal stamping business in Ota Ward, Tokyo says, “With the introduction of a high-performance large press machine, it has become possible to process metals with higher added value than before. As a result, our work efficiency has increased, and so has the number of orders and the unit price of our products.”

The boss of a precision sheet metal processing plant in Mizuho-cho, Nishitama-gun, Tokyo adds, “Since we introduced the new equipment, our processing accuracy has improved, and we have been able to significantly increase orders from medical equipment makers. As society ages, this sector will continue to grow. Medical equipment currently accounts for about half of all our orders.”

An air blast equipment manufacturer in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo was also fulsome in his praise for the scheme. “I hear that a lot of applicants have had to get in consultants to help them with the application process, but we were able to do all that in-house. We were pretty clear about our growth strategy and the direction we wanted to proceed in, and that’s a big asset for any company.”

Arjan Richter | © Flickr.com

The Tokyo Small and Medium Sized Enterprise Promotion Corporation’s grant scheme subsidizes the purchase of the latest machinery and equipment, with the maximum subsidy being 100 million yen. Until now, the period covered by the grant has been one year, but this has now been extended to one year and six months. The current grant covers the period October 1st, 2020 to March 31st, 2022. The corporation also covers the purchase of machinery and equipment with a long delivery period.

Applicants can choose from four business categories, depending on their business plan and timescale. Companies considering applying must have had a registered head office or branch in Tokyo for at least two years.

For more details, see the application guidelines.

You can see more details about the Tokyo Small and Medium Sized Enterprise Promotion Corporation here.

You can see a list of past recipients here.

If you have any questions, you can contact the Facility Support Division, Planning and Management Department, Tokyo Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Corporation on 03-3251-7884.


By - George Lloyd.