IT Introduction Subsidy in Japan – can it pay for your website?

What the IT Introduction Subsidy is – and how it relates to websites

The IT Introduction Subsidy is a national program that covers part of the cost when small and medium-sized businesses adopt IT tools to make their work more efficient. Only software and cloud services registered with the program's secretariat qualify, and you apply together with a registered vendor, called an IT導入支援事業者 (IT introduction support provider).

The key idea is improving business processes. A new company profile site is rarely eligible on its own. What matters is whether the tool is registered as a system for orders, payments, bookings or customer management.

• Basic condition: a registered IT tool, introduced through a registered support provider
• Purpose: part of the cost of systems that improve efficiency or sales
• Applicant setup: a gBizID Prime account and a SECURITY ACTION declaration are typically required
• Categories: a standard category plus others, such as invoice-related and security categories, have been offered

Names, categories, maximum amounts and subsidy rates change from year to year. If you are looking for 2026 information, always check the official application guidelines (公募要領) for the current round.

When a website or EC tool can and cannot be covered

The most common misunderstanding is that website production costs are simply reimbursed. A practical way to sort it out:

• Usually not covered: building a company or service site, a visual redesign, adding pages
• Usually not covered: domains, hosting, ad spend and SEO work as such
• Can be covered: registered booking, ordering, payment or customer management tools whose features include web screens
• Varies by round: e-commerce building tools and online shop features have been treated differently depending on the year and category

So eligibility depends on which tool you introduce and through which vendor. Decide first whether you need a website or a system for bookings and orders – that keeps you from picking the wrong program.

Which subsidy fits a website project

If your goal is building or renewing the website itself, another program is often a better fit. A typical way to choose:

• A website to win new customers: the Small Business Sustainability Subsidy (小規模事業者持続化補助金). Website costs can be included as part of a sales expansion plan, but they cannot be the only item and their share is capped
• Systematizing bookings, orders or payments: the IT Introduction Subsidy, with a registered tool and vendor
• Launching an online shop: the Sustainability Subsidy or local e-commerce and digitalization programs
• Local programs: prefectures and cities sometimes subsidize website or digitalization costs

For details, see building a website with the Sustainability Subsidy and our overview of subsidies for website production. If you plan to sell online, read subsidies for e-commerce sites as well.

How the application works and what to prepare

If you use the IT Introduction Subsidy, the process typically runs in this order. Each step takes time, so plan backwards from when you want the tool running.

• Define the problem: which tasks take too much time and what you want to improve
• Choose a tool and vendor: check registered tools and providers on the secretariat's website
• Set up: get gBizID Prime (issuing takes some days) and make the SECURITY ACTION declaration
• Apply: submit the application, including a business plan, together with the vendor
• Contract after approval: costs contracted or paid before the grant decision are not covered
• Report: submit a completion report and later effect reports; the subsidy is paid after confirmation

Have ready your latest financial statements or tax return, staff and sales figures, a description of how you currently take bookings or orders, and candidate tools. Maximum amounts and rates differ by round, so always confirm figures in the current guidelines.

Pitfalls to watch for

Subsidies help, but a wrong sequence can mean an approved grant that never pays out, or a project that costs more than planned.

• Paid afterwards: you cover the full cost first and receive the subsidy after reporting
• Ordering too early: anything ordered before the grant decision is excluded
• "Effectively free" offers: kickbacks of the subsidy amount are fraud, and the applicant is liable too
• No guaranteed approval: applications can be rejected, so decide your plan B in advance
• Overbuilding: adding features just because they are subsidized raises running costs

Most important: decide what you need regardless of the subsidy. With a clear scope you can compare it with the program's conditions and calmly choose to apply, or to start small without it.

How UNANOBO helps: see the scope in a free demo first

Before you commit to anything, UNANOBO builds a free demo website around your brand and business. You check it on a computer and a phone, which makes it easy to judge before applying whether a website is enough or whether you also need bookings or online sales. The demo is free, and there is no cost if you decide not to continue.

If you use a subsidy, we plan the schedule so nothing is contracted or ordered before the grant decision. The IT Introduction Subsidy requires a registered vendor and tool, so we first sort out which program fits, then give you a scope and estimate. The process is free demo, feedback, launch, growth. The founder handles every project personally, by message, in Japanese or English.