Website subsidies in Japan – which programs help and what to check first

The main website subsidies in Japan

Website subsidies in Japan come from national programs and from prefectures and cities. Each one supports a business goal, such as finding new customers or digitizing operations, and a website can be one part of that plan. Here is how the best-known programs differ.

• Small Business Sustainability Subsidy (小規模事業者持続化補助金): supports sales development for small businesses. Websites, online shops and web ads can count as "website-related costs", but they are capped as a share of the total subsidy and cannot be the only item in the application
• IT Introduction Subsidy (IT導入補助金): supports software that improves operations. You must work with a vendor and a tool registered with the program office. A plain corporate website is usually not eligible, while some frames cover e-commerce, booking or payment tools
• New business and investment subsidies: larger programs for launching a new line of business can include a website and ads for that business under advertising and promotion costs
• Local government subsidies: many prefectures and cities run their own grants for websites, online shops or sales development. Amounts are smaller, but the rules are often simpler

Caps and subsidy rates change with every application round, and programs are sometimes renamed or restructured. Always check the latest official guidelines (公募要領) on the program or municipal website before you plan around them.

Which website costs usually qualify

Whether a cost qualifies depends on what it is for and when you pay it. Splitting your budget into these groups makes it easier to match it to a program.

• Usually eligible: a new or renewed site for sales development, building an online shop, product pages, web ad spend, tools the business needs
• Eligible with conditions: domain, hosting and subscription fees – often only for the portion inside the subsidy period
• Usually not eligible: anything ordered or paid before the grant decision, subscription time after the subsidy period, pages unrelated to the plan, general-purpose computers

The lines differ between programs, so confirm unclear items with the program office or your local chamber of commerce. For a sense of overall budgets with or without a subsidy, see website cost in Japan.

Which program to look at first, by goal

Start from what you want the website to achieve:

• Win new customers alongside flyers or signage: the Sustainability Subsidy, with the site and web ads as part of a sales development plan
• Automate bookings, payments or stock: the IT Introduction Subsidy, starting with a registered tool and vendor
• Launch a new business or brand: a new business subsidy, showing where the site and ads fit in the overall plan
• Start small and fast: your prefecture's or city's own program – ask the local chamber of commerce or the municipal business support desk

We cover the details in two separate guides: building a website with the Sustainability Subsidy and what the IT Introduction Subsidy covers for websites.

How a subsidized website project runs

A subsidy adds steps, and the whole process often takes six months or more. It usually looks like this:

• Read the guidelines: who can apply, eligible costs, rates, deadlines and the subsidy period
• Plan and quote: describe what the site and ads should achieve and get a written quote for the work
• Online application: most national programs require a gBizID Prime account, which takes time to issue – apply early
• Selection and grant decision: order and sign contracts only after the official decision
• Build and pay: finish the work and complete payment inside the subsidy period
• Report and receive funds: submit invoices, payment records and screenshots of the live pages; the subsidy is paid after review

Subsidies are paid afterwards, so you need to cover the full cost first. Plan your cash flow at the same time as the application.

Common mistakes with website subsidies

Most problems come from a project schedule that does not match the program's rules. Check these points before you apply:

• Ordering or paying before the grant decision, which makes that cost ineligible
• Missing the end of the subsidy period, so the completion report cannot be filed
• Adding features just to fill the budget, which raises your own share and the upkeep
• Signing up after a pitch promising a site that is "free with a subsidy" without checking the conditions
• Building something different from the plan you submitted, which is hard to explain in the report

All of these get easier to avoid once you know exactly what you will build, by when and for how much. A clear picture of the finished site makes both the plan and the quote much simpler to write.

How UNANOBO helps: a free demo to make your plan concrete

Before any order, UNANOBO builds a free demo of your website or online shop around your brand. You click through it on a computer and a phone and use it to decide which pages and features belong in your subsidy plan. After the demo you get a structure proposal, a plan and an estimate.

The process is free demo, feedback, launch, growth. The founder handles every project personally, from the first demo to marketing after launch, and everything runs by message in Japanese or English. For the application itself and eligibility questions, please consult a chamber of commerce, a certified support organization or the program office.