Tokyo small businesses weighing a handover or turnaround have until 15 December 2026 to apply for the third round of the current fiscal year's Business Succession Support Grant. Applications opened on 13 October.
What the grant pays for
The grant is open to small and medium-sized companies in Tokyo, and to individuals with a concrete plan to start a business in the city. It reimburses part of the cost of hiring outside specialists while the applicant carries out a succession or management improvement. The stated aim is to support new business development at Tokyo's small firms and smooth succession and turnaround.
Who qualifies
Eligibility depends on which of four applicant types a firm falls into. Types A (successor not yet chosen) and B (successor chosen) share one test: the firm must have received support from one of five listed schemes between 1 October 2025 and the day before it applies. The schemes are run by a Tokyo public foundation that promotes small and medium-sized enterprises, by local chambers of commerce, by two associations of Tokyo's credit unions and credit cooperatives, by a Tokyo credit guarantee body, and by the Tokyo federation of small-business associations.
| Type | Description | Entry condition |
|---|---|---|
| A | Successor not yet chosen | Received one of five listed support schemes between 1 October 2025 and the day before applying |
| B | Successor chosen | Same prior-support condition as type A |
| C | Business continuity support | Received the foundation's business continuity support in the previous fiscal year |
| D | Acquisition support | Able to take the foundation's site diagnosis between 13 October and 8 December 2026 |
Firms that took support from any scheme other than the foundation's own must also be able to undergo a separate site diagnosis by the foundation, a visit to hear about their succession plans. Type D applicants must be available for that diagnosis between 13 October and 8 December 2026, a week earlier than the closing date for applications.
Practical point
The entry test differs by type. Types A and B need one of the listed support schemes behind them, type C needs the foundation's business continuity support from the previous fiscal year, and type D needs availability for the foundation's site diagnosis in the stated window. The foundation's succession and revitalisation support office is the named contact.