Before the Call for Proposals

Support for Matching

Eligible Participants

• Local governments aiming to address local challenges through smart city initiatives
• Universities and private-sector entities (limited to those with legal personality) pursuing smart city solutions for local issues

Participation Requirements

• Applicants must submit a Matching Support Application Form to the Secretariat.
• Support will be provided following a review and approval process.

Support Details

• Initial Individual Hearing (mandatory)

  A one-on-one session to explore local issues (for local governments) and potential solutions (for companies, universities, etc.), and to identify possible matching partners.

• Matching Support Event (optional)

  • A joint session bringing together local governments and private-sector entities to explore collaboration opportunities.
  • Post-event surveys will be conducted to assess interest in launching joint projects.

• Second Individual Hearing (optional)

  Based on the outcomes of the initial hearing and the matching event, further support will be provided to refine project ideas and introduce potential partners.

• Final Hearing (mandatory)

  A final session to review the progress toward consortium formation and confirm intentions to apply for the local issue-focused initiative.

After Project Selection

Financial Support

Subsidies will be provided to selected projects under the following conditions:

• Maximum Subsidy Amount:

  Up to 20 million yen per project per fiscal year

• Subsidy Rate:

  Up to 50%, for a maximum of three fiscal years

• Eligible Expenses

  • Costs related to identifying and defining local issues
  • Expenses necessary for addressing local issues through smart city initiatives, such as: accumulating and utilizing various types of data, establishing data usage rules and systems, implementing initiatives that leverage local data to solve local issues
  • Costs for evaluating the effectiveness of the above initiatives
  • Purchase of items (excluding real estate) that do not become fixed assets of the applicant
  • Direct labor costs for personnel directly engaged in the project (limited to those employed by the project entity or its consortium members and enrolled in employment insurance)
  • Other expenses approved by the Governor

Project Implementation Support

• Project Progress Management

  To ensure smooth and steady progress of selected projects, the Secretariat provides progress monitoring and operational support.

• Provision of Knowledge and Networks

  To accelerate project development, the Secretariat offers access to relevant information and analysis about the target area, share insights from other regions, and facilitate opportunities for collaboration and dialogue with stakeholders in different areas.

• Keeping the public informed about the projects

  Information about selected projects is shared through this website and other communication channels.