With the minimum wage rising every year, many Japanese SMEs need to do more with the same team. The 業務改善助成金 from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare helps with exactly that. Figures for 令和8年度 (FY2026), per the official MHLW page.
How it works
- You raise your in-house minimum wage (the lowest hourly wage at the workplace) by ¥50 or more.
- You make a productivity-boosting investment.
- The government pays part of that investment.
Amounts and rate
- ¥50, ¥70 and ¥90 courses. The cap depends on the raise and how many employees get it.
- Maximum: ¥6 million (¥90 course, 10+ employees, only for firms qualifying as 特例事業者).
- Rate: 4/5 if the in-house minimum wage is under ¥1,050; 3/4 if ¥1,050 or more.
- You receive the lower of (investment × rate) and the cap.
Watch out
- The raise and investment must happen after approval.
- Only for businesses with employees.
- Apply at the 労働局 (regional labour bureau) in your prefecture.
Where IT comes in
Systems that remove manual work (orders, inventory, scheduling, payroll), automation of repetitive tasks and equipment that speeds up service are typical productivity investments. Check the official guidance to confirm your case.
Note: rules, amounts and deadlines change every round. Always check the latest official call (公募要領) before applying.
How KGA IT helps
KGA IT finds where your team loses the most time and proposes automations and systems that really raise productivity, with itemized quotes for the application. Automation from ¥49,800, system management from ¥10,000/month and digital consulting from ¥30,000.
KGA IT is not a registered firm that files applications on your behalf, but it handles the whole IT side: choosing the right tool, preparing clear quotes, organizing the technical details of the application, then installing and configuring everything after approval. Services: digital consulting from ¥30,000, security diagnosis from ¥15,000, backup setup from ¥8,000, automation from ¥49,800, websites from ¥49,800 (or the ¥5,000/month web plan) and Business IT from ¥49,800/month. See pricing and services.
The first consultation and quote are free, in English, Japanese and 7 more languages, via LINE, WhatsApp or phone (080-9732-1062). Contact KGA IT now and get your project ready before the next round.