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2026 Academic Year 1st Session Startup Grant

Startup Grant supports new artistic creation activities that are challenged by emerging artists and art organizations who want to develop their activities in Tokyo's art scene. The program covers performances, exhibitions, art projects, participation in international festivals, international collaborations, etc. in Tokyo and overseas, and supports startups that help young talents build a foundation for future artistic activities.

Application period

From 10:00 on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 to 18:00 on Thursday, May 21 Applications for the public offering are available online. Please use the application form to register the applicant, fill in the fields, and upload the necessary documents.

public offering guidelines: 2026年度 第1回 スタートアップ助成 公募ガイドライン Q＆A: 2026年度 第1回「スタートアップ助成」に関するよくある質問Q＆A ​Consumption Tax in the Budget: Consumption Tax in the Budget

• Application has ended.
• Projects to be subsidized have been determined (2026.7.31). Please refer to the Adoption Summary below (the Adoption Summary is available in PDF).

Public Offering Briefing (Online)

2026年度 第1回「スタートアップ助成」について、助成申請を検討されている方を対象にオンライン公募説明会を開催します。参加を希望される方は、締切日までに申し込みフォームからお申し込みください。 ※参加に際しては、公募ガイドラインを必ず事前にお読みください。 ※公募説明会への参加は助成の採否には影響しません。 ※申請にあたってのご質問は、お問い合わせフォームで承ります。

Date and Time: Part 1: Friday, May 1, 2026 14:00~16:00 Part 2: Monday, May 11, 2026 17:30~19:30 (Sign language interpretation planned)

• The contents of the explanation are the same each time.

method of implementation: Online meetings via Zoom *For those who have decided to participate, we will send you an email from Arts Council Tokyo with instructions on how to join the meeting by the day before the event. (Forwarding to non-participants is not allowed.) *Approximately 30 minutes from the start will be the sharing of the explanation video of the application guidelines posted on this page. You can watch it in advance and participate from the Q&A session.

capacity: 60 persons each time (If the number reaches the maximum before the deadline, the application will be closed at that time.)

How to apply: Please fill in the required information via the application form and apply. ※If sign language interpretation is needed, please indicate “Sign language interpretation requested” in the form. ※Sign language interpretation application deadline: April 27, 2026 (Mon) 18:00

application deadline: 1st session: Thursday, April 30, 2026, 13:00 2nd session Friday, May 8, 2026 13:00 ※ Reception will be completed with the participation reception email from Arts Council Tokyo. *If the capacity is reached before the deadline, the reception will end at that time.

Notes: ・Instructions on how to register and participate in the meeting will be sent from setsumeikai*artscouncil-tokyo.jp. Please set your settings so that you can receive emails from this address. (Replace * with @.) ・If you do not receive an email from Arts Council Tokyo by the day before the event, please contact us. ・Participation in the public recruitment briefing session will not affect the acceptance or rejection of the grant. ・The personal information we receive will be strictly managed and used only for communication related to the operation of this open call briefing session.

Application Guidelines

Implementation period of the target project: Projects beginning on or after September 1, 2026 and ending by August 31, 2027

target business: (1) Creative artistic activities in Tokyo Performances, concerts, exhibitions, screenings, art projects and other creative activities in Tokyo (2) International creative artistic activities Overseas performances and exhibitions, international collaborations, participation in international festivals, invited performances and exhibitions, etc.

Applicants who are eligible: Individuals (Emerging artists, producers, planners and producers, etc.) or up-and-coming groups (Arts organizations, executive committees, etc.) who are engaged in artistic activities based in Tokyo and are expected to play a role in the next generation of the Tokyo art scene. *For individuals: In the field for which the applicant is applying, it has been less than three years since he/she first organized a public activity in Tokyo, or he/she has organized no more than five public activities in Tokyo. *For organizations: less than three years have passed since the organization was established. It does not matter whether you have a corporate status or not, or whether you are classified.

Venues: Tokyo or overseas

• Including online publication

Artistic fields covered: Music, theater, dance, art and video, traditional performing arts, and mixed arts (art activities whose core field cannot be specified)

application ceiling: Group: 1 million yen Individual: 300,000 yen and within the scope of subsidized expenses

• All amounts equivalent to consumption tax and local consumption tax are not subsidized. Please be careful.

How to apply: Application documents can be submitted online. Please use the application form to register the applicant, fill in the fields, and upload the necessary documents.

Application period: From 10:00 on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 to 18:00 on Thursday, May 21

public offering guidelines: 2026年度 第1回 スタートアップ助成 公募ガイドライン Q＆A: 2026年度 第1回「スタートアップ助成」に関するよくある質問Q＆A ​Consumption Tax in the Budget: Consumption Tax in the Budget

Notes

• Co-sponsored projects and affiliated projects with facilities managed and operated by Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture are not eligible for subsidies.
• Projects sponsored or co-sponsored by Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, or projects that are or are scheduled to be paid subsidies, support funds, subsidies, consignment fees, etc. by Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture and Tokyo are not eligible for subsidies.

採択概況［PDF］

◆ Number of applications (accepted): 216 (48) Startup Grant is a grant program that supports emerging artists and art organizations seeking to expand their careers in Tokyo's art scene to take on new artistic challenges. In the first round of this call for applications in fiscal year 2026, there were 216 applications, and 48 were selected. The number of applications increased from 208 in the previous round (third round of fiscal year 2025). In this public call as well, there were many discrepancies between the applicant's name and the organizer's name, as well as incomplete income and expenditure budget statements. Please note that the names of the applicant, organizer, and group application must match the names in the articles of incorporation or regulations. Also, if past records under the applicant organization's name cannot be confirmed in the group application, it is considered a deficiency in the requirements. After completing the application form, please review the input again, check the uploaded file correctly, and then click the submit button. As deadlines approach, there may be delays in reviewing the details, so please consider a schedule for preparing the application form with enough time before the deadline. Please note that activities including the sale of artworks or those that produce, distribute, or screen film works are not eligible for Startup Grant. Please make sure to thoroughly check the eligibility/non-eligible projects and the requirements for applicants before applying. This grant program targets projects with clear project details and a well-planned budget and schedule for realization. Additionally, projects that were previously rejected can be reapplied. We hold public applications three times a year, so please clarify the specificity and feasibility of your project and apply at the appropriate time. When preparing the application form, please check the application guidelines, and frequently asked questions are summarized in the Q&A section, so please make use of them. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us by phone, contact us via the "Inquiry Form," or ask questions at the public briefing sessions.

Music field In the music field, we received 50 applications, of which 14 were selected. The selected projects were mainly classical and contemporary music, and all presented unique concepts and innovative programs. In projects that planned to feature new works by young composers, the originality of the creative aspects based on the project's purpose and content was clearly demonstrated in the proposal, and projects that were highly evaluated in the "evaluation criteria" of the application guidelines were selected. On the other hand, projects that were merely extensions of the applicant's previous activities and lacked originality or a challenging spirit in the proposal, or applications that lacked detailed explanations of the creative process and performance plan, were not selected. Some applications also contained many inconsistencies and ambiguities in the budget plan. Please refer to the "Frequently Asked Questions (Q&A)" on our website and review your application documents and project details once again. We look forward to receiving your application.

​ In the field of theatre, 74 applications were submitted and 17 were accepted. Many applications cited the economic, physical, and career sustainability of creative activities. As a response to this challenge, we saw several applications for flexible creation on a project-by-project basis, with no fixed members involved in creation. Among these, applications were adopted for which the characteristics and uniqueness of activities were established by clearly setting long-term goals and activity themes, and future development is expected. There were also many applications that focused on themes of medicine, education, and care, as well as accessibility and viewing support. Of these, applications that show the necessity for the applicant to work on the subject, as well as the applicant's unique perspective and approach, were selected. On the other hand, applications that lack descriptions in the application form and cannot objectively read the originality and challenge of the project or the applicant's activities have not been adopted. When preparing the application form, please refer to the "Review Perspectives" section of the Application Guidelines, and try to write a concrete description that conveys the uniqueness of your activity and the appeal of your work.

​ In the field of dance, 14 applications were submitted and 6 were accepted. Applications ranged from contemporary dance, dance, jazz dance, tap dance, flamenco, tango, and Japanese dance. In order to expand the audience and acquire new forms of expression, there were several projects that collaborated with dancers, musicians, artists, and researchers in genres different from those of the applicant, and those that clearly demonstrated their necessity were selected. On the other hand, if the performers, the venue, and the target audience are not necessarily related to the theme, or if there is only a superficial collaboration, it will be rejected. It is difficult to evaluate the concreteness and feasibility of a project from the viewpoint of the audit if a major theme is set but the path to express and implement it is not indicated. In the midst of various dance performances and trials, we are looking forward to receiving applications for projects with originality and challenge that delve into the appeal of your own dance. Please note that if you cannot confirm the credit of the name of the applicant organization in the past results of the group application, it will be considered as a deficiency.

​ In the field of art and video, 46 applications were submitted and 6 were accepted. The applications accepted were two solo exhibitions held in Tokyo and four exhibitions of works invited to and stayed abroad. The solo exhibition was adopted as a highly original project that sought to incorporate dialogue with others and the production process itself into the works while presenting a specific exhibition plan. In overseas projects, we have selected projects with a high degree of challenge that attempt to create new expressions by connecting our own themes that we have continued to work on with the experiences and local climate of the destination. On the other hand, projects in which the applicant curates are not selected if the reason for selecting the participating artists is unclear, or if the project consists entirely of explaining the theme or concept and does not provide a concrete plan of what will be exhibited and how. In addition, some projects that were not selected this time had insufficient requirements. Applicants were unable to identify the same name as the applicant group in the "materials showing past activities" required for group applications, applicants and organizers were not the same, businesses including the sale of works of art, and those producing and distributing films. Please make sure to check the guidelines before applying to see if your organization or business meets the requirements to be subsidized.

《Traditional Performing Arts Field》 In the traditional performing arts field, there were four applications, with one being selected. The selected applications clearly stated the project's purpose and the challenges they would challenge, and included an implementation plan. Unfortunately, projects that were not selected were notable for having unclear specific methods for their objectives or objectives, or for which feasibility could not be discerned from the project plan or past achievements. When applying, please include the project's purpose and objectives so that they are clearly related to specific methods and innovations in the project content. Also, for "materials showing past activities," please submit video materials that clearly show the activities process. All applications this time were first-time, but the number of applications was the lowest ever. Startup Grant For group applications, applications must be less than three years since the organization's founding; for individual applications, if the organization has hosted a public event for the first time in Tokyo, or if the record of self-organized public activities in Tokyo is within five times, applications can also be made for projects that were previously rejected. Please read the application guidelines carefully when applying, and if you have any questions, please contact us in advance. We welcome enthusiastic applications based on issues and questions you have felt during your activities.

​ In the multi-disciplinary field, 28 applications were submitted and 4 were accepted. The selected applications include one exhibition for a photographer, one for a poet and a printmaker, one for a collaboration project between a violinist and a shadow artist, and one for an outdoor sound installation using songs in a synthetic language by a media artist group. On the other hand, applications that show originality in cross-domain efforts but are unclear in terms of the production process and presentation format, and for which the concreteness and feasibility cannot be foreseen, are rejected. In addition, if the applicant is not the sponsor, the name of the applicant does not match the name of the organization in the articles of incorporation, the past performance of the applicant cannot be confirmed, or the applicant produces, distributes, or performs films, the requirements are not met. Before applying, please review the guidelines for public solicitation to determine which projects are eligible for subsidies, which projects are not eligible for subsidies, and the requirements for applicants.

Inquiries about this matter

Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture Arts Council Tokyo Activity Support Department Grant Division Grant Section TEL: 03-6256-8431 (Weekdays 10:00~18:00) Contact Form

grant program

• Creation Grant

• Social Grant

• Regional Grant

• Startup Grant

• Traditional Arts Practice Grant

• Grant for Artistic City

• TOKYO CITY CANVAS: a Grant for Artistic City support program

• Life with Art Grant

• Tokyo Live & Stage Support Grant

• Grant for Accessibility

• subsidy chart

• annual grant schedule

• Activity Report Meeting

• List of selected projects