Kansai Bureau Opens Tender for FY2026 Women Entrepreneur Support Program

Japan's Kansai economic bureau seeks operators for regional women-founder network under national GIRAFFES JAPAN initiative, targeting scale-up entrepreneurs through April 2026–March 2027.

OSAKA — Japan’s Kansai Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry has opened competitive bidding for operators to run its FY2026 women entrepreneur support program across six prefectures, part of the national GIRAFFES JAPAN initiative launched in 2024 to build regional networks for growth-oriented female founders.

Applications are due May 25 at noon, with an online briefing session scheduled for May 8. The program will run April 2026 through March 2027 and cover Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Nara, Shiga, and Wakayama. The bureau seeks operators to coordinate regional support institutions — including industrial support agencies, startup accelerators, banks, and core local companies — into a unified network offering mentoring, pitch events, and skill-building programs for female entrepreneurs aiming to scale.

METI notes women remain underrepresented among Japanese startup founders, accounting for only 2% of newly listed company presidents, and often launch businesses with strong regional ties. The GIRAFFES JAPAN brand — named for giraffes’ high vantage and cooperative behavior — positions the program as a nationwide framework with locally adapted support structures.

Why it matters: Government-backed regional programs signal METI’s infrastructure priorities for underserved founder demographics and create identifiable entry points for foreign VCs and partners targeting Japan’s startup pipeline. Applications close May 25, 2026, at noon.