The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has selected a total of 62 projects for the SME/SDG Business Support Program (commonly known as “JICA Biz”) for which it invited applications in September 2025 (see attached list of selected projects). 60 of the 62 projects are for small and medium-sized enterprises. The total number of projects supported by JICA Biz is 1,288(*1), and proposals from companies in all prefectures have been selected so far.
(*1) Total number of cases since the predecessor program “SME Overseas Development Support Program (including those commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)” started in FY2012.
JICA is committed to co-creating value by utilizing the networks, relationships of trust, and know-how it has built with governments of developing countries through its Official Development Assistance (ODA). In FY2025, we continued to call for proposals in the two categories of “Needs Assessment Survey” and “Business Demonstration Project” according to the stage of business consideration of the proposing organization.
Of the proposals selected for FY2025, five proposals were selected for the Needs Assessment Survey in FY2023 and FY2024, and through the same survey were selected for the Business Realization Demonstration Project in the current fiscal year.
One example is the corrugated medical space unit manufactured by Kanda Sangyo Corporation (Sukagawa City, Fukushima Prefecture). The panel-assembled medical rooms made of high-strength corrugated fiberboard manufactured by the company can be used in tropical climates and are expected to be used for a variety of purposes, including emergency medical care during outbreaks of infectious diseases such as cholera that frequently occur during disasters caused by flooding in the rainy season, and shelters for pregnant and nursing women, in addition to the shortage of medical facilities that is a serious problem in rural areas of Zambia. In a needs assessment survey (*2) conducted by the company between August 2024 and March 2025, Zambian government officials and aid organizations showed a high level of interest in the product. The survey also revealed the need to develop sales outlets, including the private sector, and to adapt the product to the local climate, as well as to gather information for establishing a system to realize local production in the future. Based on the results of these surveys, the adopted business feasibility study project aims to develop a sustainable business plan that will both contribute to society and be profitable through demonstration activities.
The regional percentages of projects adopted this year are Southeast Asia and the Pacific (48.4%), Africa (17.7%), Latin America (12.9%), South Asia (11.3%), East and Central Asia (6.5%), and the Middle East and Europe (3.2%).
By sector, agriculture (22.6%), healthcare (16.1%), infrastructure development/transportation (14.5%), disaster prevention/disaster management (12.9%), environment (8.1%), waste management (8.1%), industrial development (6.5%), water purification/water treatment (4.8%) and other (6.4%).
List of adopted projects
© Source JICA