Small Concession
Small Concession enables private operators to use public assets at low fees for a fixed term. A comprehensive collection of guides covering the system, business design, and case studies.
Start with These 3
Editor-picked introductory articles for first-time readers. These three pieces give you the foundation to understand this category's discussions.
- 1
What Is a Small Concession
A Small Concession is a small-scale PPP/PFI project that leverages private-sector innovation to activate idle public real estate. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) established a dedicated platform in 2024. This guide covers definitions, eligible facilities, project methods, the three structural barriers, and how to get started.
- 2
Complete Guide to Small Concessions
A comprehensive guide to Small Concessions covering definitions, eligible facilities, project methods, nationwide cases, implementation process, the MLIT platform, subsidies, and market sounding. Designed for both local government officials and private-sector businesses.
- 3
Public Space Business Entry Guide
A practical guide for private-sector businesses considering entry into park cafés, closed school activation, and Small Concession projects. Covers how to find opportunities, consortium formation, writing proposals, and managing revenue after entry.
All Articles（24）
What Is a Small Concession
A Small Concession is a small-scale PPP/PFI project that leverages private-sector innovation to activate idle public real estate. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) established a dedicated platform in 2024. This guide covers definitions, eligible facilities, project methods, the three structural barriers, and how to get started.
Complete Guide to Small Concessions
A comprehensive guide to Small Concessions covering definitions, eligible facilities, project methods, nationwide cases, implementation process, the MLIT platform, subsidies, and market sounding. Designed for both local government officials and private-sector businesses.
Public Space Business Entry Guide
A practical guide for private-sector businesses considering entry into park cafés, closed school activation, and Small Concession projects. Covers how to find opportunities, consortium formation, writing proposals, and managing revenue after entry.
Small Concessions vs. Park-PFI
A guide for municipalities and private businesses: a comparative analysis of Small Concessions and Park-PFI. Covers target facilities, legal basis, project scale, project terms, recommendations by facility type, whether combination is possible, and a decision flowchart. 2026 edition.
Small Concession vs Park-PFI: Detailed Comparison
A detailed comparison of the legal basis, SPC structure, risk allocation, and financing for Small Concession and Park-PFI. Complements the A-9 selection guide with in-depth analysis for intermediate readers.
Small Concession Platform Guide
A complete guide to the Small Concession Platform established by MLIT in December 2024 — covering its purpose, 1,042 registered members, registration process, three core membership benefits, and practical tips for businesses, municipalities, and individuals.
Expert Dispatch Program Guide
A complete guide to the Small Concession Formation Support Program's expert dispatch mechanism — covering the 7 participating municipalities, scope of expert work, application process, the incorporated association adoption precedent (Ikeda Town), and preparation steps for future solicitations.
5 Steps to Small Concession
For municipal officials: A guide to the 5 phases of Small Concession project development (momentum-building → facility selection → feasibility study → project plan → solicitation and selection), including estimated timelines, tasks, and costs for each step.
Small Concession Private Entry Guide
For private operators: A practical guide to participating in Small Concession. Covers 3-route project discovery, the structural reasons why sounding participation raises selection rates (Kaiseizan Park incentive design), proposal evaluation scoring logic, and consortium design for SMEs and NPOs.
3 Types of Sounding: How to Choose
A guide to the three types of sounding (market sounding, pre-sounding, and trial sounding) used in public-private partnership projects: purpose, timing, procedures, and deliverables. An introductory guide for municipal officials.
Sounding Question Template
How to design and conduct market sounding for public-private partnerships. Includes an 8-item question template with design rationale, three sounding types, result publication methods, and consulting cost benchmarks.
How to Form a Consortium
A guide for private businesses: how to design a consortium that gets selected in Park-PFI and Small Concession solicitations. Covers five required functions, role-allocation patterns, how to choose a lead company, SPC vs. JV contract structures, and analysis of successful team compositions from case studies.
Small Concession Financing
A comprehensive guide to financing small concession projects: project finance from regional banks, crowdfunding (purchase-type, donation-type, and furusato nozei), social impact bonds (SIBs), and grants — including how to combine all four. A practical 2026 reference for NPOs, social welfare corporations, and SMEs entering public asset reuse.
Small Concession Subsidy Guide
A structured overview of subsidies and support mechanisms available for Small Concession projects — including the Leading PPP/PFI Support Program (up to 20 million yen), Social Capital Development Grants, Regional Revitalization Grants, Furusato Foundation, and the Cabinet Office PPP/PFI Advisor Dispatch — with practical application tips.
7 Small Concession Cases
For municipal officials: Structural analysis of 7 municipalities selected under the FY2026 Small Concession Formation Promotion Project. Methods, preconditions, and the design intent behind specialist selection for revitalizing historic townhouses, former schools, and former government buildings.
Anjo × Deloitte Tohmatsu
An analysis of the Small Concession case involving the former Kamiya residence (registered tangible cultural property) within the nationally designated historic site of Honshoji Temple in Anjo City, Aichi. This article examines the scheme design structure under dual legal constraints — historic site designation and cultural property registration — with Deloitte Tohmatsu serving as the expert advisor.
Manazuru Small Concession
Structural analysis of the small concession project between Manazuru Town, Kanagawa (population ~6,000) and ENJOYWORKS. As the first case adopted under MLIT's Small Concession Formation Promotion Program, examines the citizen-participatory workshops and operator development-oriented public tender design for the former Folklore Museum (former Tsuchiya Residence).
Kominka and Small Concessions
An analysis of why 4 of the 7 municipalities selected for Japan's Small Concession Formation Support Program are activating traditional townhouses (kominka). Covers case studies of Manazuru, Anjo, Himeji, and Nara, along with cultural property compatibility, renovation considerations, and revenue models for accommodation, dining, and cultural experiences.
Opening a Park Café: A Guide
A guide for private businesses: how to open a park café through Park-PFI (the Public Solicitation Management System). Covers business models, licensing requirements, solicitation procedures, financial projections (initial investment, revenue, profit), success factors, and common pitfalls. 2026 edition.
Idle Public Real Estate Strategy
A comprehensive overview of Japan's idle public real estate problem — 8,850 closed schools, aging public housing, vacant municipal offices, and disused recreation facilities — with activation strategies, available subsidies, and success factors for local governments.
Landscape Company Guide to Park-PFI Entry
A practical guide for landscape and greenery contractors entering the Park-PFI program. Covers how to leverage your strengths, build the right organizational structure, write a winning proposal, and manage operations — with the latest 2026 information.
Zero-Response Sounding Problem
Despite increasing adoption of sounding-type market surveys, zero-response outcomes and merely perfunctory participation are growing. This article analyzes five structural reasons private operators decline to participate and presents concrete design improvements at the sounding planning stage.
Hokkaido Small Concession
Hokkaido has the highest number of closed schools nationwide, making idle public facility utilization an urgent priority. Analysis of Ikeda Town × Area Craft Hokkaido's Small Concession case, Hokkaido's idle facility platform, and pioneering reuse cases (Koshimizu Town, Asahikawa City), with a Hokkaido-specific utilization strategy framework.
Small Concession Trends 2026
A look back at the first year of the Small Concession Platform (December 2024 – December 2025). Membership growth from 617 to 903 to 1,042, an interim report on expert dispatch to seven municipalities, institutional challenges, and the outlook for 2026 and beyond — written accessibly for newcomers.
Let's design the right public-private partnership for your municipality
From method selection to business design, tailored to your facility's prerequisites. Initial consultation is free.