What Is the Platform
An inter-sector information and matching hub established by MLIT in December 2024 to support the dissemination of Small Concessions and the activation of idle public real estate
Small Concession Platform registrations (as of August 27, 2026)
1,547
606 private companies, 479 individuals, 365 municipalities
Membership registration fee
Free
Open to anyone regardless of organizational type or size
Membership applications through the official form
Ongoing
Check registration conditions on the official page
The Small Concession Platform is an inter-sector information-sharing and matching hub that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) established in December 2024.
It was created to address the three structural barriers to Small Concession adoption — the image barrier, the partner barrier, and the commercialization barrier — by providing three integrated functions: information sharing, public-private matching, and project formation support.
Membership is completely free. Local governments, private businesses, NPOs, incorporated associations, individuals, financial institutions, and universities are all eligible to join, regardless of organizational type. The official website ( https://www.mlit.go.jp/smcn/（外部サイト、新しいタブで開きます） ) continuously publishes case studies, event information, and policy documents.
Why Did MLIT Create This Platform
Until now, PPP/PFI information was scattered across multiple ministries and municipalities, making it extremely time-consuming for private businesses to track down project opportunities. At the same time, municipalities had limited means of identifying which private businesses existed or what conditions would attract their participation.
Additionally, Small Concessions themselves emerged as a new national policy priority in 2024, making it urgent to build awareness among both public and private-sector actors. The platform was deliberately designed as a "hub" to address all of these challenges simultaneously.
Within MLIT's promotion strategy, the platform-based "matching" and "project formation support" functions are designated as two of the four core strategic priorities — underscoring their policy significance.
Membership and Composition
1,547 registrations as of August 27, 2026: 606 private companies, 479 individuals, 365 municipalities, 50 financial institutions, 25 government agencies, 22 universities
MLIT publishes the number of registrations by member category.
The Published Registration Status
| Date | Registrations | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| August 27, 2026 | 1,547 | The most recent published list |
No time series is published. MLIT publishes the registration status as it stands on a given date, nothing more. To follow the growth, you would have to keep your own copies of earlier lists.
Membership Breakdown (as of August 27, 2026)
Registrations total 1,547. The composition by member category is as follows.
| Category | Registered | Who appears on the published list |
|---|---|---|
| Private companies (excluding financial institutions) | 606 | Consulting, construction, real estate, community development |
| Individuals | 479 | Not listed (individual members are not published) |
| Prefectures and municipalities | 365 | Departments of cities, towns, villages and prefectures |
| Financial institutions | 50 | Regional banks, credit unions, Okinawa Development Finance Corporation |
| Government agencies | 25 | MLIT, Cabinet Secretariat, Cabinet Office, MAFF, Agency for Cultural Affairs, Children and Families Agency |
| Universities / research institutions | 22 | Researchers in architecture, urban planning, public-private partnership and real estate |
| Total | 1,547 | 872 of these are published by name |
These figures come from the summary table on the first page of the list. Inside the same PDF, the per-category pages carry different counts in their headers (587 private companies, 355 prefectures and municipalities, 23 universities and research institutions).
Two aspects of the composition are particularly noteworthy.
Private businesses and municipalities have similar participation shares. The platform offers dialogue and matching opportunities alongside information sharing.
Second, individuals are the second-largest category, 479 of the 1,547 registrations. Traditionally, PPP/PFI transactions have been institution-to-institution affairs. The "small-scale" nature of Small Concessions, however, opens the door for individual proprietors, freelancers, and newcomers to rural areas to participate — and the platform's composition reflects this design intent.
How to Register
Microsoft Forms entry, approximately 5 minutes, no screening process, free for anyone regardless of organizational type
Registration is requested by filling out a form on the official membership registration page via a Microsoft Forms application.
Registration is open on an ongoing basis — there is no deadline.
Main Fields in the Registration Form
- Organization name (or individual name)
- Prefecture
- Category (private business / municipality / government agency / university / financial institution / individual)
- Main activities and business description
- How you became interested in Small Concessions
- Contact email address
Personal information is managed in accordance with MLIT's privacy policy. As registration details may be used for member matching and networking purposes, providing specific and substantive descriptions of your activities increases the likelihood of relevant contacts.
Three Membership Benefits
① Information from the secretariat ② Joining a working group ③ Visibility on the platform website
Membership delivers value through three primary channels.
Benefit 1: Regular Policy and Seminar Alerts
The most immediate benefit is receiving up-to-date Small Concession information directly from MLIT.
| Type of Information | Content |
|---|---|
| Seminars and events | MLIT-hosted webinars, regional symposia, site visits to advanced cases |
| Government support announcements | New grant and subsidy solicitations; regulatory updates |
| Case study information | Profiles of advanced cases nationally; invitations to outcomes presentations |
| Expert solicitation notices | Notifications when Small Concession Formation Support Program applications open |
The highest-value alert is early notification of expert solicitation openings. For programs like the 2025 FY solicitation (Group 1 deadline: April 23, 2025), where the window between application opening and deadline is only about three weeks, receiving platform notifications is effectively a prerequisite for participation.
Even for members who sign up purely for information collection, the value is substantial. Direct distribution from MLIT means faster, more accurate information than is available through secondary or tertiary sources.
Benefit 2: Joining a Working Group
Four working groups have been set up as venues for members to share problems and consider solutions: an awareness WG (example theme: mutual understanding between government and the private sector), a human resources and organisation WG (training and organisational design on both sides), a project method WG (research and analysis of Small Concession cases), and a financing WG (research on funding methods including subsidies). Participation is by request, members may join more than one, and meetings are held online. FY2026 runs them as two combined WGs, "awareness plus human resources and organisation" and "project method plus financing." The first round is 2 October 2026, 14:00-16:00, and 6 October 2026, 10:00-12:00; applications close at 18:00 on 25 September 2026. A second round is stated as planned for December.Note that the member benefits page marks participation in the working groups as "in preparation." The WG page does carry an application form, so check which notice is the more recent before applying.
Unlike standalone seminars, a WG runs over several sessions, so relationships carry on. It is also a place to look for partners for a consortium, where several operators respond to one solicitation together.
Benefit 3: Visibility on the Platform's Website
Appearing on the official MLIT website makes an organisation easier to find.
Members can publicize their activities, events, and case studies on the platform website, putting messages like "we have experience activating facilities like this" or "we can support municipalities with this type of challenge" in front of the other members registered there. The organisational member list carries 606 private companies and similar bodies as of 27 August 2026.
For private businesses in particular, being listed on an official government platform functions as a credibility signal. Since municipal staff searching for potential operators are likely to consult the platform, project pipeline visibility increases substantially.
Practical Tips
Specific use strategies for private operators, municipal officers, and individuals
Unit costs and amounts in financial examples without a cited source are illustrative assumptions, not statistically established market rates. Use estimates and comparable records appropriate to the target facility, location and business when preparing a project plan. Distinguish these assumptions from cited statistics and case expenditure.
Below are tailored recommendations for getting the most out of the platform by member type.
For Private Businesses, NPOs, and Incorporated Associations
Enriching your registration profile is the first priority. Rather than generic descriptions like "architectural design firm" or "community development consultant," provide specifics: "Two projects converting closed schools into accommodation facilities (Fukushima and Yamagata prefectures)" or "Expertise in financial modeling and subsidy strategy for traditional townhouse café projects." The more concrete your description, the more easily municipal staff with matching needs will find you.
Applying for the expert solicitation is also worth serious consideration. The Small Concession Formation Support Program is compensated work (contract-for-services), with a precedent of up to 20 million yen in comparable programs. An incorporated association has already been selected (Area Craft Hokkaido for the Ikeda Town project), confirming that the field is not the exclusive domain of major consulting firms. For full details, see "Small Concession Expert Dispatch Program."
Using the platform for consortium formation is another way to use it. An architectural firm partnering with a business planning consultant, or a regional operator teaming up with a communications agency, can use the platform to find partners who complement their capabilities — combinations that would be difficult to assemble without a centralized meeting point.
For Municipal Staff
Peer information exchange with other municipal staff is among the platform's highest-value offerings for public-sector members. Practical questions — "how are other municipalities handling a facility like this?" — are often answered more usefully by a counterpart in a comparable municipality than by any consultant report.
Researching private operators is another practical use case. Before finalizing a solicitation, use the platform to identify businesses with track records in similar projects, then compile a list of candidates for pre-solicitation market sounding.
When proposing activation projects to elected officials or senior leadership, the fact that "the national government's platform carries 365 registrations from prefectures and municipalities" is useful supporting evidence that Small Concessions represent a policy-backed initiative rather than a passing trend.
For Individuals and Researchers
For researchers and students, the platform functions as a window into live policy formation dynamics. Practical, ground-level information about the challenges of Small Concession implementation and the realities of public-private matching — information not readily available in academic literature or government reports — is regularly shared in the forums.
For individuals considering relocation to rural areas, the platform can serve as a pathway to projects and opportunities in local communities. The possibility of participating in traditional townhouse or closed school activation projects may open through connections made on the platform.
Contact Information
Inquiries about the platform can be directed to the following:
- Division: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, General Policy Bureau, Social Capital Development Policy Division
- Phone: +81-3-5253-8111 (ext. 26522, 26532, 24226)
- Direct: +81-3-5253-8981
- Email: hqt-smcn_keisei@gxb.mlit.go.jp
Check membership conditions and available information on the official website. When considering participation, review cases and calls relevant to your business.
The Small Concession Platform is still a relatively new initiative, approximately one year since its establishment. Membership, content, and matching functionality will continue to grow over time. Rather than deferring registration, joining now and receiving a continuous stream of information positions you to learn about project opportunities earlier than those who wait.
Membership is free and provides case studies and call information that can inform decisions about participation.
Small Concession Expert Dispatch Program
Seven municipalities, selected experts, the incorporated association precedent (Ikeda Town), and preparation steps for future solicitations
The Complete Guide to Small Concessions
A pillar page covering definitions, facility types, the five-phase process, and available subsidies
What to do next
When considering reuse of idle facilities, examine their condition, local demand and operator interest.
| # | What to check or consider | Responsible team or contact |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Review idle facilities and local demand. Compare building condition and location with uses needed in the area | Asset management team |
| 2 | Check seismic assessment and asbestos survey results for candidate facilities. If surveys are missing, determine their scope and how to commission them | Facilities team |
| 3 | Use MLIT's platform to gather information. Membership is free and provides case studies and notices about grants and expert dispatch calls | Official platform website |
| 4 | Ask operators about their interest and requirements. If a standalone project is difficult, consider cooperation with neighbouring municipalities | Market sounding and neighbouring municipalities |
| 5 | Compare operating rights, leasing and designated management in light of operator feedback. Choose a method suited to the facility's use, finances and public-private responsibilities | Responsible department and asset management team |
Platform membership provides access to information about expert dispatch and grant calls. Before applying, check eligibility, available support and deadlines in the call documents.
References
Small Concession Platform (Official Website) — Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (2024)
Small Concession Platform — Membership Registration — Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (2024)
Small Concession Promotion Strategy — Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism — General Policy Bureau (2024)
PPP/PFI Promotion Action Plan — Cabinet Office — Private Finance Unit (2024)
