【Disclosure G】Call for Applications: Companies Seeking Individual Support for the FY2023 English Information Disclosure Support Program

This article was automatically translated.

We have launched an initiative to support companies listed on the Growth Standard facing challenges with English disclosure, funded by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government!

As part of our efforts to realize Tokyo as an international financial center, our organization has been implementing the English Disclosure Support Project (Project Name: Disclosure G: G stands for Green, Global, Governance) as a Tokyo Metropolitan Government-subsidized initiative since fiscal year 2021. We will continue this project in fiscal year 2023. We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting new applications for companies eligible for support under this project, as detailed below.

We will not only subsidize translation costs but also provide high-quality IR support initiatives, including advice and assistance for investor relations (IR) targeting overseas investors.

The project aims to promote the growth of listed companies through investment by overseas investors, support their advancement to markets like the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market, and ultimately contribute to realizing an international financial city by further invigorating emerging markets through increased capital inflows from abroad.

Under this program, IR support for companies' investor relations activities will be provided until the end of fiscal year 2023. This includes assistance with building equity stories, advice on preparing earnings-related disclosure materials and support for their English translation, and advice on communicating with overseas investors.

This initiative is sponsored by Japan Exchange Group, Inc. and Tokyo Stock Exchange, Inc.

We will also hold events for listed companies interested in English-language disclosure. Please see this page for details.

English Disclosure Support Program

Implementation Guidelines

FY2023 Implementation Guidelines

These guidelines comprise four parts: the "English Disclosure Support Program" Guidelines (Main Rules), the "Application Guidelines for the English Disclosure Support Program," the "Implementation Guidelines for Selecting Service Providers for the English Disclosure Support Program," and the "Implementation Guidelines for the English Disclosure Support Program." Please be sure to review these guidelines before applying for this support program.

Support Program Details

1. Equity Story Development Support
2. Advice on Preparing Financial Results Summaries and IR Presentation Materials, and Support for Their English Translation
3. Advice on Communication with Overseas Investors

In principle, the support programs listed in items 1 to 3 above will be implemented. However, the content of the support programs may be modified at the discretion of the IR support provider based on the circumstances of the selected business operator.

Applicant Requirements

Applicants must be corporations that meet all requirements listed in "Section 2: Applicant Requirements" of the "Recruitment Guidelines for the English Information Disclosure Support Program," including the following criteria. Support programs will be implemented for companies selected by the Selection Committee from among applicants meeting these requirements.

1. Already listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market or Standard Market.
2. Be within five years of its initial listing as of April 1, 2023.
3. The company must not have a parent company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market. Note: "Parent company" refers to the parent company as defined in Article 8, Paragraph 3 of the Ordinance on Terminology, Forms and Preparation Methods of Financial Statements, etc. (Ministry of Finance Ordinance No. 59 of 1963).
4. The company must have a head office, branch office, sales office, or other operational base in Tokyo.
5. The company must have an IR system capable of conducting IR activities for overseas investors, or have plans or intentions to establish such a system.
6. The company must be expanding its business overseas or have plans or intentions to do so.
7. The company must be actively engaged in ESG activities or have plans or intentions to do so.
8. Not having received English information disclosure support from this organization in previous fiscal years.

Number of Companies Selected

Approximately 15 companies are planned to be selected for fiscal year 2023. Note that applications will close once the expected number of selected companies is reached.

Program Application

Apply here

Reference: Program Explanation Video

Application Form Fields

• Company Information
• Contact Information
• Listing Information (Stock Code, Market Capitalization (based on closing price as of April 1, 2023), etc.)
• Information on Your Company's Disclosure and IR Activities (Business overview, current IR structure, management commitment to IR, status of English-language disclosures, current IR challenges, number of quarterly IR activities (meetings with individual investors, domestic/international institutional investors, and analysts), requirements for IR support, disclosure materials requiring English translation, ESG initiatives, status of overseas business expansion)

Sponsor

Japan Exchange Group, Inc.

Tokyo Stock Exchange, Inc.

Contact

"English Disclosure Support Project" Secretariat: disclosure.g@fincity.tokyo

*Important questions received regarding this project will be posted on this page as Q&A entries, including both the question and the answer.

Q&A

Q1. If I apply for the earliest Selection Committee schedule and am selected, when can I expect the support program to begin?

A1. To maximize the support period, we plan to hold the first selection committee meeting once we have received a sufficient number of applications from companies.

Q2. Are companies already disclosing their earnings releases and earnings explanation materials in English eligible for support?

A2. You would be eligible for support. However, we consider it important to understand how you wish to improve and strengthen your existing English disclosure efforts, such as further refining disclosure materials or expanding English disclosure documents. Please note that the application form includes a question field for "Disclosure materials for which you specifically request English translation support." If you wish to have English translations of disclosure materials other than the financial results brief and financial results briefing materials, we will consider providing support.

Q3. How will the actual support be provided? Will a dedicated person be assigned?

A3. As this is primarily individual support, we plan to assign a dedicated contact person to provide close support to each company. Transpacific Inc., the contractor for this project, will implement the support. The frequency and format of meetings will be determined in consultation with each company after selection.

Q4. I understand this support program was also implemented last year. What is the outlook for implementation next year and beyond?

A4. Implementation beyond next fiscal year is undecided. We recommend applying early if you are interested in this program. Please note this is a Tokyo Metropolitan Government subsidy program based on a single-year budget.

Q5. Are there any additional costs associated with receiving support?

A5. No additional costs will be incurred for support within the scope outlined in the implementation guidelines. Applicants must specify the disclosure materials they wish to receive support for on the application form. The specific support content will be determined through consultation after selection.

Q6. What factors are emphasized during the selection review?

A6. Support recipients will be selected based on a comprehensive evaluation of the application form and interviews. In addition to management commitment, attitudes toward overseas expansion are also considered important perspectives for conducting overseas IR. Therefore, we ask that you describe these points as concretely as possible in the application form and discuss your plans and enthusiasm for IR during the interview.