Can You Use Government Grants for VR Training and Construction Machinery Simulators? National and Hiroshima Prefecture Programs for FY2026

01Grants for VR Training and Simulators Are Divided into "Training Fees and Wages," "Equipment," and "Software"

The costs of introduction can be divided into the cost of the training itself, the cost of equipment, and the cost of software, and the programs to consider are different for each.

For the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's subsidies, you submit a training plan to the labour bureau before the training and apply for payment after it ends. The Small and Medium Enterprise Agency's subsidies are applied for during an open call and then reviewed; in the fourth round of the Digitalization and AI Introduction Subsidy 2026, 2,446 of the 5,398 applicants were selected (Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, announced October 7, 2026).

02The Human Resources Development Support Subsidy for Training Fees and Wages

The Human Resources Development Support Subsidy covers part of the training costs and part of the wages during training when an employer carries out job-related training for employees who are insured under employment insurance, according to a plan. The courses likely to be relevant to VR training and simulators are the two below and the Business Expansion and Reskilling Support Course described in Section 3.

Human Resources Development Course (Training of 10 Hours or More)

This course covers off-the-job training (OFF-JT, training conducted away from regular work) of 10 hours or more. Support for SMEs under the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's "Guide to the Human Resources Development Course (August 3, 2026 edition)" is as follows.

The wage requirement means raising the trainee's wages by 5% or more after the training (or by 3% or more through qualification allowances).

What you need to watch is which delivery method your VR training uses. The pamphlet divides delivery methods into "classroom," "synchronous two-way remote training," "e-learning," and "correspondence." E-learning (remote courses whose progress is tracked with a learning management system) is not eligible for the wage subsidy, and e-learning that a company runs itself is not eligible at all.

In addition, for in-house training that the company runs itself, the eligible costs are honoraria for external instructors, rental of venues and equipment, textbooks, and so on, and purchases of reusable PC software, PCs, and peripherals are not covered. If you buy a simulator and run in-house training, the subsidy cannot be used for the equipment itself, but wages during training may be covered if the requirements are met.

Construction Worker Skills Training Course for Construction Companies

This course is for construction employers who have their construction workers take practical skills training. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's leaflet lists special education, safety and health education, and instruction and practical training under the Industrial Safety and Health Act, preparatory courses for national skills tests, and more as eligible.

The cost subsidy is a certain percentage of the training costs (varying with the number of insured employees and other factors), capped at ¥100,000 per worker per training. The wage subsidy is for small and medium construction employers: ¥9,500 per worker per day if the company has 20 or fewer insured employees, and ¥8,550 if it has 21 or more. It is used for the costs and wages when workers take practical training such as special education.

03The "Equipment Investment Add-On" for the Cost of Introducing Equipment

A program that can also be used for equipment costs is the equipment investment add-on of the Business Expansion and Reskilling Support Course. When you carry out training needed for a new business or digital transformation (DX) and introduce equipment of the same type as that used in the training, an add-on is paid separately from the regular subsidy.

Under this course, SMEs receive 75% of costs (capped at ¥300,000 to ¥500,000 per person per training) and a wage subsidy of ¥1,000 per person per hour. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's pamphlet states that this course is a temporary measure until the end of FY2026 (March 2027).

For example, if two people take the training and the company introduces equipment costing ¥1 million, the add-on is up to ¥300,000. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's leaflet gives a construction industry example in which a company trains employees in drone operation and surveying in order to bring drones into its surveying work, and then introduces surveying drones.

Because PCs themselves are on the excluded list, for a simulator that runs on a PC you need to confirm how much of it is covered by the add-on. Also note that under the revision of August 3, 2026, e-learning training is limited to once per worker per fiscal year, and consult your labour bureau before drawing up a plan.

04Can Small and Medium Enterprise Agency Subsidies Be Used for Simulator Software and Equipment?

The programs that support purchases of equipment and software themselves are the subsidies of the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency and SMRJ. Neither of them, however, is designed for training.

Digitalization and AI Introduction Subsidy 2026

This is the successor to the former IT Introduction Subsidy, and only IT tools that have been reviewed and registered by the secretariat in advance are eligible. Under the Standard Track, purchases of software with business processes and cloud service fees are covered. You can check whether the software you are considering is registered with the "IT Tool Search" on the secretariat's website.

New Business Expansion and Manufacturing, Commerce and Services Subsidy

This subsidy started in FY2026. The Round 1 application guidelines state that, in the Innovative New Products and Services Track, projects that merely introduce machinery or systems without developing new products or services are not eligible. The New Business Expansion Track also requires entering a new market with a product that is new to the company. In addition, assets acquired with the subsidy must be used only for the new business described in the plan.

For this reason, a plan to introduce a simulator only for employee training is unlikely to fit the purpose of this subsidy. Whether the requirements are met is determined by the secretariat and the review.

05What to Decide Before Applying for a Grant for VR Training

With all of the programs above, the order is to submit a plan first and then carry out the training or place the order. Before applying, decide the following within your company.

Hiroshima Prefecture's "Subsidy for Supporting the Use of the Human Resources Development Support Subsidy" covers part of the fee paid to a labor and social security attorney or similar professional for applying under the Investment in People Promotion Course or the Business Expansion and Reskilling Support Course, at a rate of 4/5 up to ¥500,000. The company must have made the prefecture's "Reskilling Promotion Declaration," and must receive the prefecture's grant decision by the date it signs the contract with the attorney. The Human Resources Development Course is not covered. Note also that the prefecture's "Construction Industry Working Environment Improvement Subsidy," which subsidizes training fees and other costs for small and medium construction companies in the prefecture, closed applications for FY2026 on August 21, 2026.

06METATORE, a Construction Machinery Simulator for Training on a PC Screen or in VR

METATORE, developed by WAN, is a construction machinery simulator that reproduces construction sites with 3DCG and physics simulation. Trainees can repeatedly practice basic excavator operations such as traveling, swinging, digging, leveling, and slope shaping in a virtual space.

• Can be introduced on either a PC or a VR headset: You can use the PC screen for basic operation and VR for practicing depth perception (Causes of and Countermeasures for VR Sickness)
• Training with scenarios that include hazardous situations: You can set up situations that require attention on site, such as buried pipes, pedestrians, vehicles, and narrow roads
• Operation records for review: Operating time, stability of movements, timing of decisions, and more are recorded so you can check training results

Whether a program covers your costs must be confirmed with each program's office, but you can consult WAN about training content and equipment configuration.

07Summary: Check Grants for VR Training Separately for "Training Fees and Wages, Equipment, and Software"

The programs available for VR training and construction machinery simulators are divided by which costs they cover. Here is what companies considering introduction should do for each type of cost.

Training Fees and Wages: Confirm the Delivery Method for the Human Resources Development Support Subsidy

Training fees and wages during training may be covered by the Human Resources Development Support Subsidy. Construction companies can also use the Construction Worker Skills Training Course for practical training such as special education. Confirm with the labour bureau whether your VR training counts as classroom training or e-learning before submitting the training plan.

Equipment: Confirm the Requirements and Deadline of the Equipment Investment Add-On

Purchasing equipment for in-house training is not covered by most programs. The equipment investment add-on requires a business expansion or DX plan, wage increases, and the introduction of the same type of equipment, and it is a temporary measure until the end of FY2026.

Software: Confirm Registration and the Purpose of the Subsidy

The Digitalization and AI Introduction Subsidy covers only registered IT tools. The New Business Expansion and Manufacturing, Commerce and Services Subsidy is designed for new products and new businesses, so keep in mind that its purpose differs from introducing tools only for in-house training.

We recommend deciding three things before consulting the labour bureau and each subsidy secretariat: the delivery method of the training, the breakdown of the quote, and the date training will start.

Consultation

METATORE construction machinery simulator
A simulator for excavator operation training and safety education that includes hazardous situations, in a virtual space. It can be introduced on a PC or a VR headset, and you can consult us starting from training content and equipment configuration.

Talk to us about introducing METATORE