Aichi Prefecture × eiicon: Recruiting Co-creation Partners from 5 Municipalities for "Sutamachi" Project – Aiming for Regional Implementation Beyond PoC

Aichi Prefecture and eiicon Co., Ltd. (headquarters: Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Ayuko Nakamura), which operates "AUBA," one of Japan's largest open innovation platforms, have begun recruiting startups and other participants for the 2026 edition of the "Sutamachi ~Startups and Local Governments Tackle Future City Planning~" project. This project aims for co-creation between startups and local governments to solve regional issues and create new businesses.

The project is themed "regional implementation that doesn't end with PoC (proof of concept)," promoting co-creation with a view to social implementation and sustainable commercialization in the region. In addition to building networks with local governments, regional companies, and support organizations, the project will advance co-creation initiatives through demonstration support grants of up to 10 million yen per project.

This year, five municipalities are participating: Toyokawa City, Konan City, Chita City, Ama City, and Minamichita Town.

The project is recruiting partners to tackle real regional challenges faced by each municipality, such as revitalizing shopping districts, engaging young people in community development, monitoring the elderly, preserving traditions, and promoting tourism.

Aichi Prefecture × eiicon "Sutamachi ~Startups and Local Governments Tackle Future City Planning~"

■Participating Municipalities and Themes

Toyokawa City: From worship to vibrancy. Creating a "vibrant shopping district" that people enjoy, spend money in, and want to visit again.

Konan City: Co-creative community development through continuous citizen participation by young and working generations.

Chita City: Building a safe community where the entire region supports the elderly, towards sustainable monitoring.

Ama City: Cultural inheritance and regional value creation centered on the Ama City Shippo Art Village.

Minamichita Town: "Towards a town people want to stay in" – enhancing regional appeal and expanding consumption through accommodation.

■How to Apply

Please check the program details, recruitment themes, and eligibility requirements on the application page below.

Application Page URL: https://aichi.eiicon.net/aichi-sutamachi2026/

・Application Period: June 2, 2026 – July 14, 2026

　(Feedback Application Deadline: June 19, 2026)

　*If you apply by the feedback deadline, the secretariat will provide feedback on your application upon request.

・Main Eligibility Requirements:

Must meet the following conditions. Applications from non-startup companies alone or individuals are not accepted.

[For Startup Solo Entry]
・Must be a STATION Ai member (startup) (or if a matching meeting with a local government is decided, must complete membership application by Friday, July 31).
・Must have a product or technology and be able to work on commercializing the idea.

[For Joint Entry by Multiple Companies]
・Must include at least one startup that meets the above requirements, and the startup must be the primary entity executing the project.

*Please be sure to check the application page and terms for details.

■Government Pitch Event

As the kickoff for the 2026 project, a "Government Pitch Event" will be held where the five municipalities will present their regional issues and co-creation needs.

■Government Pitch Event Overview

・Date & Time: Tuesday, June 16, 2026, 13:15-16:00

・Format: In-person / Online (Hybrid)

・Venue: STATION Ai 1F Event Space, 1-2-32 Tsurumai, Showa-ku, Nagoya City (6 min walk from Tsurumai Station on JR Chuo Main Line, 2 stops from Nagoya Station)

・Fee: Free

・Schedule:

　13:15 Opening (Opening Address: Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura)

　13:30 Panel Discussion

　14:15 Government Pitch

　15:05 Closing & Networking

Target Audience:

・Startups interested in collaborating with Aichi Prefecture municipalities

・Startups wanting to develop new services/products with local governments

・Startups seriously aiming for social implementation and commercialization using regional networks and demonstration support funds

・Companies interested in solving community development issues and having potential co-creation partners among startups

Registration:

Please register via the URL below. Deadline: Monday, June 15, 12:00 PM.

https://stamachi2026gp.peatix.com

□Future Schedule (Tentative)

June 2, 2026: Program entry begins (this press release)

June 16, 2026: Government Pitch Event

June 19, 2026: Feedback application deadline

July 14, 2026: Application deadline

Late July 2026: Selection of companies for matching interviews

Early August 2026: Matching interviews

Late August 2026: Notification of matching results

Late August 2026 onwards: Business plan formulation and refinement

Late September 2026: Demonstration plan review

October 2026 onwards: Start of demonstration experiments

March 2027: Results report meeting

*Schedule may change depending on project progress.

*Please check the application page for detailed schedule and notes.

https://aichi.eiicon.net/aichi-sutamachi2026/

■Inquiries

Secretariat (Operated by eiicon Co., Ltd., Contact: Oki, Kikuchi)

Mail: aichi-sutamachi(@)eiicon.net (Replace (@) with @, include "Aichi Prefecture Sutamachi Project Inquiry" in subject)

Reference: Last year's articles

https://tomoruba.eiicon.net/articles/5143

https://tomoruba.eiicon.net/articles/5622

■eiicon Company Profile https://corp.eiicon.net/

Company Name: eiicon Co., Ltd.

Representative: President & CEO Ayuko Nakamura

Established: April 3, 2023

Head Office: Toranomon 36 Mori Building 2F, 3-4-7 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo (Relocated to this address from April 1, 2026)

Tokai Branch: Inside STATION Ai, 1-2-32 Tsurumai, Showa-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture

Shizuoka Base: Inside FUSE, Zaza City Hamamatsu Chuo-kan B1F, 100-1 Kajimachi, Chuo-ku, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture

Kanagawa Base (WeWork)