ANZCCJ Offers Grants to JMEC 18 Entrants

TOKYO, September 27, 2011—The Australian and New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ANZCCJ) announced it will again offer a Grant and Fellowship(s) for the 2011-2012 Japan Market Expansion Competition (JMEC 18), with a total value of up to ¥800,000.

The ANZCCJ said one grant of ¥500,000 will be offered to a JMEC 18 Project Client, along with at least one fellowship for a JMEC 18 Participant, each worth ¥100,000. Up to three fellowships would be offered, depending on the number of eligible Participants. Winners will be selected by lottery in December for the fellowship(s) and in January for the grant.

To qualify for the grant, Project Clients must have a majority Australian or New Zealand ownership. The company can be already operating in, or seeking to enter, the Japanese market. Participants should be Australian or New Zealand citizens and members of the ANZCCJ by the time of the draw. Companies and individuals who meet these requirements and who have signed up for JMEC 18 will automatically be entered in the lottery draw.

ANZCCJ Acting Executive Director Timothy Beck said: "The ANZCCJ is delighted to once again be supporting JMEC in this capacity. It is great to see the work of the ANZCCJ Independent Business Sub-Committee, which started JMEC in 1993, continue and produce many satisfied Project Clients, as well as many enthused JMEC participants."

The ANZCCJ has awarded at least one fellowship to Participants each year since 2003 and provided a grant to a Project Client in 2006, 2009 and 2010.

A number of foreign chambers of commerce in Japan have helped JMEC grow to its current annual successful format.

About JMEC

JMEC is a not-for-profit organization sponsored by 16 foreign chambers of commerce in Japan. It sends up-and-coming executives and entrepreneurs (Participants) through a series of lectures and workshops presented by respected professionals. Participants sign a non-disclosure agreement and are put into teams that are matched with foreign companies (Project Clients) and an experienced mentor to research and compose a business plan for the Japanese market. At the end of the seven-month program, JMEC judges pick the three top teams and award them prizes.

JMEC Program Director Pierre Couret said: “In some cases JMEC Participants have actually later joined the company they wrote the business plan for and helped to execute it, adding further value to the Project Client’s investment.”

JMEC Benefits:

Project Clients

* Fresh perspectives—Project Clients receive a well-researched and innovative plan, unconstrained by in-house politics (about 50 to 100 pages, plus appendices).

* Cost efficient plan—Teams of five or six dedicated individuals spend about 1,600 hours researching and devising the client’s plan, which averages out to only ¥800/hour.

* Actionable Results—A survey of past Project Clients shows that two-thirds began implementing their business plan within six months of receipt, and all said they received results as expected or better.

Participants

* Hands-on business training—Including a lecture series about doing business in Japan, as well as a teamwork phase to write business plans for client companies.

* Professional Guidance—Knowledgeable and experienced mentors and consultants provide support and guidance to the JMEC teams.

* “Mini MBA”—Geared toward full-time working professionals who require practical knowledge and experience in a shorter time and at a lower cost compared to studying at a business school.

Costs

* Project Clients: ¥1.2 million

* Participants: ¥125,000

Deadlines

* Project Clients: November 18, 2011

* Participants: October 21, 2011

An early-bird rate of ¥990,000 (as compared to the full fee of ¥1.2 million) is given to Project Clients that are accepted and pay in-full by September 30, 2011.

For more information:

JMEC

Pierre Couret

JMEC Program Director

Email: info@jmec.gr.jp

Website: www.jmec.gr.jp

ANZCCJ

Timothy Beck

ANZCCJ Acting Executive Director

Website: www.anzccj.jp

Email: membership@anzccj.jp

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