An assistance apparatus for assisting in manufacture of a packaging box shaped by sequentially folding a blank using a manufacturing apparatus, the assistance apparatus comprising: a storage unit that stores blank spec information relating to specs of the blank, folding spec information relating to folding specs on the manufacturing apparatus that folds the blank, and characteristic value information relating to a particular characteristic value of the blank in association with one another; wherein the particular characteristic value is a friction coefficient of the blank or is a value of a repelling force generated as a result of the blank repelling when the blank is pressed against a folding member (330, 331) of the manufacturing apparatus and is thereby caused to be folded; an input unit that receives an entry of input information including at least the blank spec information; a processing unit that accesses the storage unit, acquires the characteristic value information corresponding to the input information entered via the input unit, and determines whether or not a value of the acquired characteristic value information falls within a predetermined proper range; and a display unit that displays a result of the determination by the processing unit; wherein the storage unit stores a database storing the blank spec information, the folding spec information and the characteristic value information in association with one another; and the processing unit extracts from the database the characteristic value information corresponding to the input information entered via the input unit; wherein if the processing unit determines that the value of the characteristic value information extracted from the database does not fall within the predetermined proper range, the processing unit extracts a record in which specs are partly same as those in the input information and a value of the characteristic value information falls within the predetermined proper range, from the blank spec information and the folding spec information stored in the database, extracts spec information that is different from that in the input information from spec information included in the extracted record and causes the display unit to display the extracted spec information as spec change candidate information. a storage unit that stores blank spec information relating to specs of the blank, folding spec information relating to folding specs on the manufacturing apparatus that folds the blank, and characteristic value information relating to a particular characteristic value of the blank in association with one another; wherein the particular characteristic value is a friction coefficient of the blank or is a value of a repelling force generated as a result of the blank repelling when the blank is pressed against a folding member (330, 331) of the manufacturing apparatus and is thereby caused to be folded; an input unit that receives an entry of input information including at least the blank spec information; a processing unit that accesses the storage unit, acquires the characteristic value information corresponding to the input information entered via the input unit, and determines whether or not a value of the acquired characteristic value information falls within a predetermined proper range; and a display unit that displays a result of the determination by the processing unit; wherein the storage unit stores a database storing the blank spec information, the folding spec information and the characteristic value information in association with one another; and the processing unit extracts from the database the characteristic value information corresponding to the input information entered via the input unit; wherein if the processing unit determines that the value of the characteristic value information extracted from the database does not fall within the predetermined proper range, the processing unit extracts a record in which specs are partly same as those in the input information and a value of the characteristic value information falls within the predetermined proper range, from the blank spec information and the folding spec information stored in the database, extracts spec information that is different from that in the input information from spec information included in the extracted record and causes the display unit to display the extracted spec information as spec change candidate information.