A new €11.5 million Covid support scheme has been launched by Government to assist businesses in the events sector.
The Events Sector Covid Support Scheme (ESCSS) is targeted at SMEs in the sector that have been significantly affected by Covid-19 restrictions.
Under the scheme, a grant of up to €50,000 is available to certain applicants involved in concerts, sport events, cultural events, conferences or trade shows as a contribution to their fixed costs.
Launching the scheme, Minister for Culture, Arts, and Sport Catherine Martin said the events sector will “unfortunately will be one of the last to reopen”.
“It provides work for tens of thousands of people and is the lifeblood for many services and suppliers in villages, towns and cities throughout the country,” she said.
Ms Martin said the new scheme will open for applications on August 4th through her Department’s website.
Back on their feet
Tánaiste and Minister for Employment Leo Varadkar said the coronavirus is “unfortunately” one that “loves gatherings of people, whether that’s by doing the things we all love and miss – gigs, matches, cultural events, or gathering for business reasons such as conferences or trade shows.”
“Our vaccination programme is picking up and all adults are now able to register. There are brighter days ahead. Government will continue to help all businesses as they get back on their feet,” he said.
The scheme will be run by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and is being funded by a €11.5 million transfer from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
It is in addition to other supports put in place to help businesses and workers during the pandemic, including the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), the Music and Entertainment Business Assistance Scheme (MEBAS), the Small Business Assistance Scheme for COVID (SBASC), low-cost loans, the deferral and warehousing of tax liabilities and the waiver of commercial rates.
To be eligible for the new scheme, a business must have been ineligible for support under the CRSS operated by Revenue.
Guidelines for the scheme can be found at gov.ie/ESCSS and queries on the scheme can be emailed to ESCSS@tcagsm.gov.ie
