Events Sector Covid Support Scheme: Phase 2 Guidelines

Applications for the ESCSS Phase 2 are now closed

Please read the following guidelines carefully before starting your application.

• applications are now invited for payment under this scheme
• this scheme will be open for applications from 1pm on Thursday 7 October 2021 to 1pm on 21 October 2021
• businesses may make only one application under this scheme and must choose one stream to apply under
• please note that recipients of ESCSS1 grants may also apply under this scheme

Due to the high volume of applications anticipated, it may not be possible to allocate funding to all eligible applicants. Applications will be considered strictly by order of date and time of receipt by the department.

Following the Events Sector Covid Support Scheme (ESCSS) which closed for applications at the end August 2021, ESCSS Phase 2 will open as a further targeted support for SME’s supplying services in the events sector which have been significantly negatively impacted by restrictions required to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grants will be paid to successful applicants as a contribution to the businesses costs.

To be eligible for this scheme the business must be ineligible for and not in receipt of support under the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) operated by Revenue.

Under this scheme, payment will be made on a once-off grant basis, as a contribution towards fixed costs to assist businesses that have seen significant reductions in their turnover due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This scheme will be open to those SMEs who provide services to the events industry including services to provide for the production of all forms of live performance, trade shows, including event promoters, event management, conference organisers, security, supply of sound, lighting and stage equipment. Businesses whether sole traders, partnerships or incorporated entities operating within the events sector and who are ineligible for CRSS may apply.

This scheme will have two funding streams:

• Stream A: Businesses providing services to the Arts and Culture sector
• Stream B: Businesses providing services in the broader Events sector

Business types eligible for funding under streams will include the following:

Stream A: Businesses providing services to the Arts and Culture sector

This stream applies to businesses operating in the arts sector as defined by the Arts Act 2003, that is:

Examples include:

• lighting/sound equipment services
• stage equipment services
• fencing equipment services
• security services
• health and safety services
• crowd management/stewarding services
• hygiene/cleaning services
• circus services
• catering for live events
• event management services
• event marketing and promotion services

Stream B: Businesses providing services in the broader Events sector

Examples include:

• conferencing services
• exhibition and trade show services
• catering for live events
• lighting/sound equipment services
• stage equipment services
• fencing equipment services
• security services
• health and safety services
• crowd management/stewarding services
• hygiene/cleaning services
• event management services
• event marketing and promotion services

The features of the scheme are as follows:

• applications will be accepted for companies with VAT-exclusive turnover of €150,000 and above for 2019. This must be verified using an Auditor’s Certificate/Letter signed by an Accountant. While your business may have turnover relating to other sectors, only turnover in relation to activity within the events sector will be considered relevant turnover for this scheme
• the Auditor’s Certificate/Letter signed by an Accountant must confirm which stream the application is for and confirm the company operates in the arts and culture or broader events sector
• support will be offered by way of a single once-off payment to the value of 5% of the VAT-exclusive turnover of the business, up to a maximum award of €25,000
• the business must be able to demonstrate that their average monthly turnover was no more than 25% of their average monthly turnover for 2019 for any consecutive three months during the period 1 April 2021 – 30 September 2021. This must be confirmed on the Auditor’s Certificate/Letter signed by an Accountant
• turnover eligible for this scheme can only be generated by activities in the State
• grants received under Phase 2 of the Small Business Assistance Support Scheme for Covid (SBASC) will be deducted from any ESCSS Phase 2 award
• businesses must intend to resume trading in full once government restrictions are eased and will be required to declare this when applying
• the business must be located in the State and the address of the business for tax purposes must be located wholly within a geographical region for which COVID-19 restrictions are in operation
• profits of the trade or trading activities of the business must be chargeable to tax under Case I or II of Schedule D
• payments under the scheme are taxable and a tax liability may arise when the business makes its annual tax returns
• businesses must have a current eTax Clearance Certificate from the Revenue Commissioners
• the scheme operates on a self-assessment basis. Businesses are required to retain evidence and documentation that supports the basis for making a claim under this scheme as this may be requested by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under future eligibility checks
• names, grant amount and county in which the beneficiary is located of successful grantees may be published on the department’s website
• the department reserves the right to audit a randomly selected sample of eligible applicants' accounts after the scheme has closed

Please note: A business can make a maximum of one application under this scheme, either stream A or B, but not under both streams.

The following businesses will not be eligible:

• businesses that are eligible for or in receipt of the Revenue Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS)
• businesses with VAT-exclusive turnover of less than €150,000
• businesses that do not intend to resume trading after COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted

Note: Businesses that have received grants under Phase 2 of the Small Business Assistance Scheme COVID-19 (SBASC) must declare this on their application. Amounts received under SBASC Phase 2 will be deducted from any grant approved under this scheme.

For established businesses with an accounting period or basis period ending on 31 December 2019, the relevant turnover amount will be based on the accounts made up to that date. For established businesses with an accounting period or basis period that does not end on 31 December 2019 (or a business with an accounting period or basis period that ends on that date but it is less than 12 months in length), the calculation of the relevant turnover amount of the business may generally be determined on a pro-rata basis, by apportioning the turnover of the business included in two more sets of accounts that cover the period 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019.

Due to the high volume of applications anticipated, it may not be possible to allocate funding to all eligible applicants. The department will consider applications strictly by order of date and time of receipt.

Support will be offered by way of a single once-off payment to the value of 5% of the VAT-exclusive turnover of the business, up to a maximum award of €25,000.

Timing of scheme

The Scheme will remain open until 1pm on Thursday 21 October 2021 or until the fund is gone, whichever occurs first.

Please note that it may not be possible to allocate funding to all eligible applicants. Applications will be considered strictly by order of date and time of receipt in the department.

Acknowledgment of funding

Businesses will be obliged to acknowledge the department's assistance in Annual Financial Statements for the year the grant is paid.

The information provided in this document is intended to give applicants an understanding of the process by which applications for assistance are assessed and approved and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.

Freedom of Information Act 2014

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2014, details contained in applications and supporting documents may, on request, be released to third parties. If there is information contained in your application which is sensitive or confidential in nature, please identify it and provide an explanation as to why it should not be disclosed. If a request to release sensitive information under the legislation is received, you will be consulted before a decision is made whether or not to release the information. However, in the absence of the identification of particular information as sensitive, it could be disclosed without any consultation with you.

Publication

Details of individual awards may be published on the department's website including the name of the grantee, county in which the beneficiary is located, and grant amount.

Data protection

For data protection in relation to the department, please see information at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/df3fe-data-protection-policy/

Disclaimer

The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media shall not be liable to the applicant or any other party for any loss, damage or costs of any nature resulting directly or indirectly from the application or its subject matter or the department’s rejection of the application for any reason.

The department, its servants or its agents shall not at any time in any circumstances be held responsible or liable for any matter connected with developing, planning, financing, building, operating, managing and/or administering individual projects or any matter connected with the part payment by the department of invoices submitted by grantees.

Further information may be requested

The department reserves the right to request further information from you in order to verify details in your application. In this regard, the department may undertake spot-checks.

Applications for the ESCSS Phase 2 are now closed

Applicants should ensure that their application form is completed in full and Auditor’s Certificate/Letter signed by an Accountant is submitted with the application. A confirmation email will issue detailing your application and your reference number.

To Note – Auditor’s Certificate/Letter signed by an Accountant must detail the following:

• Vat-Exclusive Turnover for 2019. While your business may have turnover relating to other sectors, only turnover in relation to activity within the events sector should be considered relevant turnover for this scheme
• indicate which Stream (A or B) the application is for
• confirmation that your average monthly turnover was no more than 25% of their average monthly turnover for 2019 for any consecutive three months during the period 1 April 2021 – 30 September 2021
• confirmation that the company operates in the Arts and Culture or broader events sector and that the declared turnover relates only to activity within the events sector
• • Confirmation that the applicant has not been in an undertaking in difficulty (has not entered insolvency proceedings) on or before 31 December 2019.

The above details must be noted on the Auditor’s Certificate/Letter signed by an Accountant in order for your application to be considered. All applications must include an Auditor’s Certificate/Letter signed by an Accountant. Accounts will not be accepted.

Applicants may save a draft version of their applications before they submit their final application form – but please note that drafts will not be considered. The onus is on the applicant to ensure their application has been submitted.

Submission of false or misleading information to the department at any stage is treated very seriously. Any business that does not comply with the terms and conditions of the ‘Events Sector Covid Support Scheme’ may have their grant withdrawn or be required to repay all or part of a grant and/or be barred from making applications for a period of time.

An appeal may be made by an applicant if the applicant considers that the process for reviewing their application was not adhered to.

The applicant must be in receipt of a decision email from the ESCSS team in order to make an appeal. An appeal must be made within 5 working days of the date on the decision email.

See further information on the ESCSS appeals process.

For all queries in relation to ESCSS please email: ESCSS@tcagsm.gov.ie

The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht Sports and Media (D/TCAGSM) confirms that it will respect the monitoring and reporting obligations laid down in section 4 of the Temporary Framework.

D/TCAGSM is the grant aiding Authority for the Scheme. The legal basis of the Scheme is the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 as amended by Statutory Instrument No. 403 of 29 September 2020. Grants are provided in accordance with the criteria set out above, subject to EU State Aid law.

Aid being provided towards this Scheme is subject to the provisions of the European Commission’s State Aid Temporary Framework as amended.

The Scheme will be operated under the EU’s COVID-19 Temporary Aid Framework (the ‘Temporary Framework’)*. To fall within the Temporary Framework its provisions must be complied with in all cases and in all respects in so far as they apply to State Aid for a particular applicant. While D/TCAGSM has a primary responsibility to comply with those requirements and other State Aid rules, compliance also depends on the co-operation of applicants, including their adherence to these Guidelines, their candour in making applications to us and, ultimately, their compliance with the terms and conditions attaching to the grant, if successful.

• A consolidated version of the Temporary Framework as of 28 January 2021 is available at: https://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/what_is_new/TF_informal_consolidated_version_as_amended_28_january_2021_en.pdf.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that it is aware of any amendments to the Temporary Framework and applicants are free (and encouraged) to take legal advice as appropriate on how State aid rules apply in their particular situation. Please note that it is a requirement of the Temporary Framework that the aid is granted no later than 31 December 2021 (subject to any extension by the EU Commission). Aid measures developed under the Temporary Framework is subject to the Standstill Obligation in compliance with Article 108(3) TFEU. This means that no aid can be granted or paid out before notification and approval by Commission.

Applicants will be required to provide details of grants already received under other Temporary Frameworks as part of the application process.