Government supports for COVID-19 impacted businesses. Apply by 6 April 2021

• The City of Stavanger will distribute some NOK 35 million in additional COVID-19 related state funds, to the business sector in the municipality affected by infection control measures.‎
• Some NOK 30 million will be granted as direct compensation to local businesses.‎
• You need to apply in order to be granted funds. The application deadline is 6 April 2021. 

Government supports for COVID-19 impacted businesses

‎Throughout the pandemic, the City authorities have been concerned about the local business community, and we have implemented various measures to ease the economic fallout and to secure jobs. The fresh funds that will be distributed now, will be much needed funds for the part of the business community that is particularly affected by the pandemic.‎ 

‎– We encourage local businesses, that have been directly or indirectly affected by strict infection control measures, to apply. This goes in particular for companies that have had increased costs or losses as a result of infection control measures and shutdowns, and that for various reasons fall outside of other compensation schemes, says Mayor Kari Nessa Nordtun.‎ 

Distribution of funds
The funds are split into two categories; direct compensation to local businesses, and funds for joint initiatives to benefit the region and the City. The criteria were adopted by a City Council subcommittee 9 March 2021.

‎– The feedback from the business sector is that their biggest financial challenge is labour costs. Hence, most of the funds, in excess of NOK 30 Million, will be awarded as direct compensation. When assessing the applications, we will consoider a combination of how hard the business has been affected by the measures, local affiliation, and how many employees the business employs locally, says Anne Woie, the Economic Development and International Affairs Manager.

This support scheme aim primrily at businesses that have been required to close, haven been imposed a ban on licences or business hours. The scheme will also cover businesses that have been severely indirectly affected, e.g. by being a supplier to such businesses.‎

‎Grants to joint tourism initiatives in‎ the summer of 2021
‎‎The City of Stavanger also focuses on the need for a concerted effort to increase activity and marketing for tourism and the City centre, in the spring and summer of 2021.‎

The destination company, Region Stavanger, and the City Centre Association (STAS) will receive NOK 2.5 Million each, to see through such campaigns to the benefit of a larger community.‎ 

‎Apply by 6 April 
– We see severe liquidity challanges in the business sector, so we want to distribute the funds as rapidly as possible. We will facilitate to process the applications and payment of funds with speed, but at the same time we will ensure that there is a good process. I hope that anyone who is entitled for funds, shall seize the opportunity and apply, says Woie.‎

Who can apply for funds?‎ 

Local businesses that are particularly hard hit by local or national infection control measures can apply. This support scheme aim primrily at businesses that have been required to close, haven been imposed a ban on licences or business hours. Also, businesses that have been severely indirectly affected, e.g. by being a supplier to such businesses, can apply for support.‎

Other key criteria will be the number of person-years (FTEs), expenses related to restrictions, lack of compensation through other schemes, and local affiliation.‎

‎Up to NOK 200,000 may be granted per business.‎

‎The funds awarded are regarded as public support, and they must comply with European competition law under the ‎‎trifle support (de minimus) ‎‎regulations. To receive funds from the municipality, the business must have received less than 200,000 EUR in public over the past three financial years. It is the applicant’s responsibilty to monitor the total amount and to stay within this framework. Funds received through the general government COVID-19 compensation scheme, are exempt from being counted as trifle support.‎ 

‎Necessary information in the application process‎ 

When applying, you need to provide this information:

• ‎Your nine-digit Norwegan Organisasjonsnummer. (If you are part of a business group, you must also have the nine-digit Norwegain Organisasjonsnummer for that group.)
• Your four-digit NACE code. (Nomenclature statistique des activités économiques dans la Communauté européenne.)
• The number of person-years (FTRs) in the company.
• If you have received public support over the past three years, regarded as trifle support (de minimis) under European competion law, you must state this in the form (year, amount and support). If you have received funds through the government’s general COVID-19 compensation scheme, these grants are exempt from being calculated as trifle support; hence you do not need to list them in the application form.‎ 

Application

All applications for these funds, should be done through the Norwegian government’s ID-porten, at this URL. 

6 April 2021 is the deadline to apply.

The applications are prioritized according to criteria for allocating extraordinary government COVID-19 funds to the business community, approved by a City Council subcommittee (kommunalutvalget) 9 March 2021.

Applications will be assessed and processed by the Stavanger Economic Development and International Affairs Office. The City of Stavanger executive committee (formannskapet) decides on the distribution of the funds, in their meeting scheduled for April.‎

Contact‎ 

• ‎Adviser at the City of Stavanger Economic Development & International Affairs Office, Jonas Jørstad: ‎‎joj@stavanger.kommune.no‎‎ (Tel. 45854789.)‎
• Adviser at the City of Stavanger Economic Development & International Affairs Office, Britt Anita Warvik: britt.anita.warvik@​stavanger.kommune.no (Tel. 94150893.)