Apply now: COVID-19 grants and subsidies

COVID-19 grants for artists and professionals in the culture and creative sectors

These working grants are intended for professional artists and professionals in the culture and creative sector whose work and livelihoods have been reduced or ceased altogether due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

These grants are intended for the applicant’s own work or for the resumption of creative work and activities in a situation where the applicant has lost work opportunities or been prevented from practicing his or her profession. The grant can be used, for example, to maintain professional skills, to plan resumption activities, for practicing, for artistic or creative work, or for activities that support these.

This support is not available to applicants
– who are working during the same period on a state artist grant or other working grant awarded by Taike for a period of at least four months
– who have received a supplementary state artist pension
– who have a full-time, monthly paid job.

The amount of each grant is 6000 euros, which is intended to support three months of work during the period 1.9.–31.12.2021.

The grant recipient may select the working months within this period.

Other paid employment during the grant period is permitted. As a general rule, an unemployment allowance or labour market subsidy is not paid during the grant period. Grant recipients should check with the payer of such benefits (unemployment fund or Kela).

Grants awarded for artistic activities are tax free. (Income Tax Act, Section 82).

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COVID-19 subsidies for private traders and sole proprietors in the art, cultural and creative sectors

These operating subsidies are intended for private traders and sole proprietors in the art, cultural and creative sectors whose work and livelihoods have been reduced or ceased altogether due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These subsidies may also be awarded to technical or production entrepreneurs within the creative industries ecosystem. These subsidies may be awarded to any form of company: private traders, limited partnerships, limited liability companies or cooperatives.

These subsidies are intended for the following types of self-employed entrepreneurs:

1) Private traders, also those with paid staff.

2) Sole proprietors regardless of company form. A sole proprietor is an economic operator who does not have paid staff at the time of application.

Other types of entrepreneurs and companies may apply for support from the Ministry of Education and Culture that is intended for the professional operations of legal communities, such as associations, foundations, cooperatives, limited liability companies, limited partnerships and general partnerships. The community must have paid staff and the community’s operations must, as a general rule, involve professional cultural activities.

Applicants must have a valid Business ID.

Submit just one application: either as a private person (Taike’s COVID-19 grants for artists and professionals in the culture and creative sectors) or as an entrepreneur (this call for applications).

These subsidies are intended to cover the costs of the entrepreneur’s own operations or for the resumption of operations during 2021 in a situation where normal operations have been disrupted or prevented altogether due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When evaluating the need for support, any other forms of COVID-19 support that may have been awarded previously shall be taken into consideration.

These subsidies represent de minimis aid in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No 1407/2013. According to the EU regulation, a company may receive de minimis aid of up to EUR 200,000 during the current and the previous two tax years. The company itself must monitor the amount of de minimis aid received and declare it when applying for new aid, so that the total amount of de minimis aid awarded by different authorities does not exceed the maximum permissible aid during the current and the previous two tax years.

The amount of each subsidy is 8000 or 12,000 euros, depending on the costs and scope of operations. The support may be used to cover costs generated in 2021. The support must be used by 31.12.2021. Subsidies awarded to private traders and sole proprietors are taxable income.

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