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Factsheet for measure CZ-2020-34/1315 – Updated – measures in Czechia

COVID-Culture programme: Support for companies and workers in arts and culture

COVID-Kultura

Country Czechia , applies nationwide
Time period Temporary, 18 August 2020 – 30 April 2021
Context COVID-19
Type Legislations or other statutory regulations
Category Supporting businesses to stay afloat
– Direct subsidies (full or partial)
Author Soňa Veverková (Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs) and Eurofound
Measure added 24 October 2020 (updated 19 January 2022)

Background information

The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, Ministerstvo průmyslu a obchodu České republiky, MPO in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, Ministerstvo kultury České republiky, MK prepared a subsidy programme COVID-Culture which supports businesses in the field of culture for vain expenditures incurred in connection with the organisation of cultural events and activities.

The first call of the programme was opened on 18 August 2020 and covered ex-post the vain expenditures on cultural events which had been cancelled or postponed in the period of 10 March 2020 to 31 August 2020. The total allocation of the first call was CZK 900,000,000 (€33,063,923).

The second call was opened on 22 October 2020 and covers the vain expenditures on cultural events which are cancelled or postponed in the period of 1 October 2020 to 20 November 2020. The total allocation of the second call is CZK 750,000,000 (€27,553,269).

Content of measure

In the first call, eligible for the support were all businesses (no matter if legal or natural persons) in culture and creative industry which were hit by government's anti-COVID-19 measures. The subsidy covered up to 50% of eligible expenses for moved or cancelled cultural events (rent, energy, wages, PR). The applicant could receive a maximum of CZK 5,000,000 million (€183,688).

The second call has two parts:

  • For business entities: the business entities in culture and creative industry can apply for the subsidy on vain expenditure incurred in a connection with the organisation of cultural events and the development of continuous cultural activities. The total amount of the support is 50% for eligible expenses for moved or cancelled cultural event or 80% of the eligible expenditures for those business entities whose continuous activity in culture has been restricted by government's anti-COVID-19 measures. The maximum amount of support is CZK 10,000,000 (€367,377). The business entity cannot claim expenditures that it has already claimed in the first call of this programme or in another grant or rescue program (COVID-Rent etc.).

  • For self-employed there is a one-time support for artistic and technical professions in the field of culture in the amount of CZK 60,000 (€2,204).

Updates

The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.

29 July 2021

Call 4 was published by MPO. Support was intended for business entities that have as their main and long-term activity the organization or provision of music, musical drama, dance, theater programs, the primary goal is to provide cultural services to the general public in the field of Performing Arts.

All above mentioned businesses whose turnover decreased by at least 50% in 2021 or 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 could apply for the subsidy in this call. The decisive period for 2021 is set from 1 May 2021 to 31 July 2021 in comparison with the same period in 2019.

15 June 2021

Call 3.4 was published by MPO. The support was focused on entities of publicly accessible immovable cultural monuments (castles, ruins, locks etc.), which proved a minimum annual attendance of 3,000 visitors in 2019, or (in cases of total closure in 2019 for more than three months) in any of the previous three years of operation of the given activity. The monument had to be in a different ownership than the state one.

The maximum amount of the subsidy per entity was CZK 4,000,000 (€ 160,000 approx.). The subsidy was provided for operating costs related to the operation of the cultural real estate in the form of a lump sum from the difference between tickets sold in 2019 for March, April, May, October, November and December and in 2020 for the same months. This difference will be multiplied by CZK 100 (€ 4 approx.). The subsidy may not exceed 80% of the average operating costs of the applicant related to the activity of operating a cultural real estate monument in 2020 per 6 months (March, April, May, October, November and December).

07 April 2021

Call 3.3 was published by MPO. Support was intended for business entities that have as their main and long-term activity the organization or provision of music, musical drama, dance, theater programs, etc. The max. amount for 1 subject was CZK 10,000,000 (€ 400,000 approx.).

05 February 2021

There are two new calls in COVID-Culture programme: call 3.1 for self-employed in culture (actors, acrobats, sound engineers, illuminators, painters, writers etc.) and call 3.2 for Audiovisual sector, both self-employed (audiovisual professions) and companies in audiovisual sector (e. g. cinemas).

3.1 call was opened 15 February 2021 with the deadline of 15 April 2021. The relevant period is from 1 February till 31 March 2021. It is a one-off support in the total amount of CZK 60,000 (€ 2,300 approx.) per person. The support applies to self-employed in culture only. Applicants´ active and inactive income in 2020 must have not exceed the amount of CZK 418,020 CZK (€16,025). The evaluation of application is realised by Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, Ministerstvo průmyslu a obchodu České republiky, MPO in cooperation with the [Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, Ministerstvo kultury České republiky, MK] (http://www.mkcr.cz).

Applicants in 3.2 call have to meet similar conditions as those in 3.1 call. The support for self-employed in this call is again CZK 60,000 (€2,300 approx.) per person, for the company up to max. CZK 5,000,000 (€191,681 approx.) - depends on the income lost. The call was opened 1 March 2021 with the deadline of 30 April 2021. The evaluation of application is realised by Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, Ministerstvo průmyslu a obchodu České republiky, MPO in cooperation with the Czech Film Fund, Státní fond kinematografie .

Use of measure

According Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic, Ministerstvo práce a sociálních věcí České republiky, MPSV , as of November 2021, in the second call of this programme, there were 5,320 supported subjects (out of 16,450 applications).

In call 3.1 there were 3,341 supported subjects out of 3,431 applications. In call 3.2, the statistics are not available yet.

In call 4,303 subjects out of 353 applications were supported.

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Self-employed
Solo-self-employed
Sector specific set of companies
One person or microenterprises
Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
National government
Companies
National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role Informed Informed
Form Not applicable Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • Social partners jointly
  • Main level of involvement: Sectoral or branch level

Involvement

Social partners, which are members of the tripartite body (Council of economic and social agreement, Rada hospodářské a sociální dohody, RHSD) were informed and consulted in both formal (requested by institutional settings) and informal ways. They are not involved in the management of policy measures.

Views and reactions

Supportive.

Sectors and occupations

    • Economic area Sector (NACE level 2)
      R - Arts, Entertainment And Recreation R90 Creative, arts and entertainment activities
      R91 Libraries, archives, museums and other cultural activities
      R93 Sports activities and amusement and recreation activities

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

  • 15 August 2020: MPO: COVID-Culture 1 call/MPO: COVID-Kultura 1. výzva (www.mpo.cz)
  • 15 October 2020: MPO: COVID-Culture 2 call/MPO: COVID-Kultura 2. výzva (www.mpo.cz)
  • 15 February 2021: MPO: COVID-Culture 3.2 call/MPO: COVID-Kultura výzva 3.2 (www.mpo.cz)
  • 02 March 2021: MPO: COVID-Culture 3.1 call/MPO: COVID-Kultura výzva 3.1 (www.mpo.cz)
  • 08 April 2021: MPO Covid-culture, 3.3 call/MPO Covid Kultura, 3.3 výzva (www.mpo.cz)
  • 27 July 2021: MPO: Covid-Culture, 3.4 call/MPO Covid Kultura, výzva 3.4
  • 29 July 2021: MPO: Covid-culture, call 4/MPO: Covid Kultura, 4. výzva (www.mpo.cz)

Citation

Eurofound (2020), COVID-Culture programme: Support for companies and workers in arts and culture, measure CZ-2020-34/1315 (measures in Czechia), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/CZ-2020-34_1315.html

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