Background information

This measure is for event organizers who have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The government introduced this scheme to provide a subsidy to offset the costs of putting on an event that is unable to take place due to COVID-19 restrictions. This scheme is intended to cover public events that take place during the period of July 1 2021 until December 31 2021, and take place entirely or partially in the Netherlands. The government has made €450 million available for this measure.

The scheme is attributed to the fact that prior to the COVID-19 crisis, event organizers would cover a pandemic risk by purchasing cancellation insurance. This option is no longer available as insurers have changed their cancelation policies. A direct consequence led to organizers no longer being able to afford to take the financial risk of cancellation.

Content of measure

The subsidy covers events scheduled between 1 July and December 31, 2021. If an event was planned for 1 July, it is possible to reschedule the event to a date between July 1 and 31 December 2021. A condition that is imposed for eligibility is that at least one previous edition of the event has already taken place.

Furthermore, a cancellation insurance with a pandemic cover must have taken out for the previous edition of the same event, either taking place wholly or partially in the Netherlands. In the case that the planned start date of the event was scheduled between July 10 and September 24, organisers are entitled to receive a 100% subsidy.

For events that started before July 10 or after September 24, organisers will receive the largest part (80%) of the costs incurred as a gift. The remaining 20% needs to be repaid.

For this remainder, organisers can take out a loan at 2% interest per year. Since the situation in the Netherlands remains uncertain and events get cancelled, the government has decided to adjust the scheme by elimination the 20% repayment.

This means that the government intends to keep increasing the subsidy proportion until it reaches 100% of the eligible costs. This subsidy is mainly aimed to cover payments to subcontractors and suppliers of the event. Consider, for example, the construction of stands, security and technical facilities and the costs to keep the event safe.

Use of measure

Not available.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Other businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	National funds

Social partners

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

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

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

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

Unknown.

Views and reactions

Unknown.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 19 March 2021: Tijdelijke regeling subsidie evenementen COVID-19 (www.tweedekamer.nl)
• 09 November 2021: Tijdelijke regeling subsidie evenementen COVID-19 (wetten.overheid.nl)
• 01 December 2021: Subsidieregeling Evenementen (www.rvo.nl)