MEBAS scheme extended to July 21st
The Music and Entertainment Business Support Scheme (MEBAS) announced by the government last month is a fund of €14 million to support workers in the live entertainment sector, affected by restrictions.
Businesses of musicians and singers of all genres are eligible along with sound engineers, lighting engineers, audio engineers, stage managers, stage technicians, sound and lighting equipment suppliers, live-streaming equipment suppliers and full-time DJs.
Applicants must be operating exclusively within live entertainment sector, which makes a lot of people ineligible, in fairness.
Today it was announced that the scheme has been extended til July 21st.
The new application deadline is 1pm on Friday 21st July.
More about the Scheme
This scheme is aimed at businesses whether sole traders, partnerships or incorporated entities operating exclusively within live entertainment sector. Businesses of musicians and singers of all genres are eligible as are sound engineers, lighting engineers, audio engineers, stage managers, stage technicians, sound and lighting equipment suppliers, live-streaming equipment suppliers and full-time Disk Jockeys.
Businesses that are not eligible for, and are not in receipt of other business supports such as the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) or the Small Business Assistance Scheme for Covid (SBASC) are eligible to apply.
- business must intend to resume trading in full once government restrictions are eased
- turnover of the business for 1 April 2020 – 31 March 2021 must be no more than 25% of the turnover of the business in the year for which accounts are submitted
- profits of the trade or trading activities of the business must be chargeable to tax under Case I of Schedule D
- businesses must not be operating from a rateable premises
- businesses must be tax compliant
Rates of payment
This scheme will see support offered by way of three levels of once-off, flat payments:
Strand A
€2,500 for businesses with a VAT-exclusive turnover of €20,000 – €50,000 with minimum business costs of €3,000 incurred from 1st April 2020 to 31st May 2021.
Strand B
€4,000 for businesses with a VAT-exclusive turnover of €50,001- €100,000 with minimum business costs of €6,000 from 1st April 2020 to 31st May 2021.
Strand C
€5,000 for businesses with VAT-exclusive turnover in excess of €100,000 with minimum business costs of €7,500 from 1st April 2020 to 31st May 2021.
Applications will be considered strictly by order of date and time of receipt by the department.
Please make sure you have read the Guidelines document have the necessary documents scanned and ready to upload before you begin your application.
