Entrepreneurs will receive a higher maximum allowance for fixed costs (TVL) in the first and second quarters of 2021. Also, in the first quarter, the cabinet will increase the maximum stock subsidy for closed retail from 200,000 euros to 300,000 euros. The cabinet allocates 375 million euros for this extension. This is what Minister Van ‘t Wout and State Secretary Keijzer of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK) are writing to the Lower House today.
The cabinet already increased the maximum allowance of the Contribution towards Fixed Expenses in January from EUR 90,000 to EUR 330,000 per quarter for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to EUR 400,000 for larger companies. Now the government has decided to further increase these amounts for the first two quarters of this year to 550,000 euros for SMEs and 600,000 euros for non-SMEs. Entrepreneurs will be reimbursed for 85% of their fixed costs if they suffer more than 30% loss of sales. In the first quarter, the stock subsidy for closed retail trade will be added to this. Thus, in total, SME entrepreneurs in the closed retail sector can receive up to 850,000 euros this quarter. For larger companies in the closed retail trade, this is up to €900,000. For agricultural and horticultural companies, the maximum fixed costs allowance is 225,000 euros and for fishing companies 270,000 euros. Stricter European rules apply to these sectors. As already announced in January, the Ministry of LNV is developing a scheme to give these sectors the same maximum support as the other sectors.
The widening of the European temporary state aid framework makes the increase in subsidies possible. The government has decided to use some of that extra space now.
Because there is a chance that in the second half of this year the crisis will not be completely over, the government wants to keep room within this state aid framework to provide support later.
Read the entire regulation on the national government website.