AS part of a suite of supports for the live entertainment sector, an allocation of €14m was made available for the Music and Entertainment Business Assistance Scheme (MEBAS). The aim of this scheme is to make a contribution to the overheads of businesses, specifically musicians and related crew that have been significantly negatively affected by COVID-19 have not been able to perform or stage performances and do not qualify for other business supports.
The first round of the scheme, which is now closed for applications, awarded funding across three streams for businesses with turnover in excess of €20,000. The new scheme will provide grants for smaller businesses who did not have access to the original scheme by lowering the turnover threshold to €15,000.
The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, announced the opening date for the new strand of the MEBAS, and a further extension of the closing date for the MEBAS 1 scheme until September 30th
The Minister added: “I have had extensive and ongoing engagement with stakeholders in the music industry throughout the pandemic as I sought to deliver a range of supports for the sector. I have listened to their concerns around the turnover levels under MEBAS and am pleased to be in a position to extend the threshold to provide for smaller businesses. I am also pleased to announce that I will extend closing date for the MEBAS 1 scheme until September 30th.”
Under the scheme, self-employed businesses including musicians, singers, lighting and sound crew and audio equipment suppliers operating exclusively within the commercial live entertainment sector are eligible to apply. The application window for this round of the scheme will be from 12 August 2021 to 30 September 2021.
