Who can get Business Cost Support? And what are the criteria? Applications now open

The applications for the sixth round of Business Cost Support opened this week.

Applications for the sixth round of Business Cost Support began on Tuesday 26 April and close on 31 May. The support period for the Business Cost Support VI is 1 December 2021–28 February 2022.

Who can get Business Cost Support? And what are the criteria? These were some of the questions answered at a joint information session held by Suomen Yrittäjät and the State Treasury at the start of April. You can watch a recording of that session here.

Business Cost Support VI is primarily aimed at the catering and hospitality sectors, the entertainment sector, and certain other sectors which have suffered as a result of milder restrictions. Business Cost Support is not limited to businesses of a certain size. If your business receives Closure Compensation, this will be deducted from your Business Cost Support.

A business that does not operate in a sector listed in the legislation can also receive Business Cost Support if it can show in its application that its operations suffered from official restrictions during the support period. Similarly, if a significant share of a business’s customer base was affected by official restrictions, it can apply for Business Cost Support. However, an official recommendation, such as to work from home, does not entitle a business to the Support.

When applying for Business Cost Support, the support period is compared to a period before the pandemic. In the case of new businesses, the comparison period is November 2021. Businesses must show a drop in turnover of 25%, and 75% of business turnover can be compensated.