Emergency corona funding ready for distribution, 103 million kroner allocated for Norwegian sport

This week, 6,450 sports players will receive more than NOK 100 million in corona emergency support from the Ministry of Culture.

The information was confirmed on Tuesday, after the Norwegian Lotteries and Foundations Authority processed the applications for the first of the Ministry of Culture’s three grant schemes for sports and volunteering in 2021.

A total of NOK 255 million will be distributed to 20,633 volunteers. The funds from the scheme from which money is now paid out are allocated to organizations that received VAT compensation last year.

The Norwegian Sports Confederation (NIF) applied for funding on behalf of sports. In total, NOK 103 million was granted. The largest single payment for sports of just over NOK 2.3 million goes to NIF, while the Norwegian Football Association will receive just over NOK 2.2 million.

Liquidity crisis

NIF President Berit Kjøll pointed out to news bureau NTB last month that sports have an urgent need for funding as a result of the problems created by the virus pandemic.

“There is a liquidity crisis for very many of our organizational members, sports teams, and special associations, so it is important that we get a supply of liquidity quickly, and it is just around the corner,” she said.

Minister of Culture and Equality Abid Raja (V) pointed out that the VAT compensation is considered free funds, and thus no reporting is required about how the funds paid out are used.

“This is important, especially now during the corona crisis where the organizations need funds for operations. I am glad that so many organizations have taken advantage of this opportunity and that the money can be paid out immediately,” he said.

Three schemes

The Ministry of Culture has established three subsidy schemes for sports and volunteering in 2021. In addition to the scheme aimed at actors who received VAT compensation in 2020, another half a billion has been set aside to compensate voluntary actors who have lost income or had increased costs associated with infection control measures.

The latter scheme has been criticized for not doing well enough, and recently the Minister of Culture announced that the scheme would be adjusted. A wider range of lost revenue will likely be covered.

The third scheme is aimed at canceled and held public events of national value. This includes national and international championships at the senior level and the winter’s canceled skiing World Cup events. A total of NOK 350 million has been set aside for these.

Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayFinance

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