What you need to find and prepare before applying (September 2020 – February 2021)

Applications must be confirmed by an authorised accountant or auditor before submission. You must therefore contact an accountant or auditor as soon as possible if you do not already have one.

The person signing the application must be registered with a key role in the Central Register of Legal Entities. Make any necessary changes as soon as possible if this has not been updated.

In the case of sole proprietorships (ENK), the following may submit an application on behalf of the enterprise:

  • owner/proprietor

In the case of other organisational forms, one of the following may submit an application on behalf of the enterprise:

  • general manager
  • chair of the board
  • controlling shipowner in a shipping partnership
  • partner with joint liability
  • partner with full liability
  • partner with unlimited liability in a limited partnership
  • Norwegian representative of a foreign entity

 The same rules apply when a group of companies submitsa joint application.

When you fill in the application form, you will be asked to state the enterprise’s turnover and costs.

For the periods November/December 2020 and January/February 2021, you can apply for compensation for lost stock if the authorities have commanded that you suspend your business operations. If you apply for compensation for lost stock, you will be asked to state how much this loss amounts to in NOK.

Before you start filling in the application form, you should find the following:

  • Figures for the period for which you are applying for a grant:
    • Fixed, unavoidable costs for the period for which you are seeking a grant
    • Turnover for the period for which you are seeking a grant
    • If you apply for compensation for lost stock, you will be asked to state how much this loss amounts to in NOK.
  • Figures for the comparative period:
    • Turnover for the corresponding period last year

If the enterprise was established less than a year before than the period for which a grant is sought, or had no turnover during the relevant comparative period, you must use the turnover for the calendar months January and February 2020 as the basis.

The figures for fixed unavoidable costs that we will ask for are as follows:

  • rental of commercial premises
  • lighting and heating
  • refuse collection, water, sewerage, cleaning, etc.
  • rental of equipment, fixtures and fittings, vehicles, etc.
  • accounting, audit fees, consultancy, etc.
  • electronic communication, postage, etc.
  • vehicle insurance and taxes
  • deductible subscriptions
  • insurance premiums
  • net interest expenses
  • any costs concerning animal husbandry, feed and veterinary expenses

The costs covered by the term “fixed unavoidable costs” are the same as for the first compensation scheme for businesses (March-August).

You can read more about fixed, unavoidable costs here.

You must also decide whether the costs in their entirety would qualify for a grant, or whether they need to be adjusted. For example, you can only enter the component of the cost that is attributable to the period for which you are applying for a grant. You must also exclude variable components of costs, such as the component of rent that is attributable to revenue.

The turnover figures we will ask for are as follows:

  1. actual turnover for the period for which you are applying for a grant
  2. other support received in connection with the pandemic for the period for which you are seeking a grant
  3. turnover for the corresponding period last year
  4. total turnover for January and February 2020 (applies to enterprises registered less than a year before the period for which a grant is sought)

By ‘turnover’, we mean income from sales of goods delivered and services provided by the enterprise during the period concerned, even if they have not been invoiced.

Turnover also includes income from government subsidy schemes as compensation for lost income, and income safeguards provided in connection with the coronavirus pandemic. Unspecified support from the Municipalities provided in line with the rules of de minimis aid are, however, not considered turnover.

You must only enter income that is taxable in Norway. Income or return on capital, property and other financial assets must not be included. Rental income from property must however be included. VAT and excise duties attributable to sales income are not considered to be income.

It is the turnover for the period for which you are seeking a grant, i.e. the value of goods delivered and services provided (including profit), which must be declared. This applies regardless of how the sales are treated in terms of accounting. For construction contracts, this means that the turnover must be accrued according to the ongoing settlement method with profit.

Application deadlines

How the application process works

  1. Check whether the enterprise is eligible to apply for grants
    In the application portal, we will help you to determine whether the enterprise is eligible to apply for grants by asking you a few questions.
  2. Find the necessary information
    Amongst other things, you will need to find the enterprise’s turnover figures and fixed, unavoidable costs.
  3. Send us the application
    You fill in and sign the application form. If your accountant or auditor fills in the application form on your behalf, you will receive the application for signing.
  4. Verification of the application
    An authorised accountant or auditor verifies the application.
  5. We will respond as soon as we can
    You will normally receive a response to the application immediately, but it may take a little longer in some cases. You will receive the response in the enterprise’s inbox in Altinn. If the application is approved, the funds will be deposited in the specified account within 2-3 working days.