The city of Nice is launching a communication campaign in support of local merchants hit hard by the Covid19 crisis.
Tag: SMEs
Angers – supporting local commerce
A new online platform, officially launched during the lockdown, aims support local businesses through this crisis and beyond, by providing them with a more traditional and local version of Amazon. With 120 businesses already signed up, 200 waiting in the wings, and 20,000 products already available, it has already proved a success. Read more here
Contact: Bruno Gourdon
London – Restarting
Transport for London, working closely with the Mayor, has put together a plan to ‘re-open carefully, safely and sustainably’. This includes gradually increasing the frequency of services on public transport routes, easing pressure on public transport by creating more space for walking and cycling, and providing specific briefings for businesses. Read more here
Contact: Ian Catlow
Nice – Pact for jobs
With a pact for employment the city of Nice, France, wants to support the economic recovery after the corona pandemic. Mayor Christian Estrosi met with representatives of the state and the local economic community on Friday to launch the initiative. He announced to allocate an additional budget of €3.5 million.
Continue reading “Nice – Pact for jobs”Nice – Investing in local businesses
Over 2,500 Small businesses in Nice have benefited from support for rent payments via a scheme of the metropole Nice Côte d’Azur. This measure has just been extended to the tourist accommodation and culture sectors. Read more here
Contact: Jérôme Sieurin
Nice – Health Confidence Label
To support the restart of the local economy, the city of Nice has introduced the ‘Label Confiance Sanitaire’, a health confidence label. Shops and other businesses can use the label to show that they comply with the health safety rules following the corona pandemic. The label is based on a charter of commitment and shall reassure customers that shopping is safe here. You can read more here (in French)
Contact: Jérôme Sieurin
Guimaraes – Clarification for businesses
The Municipality of Guimaraes held the first in a planned series of video conferences to explain and receive feedback on measures taken to support businesses. Read more here
Lisbon – Overview of cultural measures
Lisbon City Council has taken a range of extraordinary measures to protect culture. These include €200,000 in immediate support to the city’s Fado houses, as well as exemptions on rent payments for both cultural institutions and individual artists operating in municipal spaces. Read more here
Contact: Jose Pedro Gonçalves
Katowice – Remote services database
Katowice City Hall has created an online database of those companies that can offer online services, such as fitness classes or offering financial and legal advice. Read more here
Contact: Judyta Etmanska
Cologne – Innovation database
The city of Cologne has created a database of best practices from local companies that have found innovative and creative solutions to deal with the present circumstances. This includes, for example, digital window-shopping or selling vouchers for favourite individual stores or pubs around the corner. Read more here
Contact: Uwe Korch
Katowice – Business and NGO assistance packages
A new package of measures, worth 25 million PLN, exempts businesses from things like property tax, rubbish collection charges and rent in municipal buildings. Similar measures are being put in place for NGOs, as well as offering additional assistance for activities to control the coronavirus, and co-financing options for some labour costs. Read more here and here
Contact: Judyta Etmanska
Cardiff – Financial rescue package
Cardiff Council has now distributed nearly £50m to Cardiff businesses in grant aid as part of the on-going COVID-19 financial rescue package. The city council is contacting business eligible to receive the grants offered in the support package, which covers almost all types of business. Read more here
Contact: Beverley Watson
Nantes – Ensuring delivery of fresh products
Nantes Metropole created an online market for local producers and small shops and businesses called ‘Place du Marché en ligne’. Open air markets are closed, but they accommodate their consumers through a drive-in system: clients place their orders by phone or email and collect it at a specific day and time. The French mail service is also looking into using their vehicles to deliver food in addition to packages, while the start-up Les coursiers nantais is delivering food by bike all around the city. Read more here and here (in French)
Contact: Nicolas Joffraud
Brest – Staying with locals
Brest metropolis and its local partners have created a support system to sustain the local economy. This system relies on several actions:
Edingburgh – Help for small businesses
More than 10,000 small businesses in communities across Edinburgh are set to receive rates relief and emergency cash grants over the coming weeks. Through a coordinated financial package in response to the coronavirus outbreak, Edinburgh’s city council is releasing tens of millions of pounds from the Government’s Coronavirus Business Support Fund. Worth £10,000 and £25,000, these grants shall help successful applicants stay in business and protect local jobs. The council promises to process applications within 10 working days. Read more here
Contact: Karen Lloyd
Zaragoza – ‘Back when you’re back’, say local shops
To support small shops and revive the local economy after the corona restrictions, the city of Zaragoza has launched the initiative ‘Volveremos si tú vuelves’, ‘We’ll be back when you are back’: on the online platform www.volveremossituvuelves.com, customers can buy vouchers from shops in their neighbourhood that are closed under the confinement and use them when things are back to normal. Following the example of Madrid, the initiative has already more than hundred participants in Zaragoza. You can read more here (in Spanish)
Contact: Lorena Calvo
Bordeaux – Support to businesses
Bordeaux has implemented a range of measures to support the local economy and businesses. These include:
- Free parking in outdoor car parks.
- Exemption from terrace tax and taxes levied on the use of public space and advertising.
- Tourist tax to be paid in instalments, easing the pressure on businesses’ finances, in particular those in the tourist sector.
Vienna – Aid package for companies
The city has set up a new company named ‘Stolz auf Wien’ (Proud of Vienna) that will temporarily invest in local companies, which are at risk due to the crisis. The municipality, the Economic Chamber of Vienna, as well as private partners have contributed to collect 50 million euros that the company will be able to allocate. The company is due to start its work in May and the selection process for beneficiaries will be organised in an expert board. Read more here (in German)
Contact: Michaela Kauer or stay up to date at @Stadt_Wien
Fuenlabrada – Who’s delivering?
Fuenlabrada has put together a directory listing all local small companies that offer food and other services delivery. Read more here (in Spanish)
Contact: Juan Carlos Hernández Navas
Gijón – Suspension of payments from companies
Local companies in Gijón can pay rents and loans to the municapilty later. The city council has suspended, for the next three months, the payment of loans granted by the municipal company Gijón Impulsa as well as the payment of the rental and services provided to the companies located in municipal buildings. For providers of services and works to the council, invoices are paid weekly now. You can read more here (in Spanish)
Contact: Enrique Rodríguez
Zaragoza – E-Commerce training for SMEs
Zaragoza is offering free courses on electronic commerce aimed at the SMEs in the city in order to adapt their businesses to the new situation. Four courses are available online: Digital Marketing, Advertising on Internet, Web Analytics, Social Networks in retail. Read more (in Spanish) here.
Contact: Lorena Calvo
Gothenburg – Support to SMEs
The city of Gothenburg has through Business Region Gothenburg enhanced its support towards SMEs. Staff resources have been bundled (‘Business Pilot Extra’) to proactively reach out to SMEs and guide them through all the aid packages provided by the state. Read more (in Swedish) here.
Contact: Thanos Pinakas
Valladolid – Social fund for SMEs, families and self-employed
To relieve the economic difficulties of various people and business, the Council of Valladolid is offering to help pay for water consumption, with an initial fund for €120,000. Read more here
Contact: Luisa Maria Herrero
Cardiff – Grants for local businesses
£20m has been distributed to Cardiff businesses in grant aid by Cardiff Council in the past week as part of a COVID-19 rescue package. Some 1,300 companies applied for the aid, which is being administered by the Council in Cardiff on behalf of Welsh Government. It follows the Welsh Government’s announcement last week of a £1.9bn support package for businesses in Wales to help them survive during the outbreak. Read more here
Contact: Beverley Watson
Tallinn – Support to businesses
Tallinn has implemented a number of measures to support local entrepreneurs and businesses. The aid measures are primarily targeted at businesses that have a contractual relationship with the city or have a big impact on the city’s activities.
The city will pay its bills faster, reducing its own payment deadline from 21-30 calendar days to just 10 calendar days to improve the cash flow of the companies. The city will also waive contractual sanctions in the event of difficulties that occur due to the ongoing emergency situation when fulfilling an order or delivery. Tallinn has reduced advertising tax by 50%, and exempted advertisements on the sides of buildings from paying rent. The city is also reducing rent for contractors and cancelling rent from sports venues, while continuing to pay subsidies for sports activities if the clubs can find a way to bring those activities online.
These measures are planned to last for three months or until the end of the year depending on the specific measure. These measures will have an effect on the budget and the local government is preparing a supplementary budget to take this into account. The impact of the business support package on the city budget may be up to €4 million.
Find more information here.
Contact: Kerttu Märtin
Sofia – Help for local companies
In order to tackle the economic problems coming with the COVID-19 crisis, Sofia has set up a temporary economic council to elaborate measures to support local businesses. The proposed ideas include suspension and exemption of local taxes, municipal bank guarantees for small and medium enterprises for up to 50% of the loan, introduction of new e-services and free parking zones. The measures will be proposed to the municipal council for approval. An analytical report entitled “Assessment of COVID-19 effect on Sofia economy” outlining the three most likely scenarios was published. You can download the report here (in Bulgarian)
Contact: Sevdalina Voynova
Ghent – Website for local retail
The city of Ghent is urging residents to help keep local businesses afloat by buying locally and has gathered together all other existing initiatives to create a portal to takeaways and local places to purchase food online. Read more here
Contact: Els Uytterhoeven
Debrecen – Discount for shops
Debrecen is offering discounts on rent to shops and businesses for which the city is landlord. Those that were forced to temporarily close can apply for a 90% discount on their rental fee until 30 June. Those who stay open with restricted opening hours can apply for a 50% discount. Read more and watch the video announcement of the mayor (in Hungarian) here.
In order to support other businesses the city’s economic development center has initiated an online survey to better understand the challenges companies are facing due to the pandemic. Read more (in Hungarian) here.
Contact: László Mátyus
Gijon – Support to small shops
Gijon has launched a campaign to support the small grocery shops in the city during the confinement period, which are allowed to continue operating despite the general closure of businesses. The campaign informs citizens of the city’s retail stores as an alternative or complement to purchases in wholesale establishments, supermarkets or hypermarkets. The city also indicates which of these businesses deliver at home.
Currently 127 small grocery shops have joined the campaign. Read more (in French) here.
Contact: Enrique Rodríguez
Barcelona – Protecting work
Barcelona’s mayoral decree on disruptions to municipal public procurement ensures the continuity of public contracts, the liquidity of providers, particularly SMEs, and strives to maintain jobs. Read more here
Contact: Marta Puchal
Berlin – Support for local businesses and culture
Small businesses and freelancers in Berlin can get grants of up to €5,000 as emergency aid. The package consists a total of €100 million and is aimed at small and micro enterprises with a maximum of five employees, which have been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus crisis. This includes creative industries and culture. Since culture also needs publicity, the city has initiated ‘Berlin (a)live‘ for online events.
Continue reading “Berlin – Support for local businesses and culture”Stuttgart – Corona hotline for local companies and freelancers
Small companies and freelance workers in Stuttgart can get help via a new telephone hotline during the corona crisis. Experts from the fields of management consultancy, law, coaching or health offer advice about the virus, hygiene and work regulations and information on economic aid such as grants, support programmes, loans or short-time work.
Continue reading “Stuttgart – Corona hotline for local companies and freelancers”Utrecht – Fast help for entrepreneurs
In order to protect jobs and income of freelancers, small and medium enterprises and cultural institutions, the city of Utrecht complements the national Dutch support programme with local initiatives aimed to provide quick results. The measures include suspended collection of taxes and rent as well as compensation for cancelled events. The measures and reassurance have been communicated through a letter in Dutch and English.
Contact: David Langerak
Zaragoza – Connecting businesses and citizens
Zaragoza has launched a platform for corporate solidarity contributions. The site connects the commitment and resources of private companies with the needs of Zaragoza society in order to face this emergency situation. Five work areas have been set up in which the different companies can lend their help: health, education, entertainment, technology and food. Read more (in Spanish) here.
Contact: Lorena Calvo
Dusseldorf – Aid fund for local businesses
Dusseldorf has established an aid fund for local companies to bridge financial distress caused by the coronavirus. The fund includes €500,000, with a maximum of €5,000 per company. This serves as interim aid before the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Federal Government offer concrete services for businesses. Read more (in German) here.
Contact: Stefanie Nietfeld
Barcelona – Flexible tax collection for shops and restaurants
The payment of municipal taxes shall be postponed or compensated for shops, bars and restaurants in Barcelona, to guarantee the liquidity of families, businesses and the self-employed. A special office shall develop personalised plans for companies, entrepreneurs and individuals. This first package of measures has been developed through constant dialogue with the city’s social and economic stakeholders and will be expanded as the situation evolves. Read more here
Contact: Marta Puchal
Barcelona – Virtual labour rights office
Barcelona has established, through its local development agency, Barcelona Activa, the on-line and telephone labour right office network to respond to question launched by employees and employers who need to know how to deal with the consequences of the lockdown in their economic activity.
This network of labour rights offices, located in three different districts of the city, was launched by Barcelona Activa in 2017 as a labour market policy’s tool in partnership with the main unions and some employees’ organisations and was included in a Best practices dossier by the United Nations monitoring committee of the SDGs. More information (in Spanish) here.
Contact: Marta Puchal
Nantes – Supporting local businesses
To support economic actors from artisans to small enterprises, Nantes is taking a range of actions including tax exemption, a single information point with a dedicated phone number, and funding with the Région des Pays de Loire. Read more here
Contact: Nicolas Joffraud
London – Rent relief for SMEs
London’s public transport company is granting a three month reprieve from rent for all small and medium sized businesses located on its property. Read more here
Contact: Ian Catlow
Vienna – A new fund to help small and medium sized businesses
The municipality of Vienna, alongside Vienna Chamber of Commerce, is setting aside €35 million to allow a much quicker municipal response to changing business situations than normal legislation would allow. The largest portion of these funds will be used to help prop up companies of 10 employees or less when they suffer a decline in turnover of more than 50%.
Read more here
Contact: Michaela Kauer or stay up to date at @Stadt_Wien