Grant opportunity: Live Event Providers

Business Oregon Launches COVID-19 Recovery Grant Program for Live Event Support Industries

Business Oregon is distributing federal funds to help businesses that support live events and were impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency. The Live Event Support Industries Program will provide up to $10 million in grant assistance to qualifying applicants that have experienced financial hardships from the pandemic. This grant program is the third and final round of the three grants Business Oregon created with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery funds to help live event venues and live event supporting industries.

Program awards will generally range between $10,000 – $100,000 each. Awards will not exceed the applicant’s reported loss in revenue from live event support activities between 2019 and 2020, or $100,000 (whichever is less).

This program defines the “live event support industry” as for-profit businesses, non-profits, sole proprietors, and independent contractors who receive 50% or more of their annual revenues from providing goods (rented or sold) or services for the production of live events.

Financial hardships eligible for funding under this program are restricted to loss of earned revenue, of no less than $10,000, from live event contracts, goods, or services in support of live events in Oregon. This shall be calculated as the difference between live event support industry revenue in calendar year 2019 less the service provider’s live event support industry revenue in calendar year 2020.

Some examples of the businesses that may be eligible include, but are not limited to:

• Event planners, designers, and talent buyers
• Event sound, video, lighting, rigging, and staging providers
• Event supply rental companies
• Event catering providers
• Event scenic, décor, and floral vendors
• Theatrical services and equipment rental providers
• Specialty entertainers such as DJs, MCs, costumed characters, actors, musicians, musical groups, auctioneers, and other special event-specific talents
• Specialized event services and vendors such as event security, VIP toilets, photobooths, portable gaming, amusement providers, event transportation providers, ticket agencies, etc.
• Wedding-specific services and vendors such as stylists and makeup artists, photographers and videographers, planners and coordinators, etc.

The application period for this program will open online at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 16, 2022 at www.oregon.gov/biz/.

All applications must be received no later than 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 30, 2022. Applicants should refer to the online Application Checklist ​for a detailed description of all the elements needed to complete the application.

Applications will be selected by a random lottery system from each geographic region.  Applications that are selected from the lottery and meet stated program eligibility and need requirements will be authorized for funding, pending availability of funds. Business Oregon may require additional information and has final authority on eligibility determination. Award decisions will be announced in September 2022.

Ineligible applicants for the program at this time include, but are not limited to:

• Adult entertainment providers
• Municipally or state-owned service providers
• Casino operated live event service providers
• Lobbying organizations as defined by the Internal Revenue Service
• Political organizations subject to tax under Internal Revenue Code section 527 such as political parties, campaign committees for candidates for federal, state, or local office and political action committees
• Federal, state, and local government agencies
• Non-profit religious corporations and/or houses of worship recognized as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
• Cannabis-related goods and services
• Public or private universities/educational institutions
• Nationally owned and operated live event support service providers
• Employees of live event support business who receive a W2 from the business
• Other live event support service providers that do not meet the intent of the program as determined by Business Oregon

More information about this program can be found online at oregon.gov/biz. Please call 833-604-0880 or email biz.covid19@biz.oregon.gov with questions or requests for assistance with this program.