The COVID-BUS programme was launched, bus companies can register until 26 October26/10/2020|Press releasesThe Ministry of Transport is launching the COVID-BUS scheme to support entrepreneurs in irregular bus transport. The scheme shall bring compensation for the consequences of the lockdown caused by the covid-19 pandemic. As passed by the government, one billion Czech crowns is now ready to help operators of irregular bus transportation overcome the current situation on the market until the second quarter of 2021. "Bus operators have seen their sales plummet to almost zero, because all events were cancelled. The COVID-BUS programme will enable entrepreneurs in irregular bus transport bridge this crisis or, in the worst case, terminate their business but with less consequences for the labour market and their private lives," says the transport minister Karel Havlíček. Find details on you digital filing here, the deadline is 26 October: https://www.mdcr.cz/Covidbus. The call will be opened on October 26 and ends after 30 days since the first application acceptance day, i.e. 25 November 2020. You can only make your filing in digital format. The amount of support will depend on the emission class of the bus: the higher the emissions, the smaller the environmental impact and the higher the purchase price of the bus. The bus capacity will be also taken in account. As the market has actually frozen until the end of the school year, the support period is calculated from 12 March until 30 June 2020. Per-seat contribution based on the EURO emission class of the bus Subsidy per seat and day EURO II 15 Kč EURO III 28 Kč EURO IV 40 Kč EURO V 62 Kč EURO VI 135 Kč The Ministry of Transport expects that CZK 1 billion will be provided in 2020. Of this, CZK 0.5 million shall be moved from the budget of the Ministry of Transport and CZK 0.5 billion comes from the "COVIC Rent" programme of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and its funds that have not been claimed. The support will be evaluated and paid out during the 4th quarter of 2020. Most businesses operate 1-3 buses (or more in exceptional cases) that are usually leased. Furthermore, this sector is a low-margin industry. These factors combined mean that loans for entrepreneurs in irregular bus transport are extremely complicated and often tied to owner's private assets. This means that it is hard for the entrepreneurs to draw down funds from the Covid programme of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. All information you need for your filing is published at the website of the Ministry of Transport.