Companies belonging to the sectors most affected by the health restriction measures taken due to the rebound of the Covid-19 epidemic observed at the end of 2021 (protected sectors known as S1 and related sectors known as S1bis) can benefit from a system called “fixed cost consolidation aid” if they were created before 1er January 2019 or a system called “new business consolidation aid” if they were created between 1er January 2019 and October 31, 2021. These two arrangements consist of covering part of their fixed costs.
Initially, this aid was planned for losses suffered in December 2021 and January 2022. They have just been extended for those suffered in February 2022.
The companies concerned
To benefit from “fixed cost consolidation aid” or “new business consolidation aid” for the month of February 2022, companies must:
– have been created before 1er January 2019 for the first or between the 1er January 2019 and October 31, 2021 for the second;
– carry out their main activity in one of the sectors particularly affected by the epidemic (protected sectors known as S1) or in one of the sectors related to the latter (sectors known as S1bis);
– have suffered a loss of turnover (turnover) of at least 50% during the month of February 2022 compared to the month of February 2019 for companies created before 1er January 2019, or in relation, depending on the case, to the average monthly turnover for the year 2019 (companies created between 1er January 2019 and May 31, 2019), to the average monthly turnover achieved between the date of creation of the company and February 29, 2020 (companies created between 1er June 2019 and February 29, 2020), or the average monthly turnover achieved between the 1er August 2021 and November 30, 2021 (companies created between 1er March 2020 and October 31, 2021);
– have a negative gross operating surplus (EBITDA) “consolidation fixed costs” during the month of February 2022.
In practice: companies in the catering and event sectors, caterers, travel agencies and even those carrying out leisure activities are particularly concerned.
The amount of aid
The purpose of the aid is to compensate 90% (70% for companies with more than 50 employees) of the gross operating losses suffered by the companies concerned. More specifically, its amount is, for the month of February 2022, the sum of 90% (70% for companies with more than 50 employees) of the mathematical opposite of the gross operating surplus recorded in the month from February 2022.
Please note: the amount of aid is capped at €12 million for companies created before January 1, 2019 and at €2.3 million for recent companies. This ceiling takes into account all the Covid aid paid to the company in question.
Application for assistance
Businesses eligible for “fixed cost consolidation” aid or “new business consolidation aid” for losses incurred in February 2022 must submit their application on the website www.impots.gouv.fr no later than June 15, 2022.
The request must be accompanied by a number of supporting documents, in particular a sworn statement attesting that the company meets the required payment conditions and that the information declared is correct, and a certificate of its chartered accountant stating in particular the gross operating surplus and the turnover of the company for the month of February 2022 as well as its reference turnover.
The grant will be paid into the bank account provided by the company when applying.
Decree No. 2022-768 of May 2, 2022, JO of 3
