A grant from a municipal or regional budget is the most accessible form of public support for associations, sports clubs, schools, churches and smaller business entities operating in the given area. The rules are set by a generally binding regulation of the local authority, which determines the range of eligible applicants, submission deadlines, the maximum amount and mandatory co-financing. The award decision is made by a committee and then by the council or by the mayor or the regional governor, depending on the amount. Amounts typically range from hundreds to tens of thousands of euros, the administration is simpler than with EU funds, and the decision takes weeks rather than months. A condition tends to be having no outstanding debts to the municipality and properly settling the account for a previous grant, something many applicants underestimate and thereby lose their entitlement. Published lists of applications supported in previous years give a good indication of what types of activities the local authority actually supports.
See also: Earmarked subsidy, Grants for Non-profit Organisations, Grants for Sport.
