Emergency grants for German freelance cultural workers and artists (state of Berlin)

In an effort to counterbalance what it calls “liquidity bottlenecks,” the government initially launched bridge loan applications for the cultural sector. In response to criticism that the needs of freelancers (a category which, by definition, includes artists—8,000 of whom live in Berlin) were not being met, the State of Berlin rolled out a second phase of emergency aid: small sustenance micro-grants of €5,000 ($US5,518) to individuals freelancers and up to €15,000 ($US16,556) to small businesses that employ fewer than five people. The grants cover a broad range of industries. The government committed to making the process as quick and simple as possible. Over € 500 million (US$551.9 million) was distributed within four days. 

See (Berlin artists reported receiving money within just a day or two of submitting their application)