Malta Enterprise: Support Measures & Other Services
EUREKA Instruments
(Network projects, European Partnership on Innovative SMEs / Eurostars and Innowwide, Clusters)
EUREKA supports the development of rapidly marketable innovative products, processes and services across all technological sectors through collaborative Industrial Research or Experimental Development projects up to 36 months in duration involving partners from Malta and other EUREKA countries. Further details are in EUREKA brief. Participation in Network projects, European Partnership on Innovative SMEs / Eurostars and Innowide, Clusters amongst other EUREKA instruments raises participants’ international profiles through EUREKA label award, facilitates growth and access to finance for companies involved, offers high degree of flexibility and bottom-up approach to project generation with greater chance of project proposal success.
Start-up Finance
Malta Enterprise shall support Small Start-up Undertakings at various stages in their development process based on the milestones achieved and their vision for growth. Start-ups receiving funding should demonstrate innovative approaches of doing business and a vision to expand beyond the Maltese market.
Malta Enterprise may provide support not exceeding five hundred thousand Euro (€500,000) which may be doubled for innovative start-ups. Start-ups operating in an assisted area may receive up to seven hundred and fifty thousand Euro (€750,000) which amount may be doubled for these small start-ups that are also innovative enterprises.
Business Start
Business START offers early seed funding for small start-ups. The measure supports Small Start-up Undertakings that have a viable business concept to further develop their business proposal prior to seeking further funding or third-party equity. Following an evaluation of the business concept, start-up ventures considered by Malta Enterprise as economically feasible may receive an initial grant of up to ten thousand euro (€10,000) to help them develop their business proposal.
INVEST – Support for Initial Investment Projects
Invest aims to sustain the regional industrial and economic development of Malta by facilitating initial investments through the setting up of new establishments, expansion of existing facilities and diversification of existing businesses. Support may be awarded through loan guarantees, interest rate subsidies, cash grants and tax credits. The support is aimed at facilitating access to funding and accelerating the return on investment.
Research & Development
The aim of this incentive is to support industry in undertaking Industrial Research and Experimental Development activities (R&D). R&D projects should address scientific or technological uncertainties, and the knowledge acquired through the research is expected to lead towards the development of innovative products and solutions. This support measure also encourages cooperation between organisations by providing additional assistance for collaborative research projects.
Skills Development
Businesses are encouraged to invest in their employees by providing skills and training to have a knowledge-based workforce. Through the Skills Development scheme business undertakings may be supported to provide training with the scope of developing and updating the skills and knowledge of their workforce thus aiding them to perform more effectively. The training provided shall upgrade existing skills of employees, address skills shortages, facilitate re-skilling, tackle skill gaps and strive towards developing a knowledge-based workforce.
Business Enhance
Digitalise your Micro Business
This incentive seeks to assist Micro Enterprises through non-repayable Grants to part-finance investment to digitalise their operations, and hence improve their resilience, efficiency, productivity and customer experience by addressing new digital capabilities and digitalised processes such as product and process design and engineering, end-to-end procurement, supply chain/distribution and after sales.
Digitalise your Business
This incentive seeks to assist Enterprises through non-repayable Grants to part-finance investment to digitalise their operations, and hence improve their resilience, efficiency, productivity and customer experience by addressing new digital capabilities and digitalised processes such as product and process design and engineering, end-to-end procurement, supply chain/distribution and after sales.
Start-Up Enhance
This incentive seeks to support Start-ups through non-repayable Grants to part-finance investments in tangible and intangible assets contributing to potentially improve the productivity of the enterprise.
Business Reports for SMEs
This Grant Scheme seeks to support SMEs through the provision of non-repayable Grants in the form of a lump sum to part-finance a business report procured from external Consultancy Service Providers which are registered with the IB and which are autonomous and unrelated to the Beneficiary Undertaking.
SME Enhance (de minimis)
This incentive seeks to support SMEs through non-repayable Grants to part-finance investment towards expansion, diversification, innovation of the operations and initial investment, aimed at potentially improving the productivity of the enterprise.
SME Enhance (GBER)
This incentive seeks to support SMEs through non-repayable Grants to part-finance investment towards expansion, diversification, innovation of the operations and initial investment, aimed at potentially improving the productivity of the enterprise.
Malta Development Bank
Further Studies Made Affordable Plus (FSMA+)
The maximum size of eligible loans guaranteed under the facility is €100,000, with a maximum loan term of up to 15 years, including the moratorium period. No minimum loan size is applicable.
MCST
Fusion: R&I: Research Excellence Programme 2024
This call provides financial support for the early-stage development of innovative projects, through a bottom-up approach. All scientific research areas are being considered. For projects which may be commercially applicable, this programme targets research at the initial Technology Readiness Levels between TRL 1 and TRL 4.
MDIA
Technology Assurance Sandbox
A technological sandbox is an innovative concept which provides a safe environment for individuals or companies developing solutions based on Innovative Technologies such as Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence or solutions deployed in critical environments, to enable the correct nurturing of such solutions in line with recognised standards. Alignment in the early phases of deployment proves to be cheaper than rectification in a post-development stage.
DiHubMT
Malta Digital Innovation Authority spearheading the establishment of the European Digital Innovation Hub – DiHubmt on the island. The priority of DiHubMT will be to ensure access to effective technologies, funding and an innovative space that will aid in digital transformation and the creation of innovative start-ups and SMEs through an effective community.
MIMCOL
Seed Investment Scheme
The Seed Investment Scheme offers incentives in the form of tax credits to individual investors resident in or operating in Malta, who invest in a qualifying Maltese start-up or early stage companies. The scheme offers young entrepreneurs a route to vital funding in the initial stages of their project by effectively minimizing the risk to investors.
- SIS investors can receive a maximum of €250,000 tax credit in a single tax year;
- A company can raise no more than €750,000 in total via SIS investment;
- Investors can receive up to 35% tax relief in the tax year the investment is made;
- The company seeking investment must be incorporated and based in Malta;
- The company must not have more than 10 employees;
- The company must be no more than three years old;
- The company must have assets of less than €250,000.
Tech(nically) Funded
Introducing Grants & Incentives in Malta.
Financial access and resources tech companies and start-ups in Malta can benefit from.
