Malta Enterprise Support Measures

Soft Loan is a financial instrument designed to support undertakings engaged in a manufacturing or service activity,  accelerate their plans in establishing new products or entering a new geographic market, addressing environmental concerns and digitise processes.

Application for the allocation of industrial spaces for small business activities (up to 300 sqm) or larger companies (more than 300 sqm).

This measure facilitates value added projects, including new business initiatives, expansions and transformation activities that shall contribute to the regional development of Malta.

The scope of the scheme is to support SMEs to realign their business activity, restructure their employees, product and / or service portfolio, optimise the use of technology and embrace green technology and practices.

Business START offers seed and growth funding for small start-ups. Start-ups in their early development phase may receive an initial grant of up to €10,000 to help them develop their business proposal and undergo a Feasibility Study. Start-ups that present a viable business plan may receive additional support which may reach up to €25,000 per quarter up to a maximum of €200,000.  

The Change to Grow measure supports businesses kick-start transformation processes that lead to growth, sustainability, and optimised performance.   SMEs with a vision to develop can seek support from external advisors to assist them in carrying out significant changes that will enable them to accelerate development, address sustainability and improve market access.

EUREKA supports the development of rapidly marketable innovative products, processes and services that help improve the daily life of everyday people.

This measure aims to support businesses carrying out feasibility studies to determine the technical and commercial challenges and carrying out preliminary activities that will enable businesses to make more knowledgeable decisions in the development of the intended research and development project.

People with disabilities continue to face extensive challenges and a wide range of barriers in their place of work. However, today’s technological developments contribute significantly towards inclusion and reduce certain barriers in the field of employment.

The purpose of the incentive is to assist and facilitate family businesses to transfer their business from one generation to the next by providing benefits including governance and fiscal benefits for the better management and organisation within the family and the business.

The Family Businesses Grant shall support family businesses to address transitionary issues by facilitating access to advisory and mediation services. The maximum grant that can be awarded under these guidelines is capped at €15,000 per family business in any rolling three (3) year period.

GET QUALIFIED is an initiative that supports the personal development of individuals for the achievement of qualifications and certifications required by industry. The incentive is applicable to individuals following a course of studies leading to a certification, diploma, degree or post-graduate degree courses.

This scheme supports manufacturing undertakings operating from Gozo by reducing their inter-island transport costs.  optimise the use of technology and embrace green technology and practices.

Innovate aims to facilitate the creation of Business Research Partnership between SMEs and Research Knowledge-Dissemination Organisations to carry out projects leading to product, process and organisational innovation.

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 assistance is intended to facilitate investments in technological solutions that provide higher energy efficiency and contribute directly towards a reduction in the energy requirements of the beneficiaries. The aid awarded through this measure shall be in the form of a cash grant or a tax credit (which can be utilised against tax payable by the beneficiary) or a combination of both.

The scheme encourages undertakings (including Start-ups, family businesses and self-employed) to invest in their business, so as to innovate, expand and develop their operations. Undertakings benefitting from this measure will be supported through a tax credit calculated as a percentage of eligible expenditure, which also covers increase in wage costs. 

The Patent Box Deduction Rules, 2019 establishes a fiscal regime for income arising from patents, similar intellectual property (IP) Rights and copyrighted software.  The rules additionally provide that small companies may utilise the patent box rules on income from any intellectual property based on an invention that could be patented.

This measure facilitates employment of non-residents in roles which are currently not addressed by the local labour market by temporarily easing the tax expenses incurred by such individuals through a fiscal incentive. 

This scheme supports undertakings that require industrial space as a temporary, or permanent, solution to support their business activity. The scheme is applicable to businesses engaged in Manufacturing, Maintenance and Repairs of Motor Vehicles, Repair of Machinery & Equipment and other industrial activities. Aid is awarded in the form of a cash grant. 

These guidelines provide a framework for individuals seeking a determination of eligibility for the option provided by S.L Repatriation of Persons Established in a Field of Excellence Rules.

The aim of this incentive is to assist Industrial Research and Experimental Development activities required by industry for the acquisition of knowledge leading to the development of innovative products and solutions. The measure also encourages cooperation between undertakings by providing additional assistance for Industrial Research and/or Experimental Development projects.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected most businesses yet some were harder hit than others. ReStart has the objective to support those businesses which due to the effect of the pandemic had to terminate operations, by helping them access advisory services and providing a kick-start grant to help them restart operations.

Through this scheme, Malta Enterprise shall support business undertakings to provide training to develop and update the skills and knowledge of their workforce.

The Smart and Sustainable Investment Grant provides business funding to support the undertaking of investments that lead to more sustainable and digitalised processes leading to the enhancement of competitiveness of the enterprises through the optimisation of the use of resources in their activities.

The aim of this measure is to support Small Start-up Undertakings that demonstrate a viable business concept and that exhibit commitment to expand and further develop their economic activity.

This measure provides for a tax benefit to individuals who were not yet forty years of age on the date of the commencement of the course, and who graduate with a PhD, Masters Degree or Postgraduate Diploma (minimum 60 credits) (MQF level 8 or 7).