Available funding in Malta

Background information

Funding opportunities for upskilling and reskilling to support the digital competences of individuals and organizations are available in form of loans, grants and financial instruments. For the period 2021 – 2026 most of the activities in digital transformation are financed through Recovery and Resilience facility but also as activities in Horizon, Erasmus+, ESIF and EEA grant schemes. You may find more on the page of eSkills Malta Foundation.

Recovery and Resilience Plan

The Maltese Recovery and Resilience Plan accounts for a total of EUR 316.4 m allocated under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). It devotes 25.5% (EUR 80.8 m) to the digital transition. The bulk of investments supported under the plan focuses on the digital transformation of the public administration, health and justice systems.

As a part of Fostering a digital, smart, and resilient economy (€55 million) Malta plans to deepen the digital transformation through policy reform, with a focus on reducing the digital divide and promoting digital skills. The Enhancing quality education and fostering socio-economic sustainability (€41 million) includes setting up of a Centre for Vocational Education Excellence (ITS Campus), strengthening skills development and recognition, and reinforcing the resilience of the labour market.

SME Digitalisation Grant scheme seeks to support digitalisation investment initiatives by SMEs in several economic sectors, as part of their digitalisation endeavours and when seeking to intensify the digitalisation of operations. This Scheme is demand driven and managed through an open rolling call, funded through RRF.

Digitalise your Micro Business 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.

Digital Intensification Grant seeks to support digitalisation investment initiatives by eligible enterprises, in eligible sectors, as part of their digitalisation endeavours and intensify the digitalisation of operations.  The investment support enterprises, with a specific focus to those in the manufacturing and tourism industries, through investments in digital technologies and related processes in the enterprise, in particular hardware, software and other digital solutions to improve their efficiency, productivity and customer experience. The focus is on the investment in new digital technologies that will encourage the growth of the business.

National Funding

FONDI.eu is main website dedicated to EU funding opportunities making it easier for citizens and organisations to reap the benefits of EU membership through EU funds. FONDI.eu provides timetable of all calls launching, information about different schemes and grants available to individuals, SMEs, businesses and institutions.

Business Re-Engineering and Transformation Scheme is supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (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.

Jobsplus offers courses aimed at helping individuals acquire transversal or specific skills which are labour market related. Different types of courses are available, varying from short courses to vocational courses pegged to the Maltese and European Qualification Frameworks.

Average Wage Earner Scheme aims to assist employed and self-employed persons attending one of Jobsplus courses and whose weekly wage does not exceed €300 (basic) per week. Jobsplus offers training courses in various areas including literacy and numeracy, computing, trade, technical, accounting, clerical work and care services. Employed individuals following these courses can benefit from a financial grant of €25 per week provided that they attend a minimum of four hours of training per week. Payment is based on the hours an individual attends and the duration of the course and given upon successfully completing the whole course.

The Training Pays Scheme is part of the Training for Employment Project and it aims to assist individuals to develop and/or improve their skills by participating in further off-the-job training. The scheme offers assistance in the form of a refund to aid participants with costs relating to training. This refund is awarded to the participant after successful completion of his/her training.

Different funding options are also available on the Digital Skills and Jobs platform, you may find a listing for Malta on this link.