Micro Invest Malta 2026-2030: How It Works and How to Apply
Micro Invest 2026-2030 explained: who qualifies (1 to 50 staff), the 65% tax credit (85% in Gozo), eligible costs, the client portal steps and the CPA route.
Grants & funding · Compare schemes
Micro Invest or
Digitalise your SME?
How to choose in 2026.
Both schemes help Maltese businesses pay for software and systems, but they work in opposite ways. One is a tax credit you claim after you spend. The other is a cash grant you must win before you start. Here is how they compare, line by line, with real numbers for three kinds of business.
65% vs 50%Tax credit vs cash grant
The comparison, answered
Micro Invest or Digitalise your SME: which one should you use?
Answer: Use Micro Invest for a website, online shop or smaller system when you have 1 to 50 staff and pay tax: it is a Malta Enterprise tax credit of up to 65% (85% in Gozo), claimed after you spend, with applications for 2026 costs from 1 January 2027. Use Digitalise your SME for a software, cloud or AI project of about €50,000 or more that has not started: it is a cash grant of 50% (60% in Gozo), from €25,000 to €128,400 plus up to €107,000 for AI items, with cut-offs on 30 November and 14 December 2026. You cannot claim the same cost under both.
Key takeaways
- What is the difference between Micro Invest and Digitalise your SME? Micro Invest is a Malta Enterprise tax credit of up to 65% (85% in Gozo) for businesses with 1 to 50 staff, claimed after you spend. Digitalise your SME is a cash grant of 50% (60% in Gozo) from fondi.eu for digital projects, from €25,000 to €128,400, which you must win before you start.
- Which is better for a website, Micro Invest or Digitalise your SME? Micro Invest. It lists website and digital application development as eligible costs. Digitalise your SME does not list websites, excludes design and marketing fees, and needs a grant of at least €25,000.
- Can I use Micro Invest and Digitalise your SME together? Yes, for different costs. The same cost cannot be claimed under both, and all de minimis aid to your group must stay within €300,000 over three years.
The short version
The difference in one table.
The two schemes are often mentioned in the same breath, and both list software among their eligible costs. That is where the similarity ends. Micro Invest is a Malta Enterprise tax credit for small businesses (scheme page). Digitalise your SME is a cash grant from the Measures and Support Division for digital projects (scheme page). Every row below links to the official rule.
| Micro Invest 2026-2030 | Digitalise your SME (Call 2) | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | A tax credit that lowers the tax your business pays. Not cash, not refundable. Guidelines 4.3 | A non-repayable cash grant, paid back against costs you have paid. Advance payments of up to 40% may be possible. Guidance Notes |
| Run by | Malta Enterprise. Scheme page | The Measures and Support Division, on fondi.eu. Scheme page |
| Who can apply | Businesses and the self-employed with 1 to 50 full-time employees, VAT registered unless exempt. Guidelines 3.1 | Micro, small and medium enterprises, so up to 249 staff. Guidance Notes 2.1 |
| Share of the cost | Up to 65%, or 85% for businesses operating from Gozo. Guidelines 3.2 | Up to 50% in Malta and 60% in Gozo, plus top-ups of 10% on AI, cloud, cyber security, IoT, big data or quantum items, and 5% for a big jump in digital intensity. Guidance Notes 1.7 |
| How much | Up to €65,000 per applicant over three years, plus €20,000 for Gozo, family, female-owned and social enterprises. Guidelines 3.3 | A grant of €25,000 to €120,000 plus a 7% flat rate, so up to €128,400, and up to €107,000 more for AI items. Scheme page |
| Smallest project | Each invoice must be at least €500 before VAT. | The grant must reach €25,000, so about €50,000 of eligible costs in Malta. |
| Websites | Development and customisation of websites and digital applications are listed costs. Procedures 2.4 | Websites are not listed, and design and marketing fees are excluded. Guidance Notes 2.4 |
| Software and systems | Software licences, the set-up and first 12 months of SaaS, and custom software development. | Off-the-shelf and custom software, cloud, analytics, cyber security, IoT and AI. Two years of a subscription count. |
| When you apply | After you spend: from 1 January 2027 for 2026 costs, once a year. Scheme page | Before you start: by a cut-off date. 30 November and 14 December 2026 are left this year. Scheme page |
| Can work start now? | Yes, costs from 1 January 2026 count, but software and websites need an agreement listing the functionality, signed before work starts. Guidelines 4.2.3 | No. Work may only start after the grant agreement is signed. Guidance Notes |
| How long it takes | About 4 weeks with a CPA under the official procedures, at least 6 months without. Guidelines 1.3 | Applications are evaluated after each cut-off. Those scoring at least 50% are funded while the €15,000,000 budget lasts. Guidance Notes 1.6 |
| De minimis | All de minimis aid to your group stays within €300,000 over three years. Reg. 2023/2831 | The same €300,000 limit applies. Reg. 2023/2831 |
If you remember one thing, make it this: Micro Invest is claimed after you spend, and Digitalise your SME must be won before you start. That single difference decides most cases.
Worked examples
What three real-world projects could get.
Numbers make the choice clearer. Here are four Maltese businesses with different projects. The amounts use the published rates and caps, and assume every cost is accepted as eligible.
| Business and project | Micro Invest | Digitalise your SME |
|---|---|---|
| Café in Mosta, 6 staff. €9,000 website with online ordering and a stock system | Up to €5,850 tax credit (65%) | Not possible: below the €25,000 minimum grant, and websites are not listed |
| Clinic in Victoria, Gozo, 12 staff. €50,000 booking system, patient portal and CRM, not started | Up to €42,500 tax credit (85%) | About €32,100 grant (60% plus the 7% flat rate) |
| Distributor in Qormi, 40 staff. €150,000 ordering, warehouse and CRM system, €40,000 of it AI forecasting | €65,000 tax credit (the three-year cap) | About €80,250 grant before any top-ups (50% plus 7% on each part) |
| Manufacturer, 80 staff. €200,000 production and quality system | Not possible: over 50 employees | A grant of up to €128,400 on standard items, plus the AI threshold if AI items apply |
Two things stand out. For small and mid-sized projects, Micro Invest’s higher rate often gives a bigger number, but it is a credit against tax, so it is worth most to a business with tax to pay. For larger projects, the Digitalise your SME grant pulls ahead because its caps are higher, it is paid in cash, and AI items have their own extra threshold.
Say the Gozo clinic expects to pay only €8,000 of tax a year. A €42,500 credit would take years to use in full, so the €32,100 cash grant may help its cash flow more. That is a question for its accountant, and a good reason to talk to them before choosing.
Websites
If your project is a website or online shop.
For a website, the answer is usually simple. Micro Invest lists the development and customisation of websites and digital applications as eligible digital solutions (procedures 2.4). Digitalise your SME does not list websites, and it excludes fees for design and marketing (Guidance Notes 2.4). Most websites are also far below its €25,000 minimum grant.
An online shop that is really a sales system, with stock, orders, invoicing and integrations, is a different question. The software side may fit Digitalise your SME if the project is big enough. Write down the functions first, then ask the funding body or your accountant.
For the full rules on websites and Micro Invest, see our website grant guide and the complete Micro Invest guide.
Not sure which scheme your project belongs in?
Send us what the system or website must do. We will write it into a clear specification and quote it item by item, so your accountant can see which route fits.
Free tool
Compare both schemes for your project.
Enter your staff, location and costs. The comparer applies each scheme’s published rate and cap and shows which one your project can use.
Micro Invest or Digitalise your SME? Quick comparer
Type in your project. Your figures stay on this page.
Your comparison
Your result appears here when you type in your project.
Documents
What you have to prepare for each.
The paperwork is very different. Micro Invest is light at the start but strict about invoices and payments, and most businesses use a CPA. Digitalise your SME asks for much more before you apply, including an MDIA assessment and financial statements (Guidance Notes 3.3).
| Document | Micro Invest | Digitalise your SME |
|---|---|---|
| Quotes or proposal | Not at application. Invoices that describe the work. | An Investment Proposal, or three quotations from unrelated suppliers against the same minimum specifications |
| Agreement before work | Yes, for software and websites, listing the functionality | The grant agreement comes first; supplier contracts follow it |
| MDIA digital intensity assessment | No | Yes, before you apply (funding.mdia@mdia.gov.mt) |
| MTCA tax compliance certificate | The CPA checks it for wage cost claims | Yes, issued no more than three months before you apply |
| Financial statements | Not as such; a register or ledger of the assets you claim | Audited statements for two years, or CPA-certified accounts |
| Proof of payment | Yes, for every invoice | Yes, at claim stage |
| De minimis declaration | Yes | Yes |
| AI scoping report and ethical AI assessment | No | Only if you ask for the extra AI threshold |
| Who usually prepares it | Your CPA, under the accelerated route | You or your accountant, with the specification and quotes from suppliers |
For the grant, our Digitalise your SME application guide walks through every portal section, and the Digitalise your SME grant guide has a grant calculator.
Using both
Can you use both schemes?
Yes, but not for the same cost. Micro Invest excludes any cost that another public scheme has already supported, even in part, and Malta Enterprise recovers aid with interest if a cost is funded twice (Guidelines 4.3). Digitalise your SME applicants declare that they have not received, and will not seek, other public funding for the same activities.
So a business can use the grant for a large ordering and warehouse system, and Micro Invest the next year for a separate website and new laptops, as long as the costs are clearly split. Both count towards the same €300,000 de minimis limit over three years.
How to choose
Five questions that decide it.
Work through these in order. Most projects have a clear answer by question three.
- Write down what the system must do. List the functions item by item. Both schemes reward a clear scope: Micro Invest needs it in a signed agreement, Digitalise your SME needs it as minimum technical specifications.
- Count your staff and check your tax. Over 50 full-time employees rules out Micro Invest. Little or no tax to pay makes a tax credit worth less, at least in the short term.
- Check the size of the project. Below about €50,000 of eligible costs, Digitalise your SME is out of reach. Above about €100,000, the Micro Invest three-year cap starts to bite.
- Check the timing. If the work must start this month, Digitalise your SME is out, because work must wait for the grant agreement. Micro Invest costs from 2026 can be claimed from January 2027.
- Ask your accountant to confirm. Your CPA can see your tax position, other de minimis aid and which route gives the better result once timing and cash flow are counted.
Looking at bigger plans? Read about the INVEST scheme, the Business Enhance grants for equipment and advice, and the planned 60% tax credit, which may suit some projects once its official rules are published. Every scheme is listed in our guide to business grants in Malta.
How we help
Where Malta Digital fits.
Malta Digital builds the websites, software and systems both schemes list. We are a private company. We do not decide eligibility and cannot promise funding; Malta Enterprise and the Measures and Support Division do. Your accountant prepares and signs the applications and claims.
Our part: we write the functionality and technical specification before any work starts, give an itemised quotation that can be compared with other suppliers, and issue invoices that describe each part of the work.
Websites. Our web design service in Malta starts with the Professional Website at €990, complete in 24 to 48 hours. The Business Website takes 2 to 4 days, the Growth Website 7 days, and the 24-Hour Premium Website is ready in 24 hours.
Systems and CRM. Custom business systems and CRM systems from €7,500, with the first working version of a custom system in 2 to 4 weeks.
AI and automation. AI automation, with AI items scoped separately so they can be shown clearly in a grant application.
Tell us what you want to build. We have 18 Google reviews, and we reply to every enquiry by email.
A few straight answers
What you might be wondering.
What is the difference between Micro Invest and Digitalise your SME?
Micro Invest is a Malta Enterprise tax credit of up to 65% (85% in Gozo) for businesses with 1 to 50 staff, claimed after you spend. Digitalise your SME is a cash grant of 50% (60% in Gozo) from fondi.eu for digital projects, from €25,000 to €128,400, which you must win before you start.
Which is better for a website, Micro Invest or Digitalise your SME?
Micro Invest. It lists website and digital application development as eligible costs. Digitalise your SME does not list websites, excludes design and marketing fees, and needs a grant of at least €25,000.
Can I use Micro Invest and Digitalise your SME together?
Yes, for different costs. The same cost cannot be claimed under both, and all de minimis aid to your group must stay within €300,000 over three years.
Which scheme gives more money?
It depends on the project. Micro Invest has the higher rate, but it is a tax credit capped at €65,000 over three years. Digitalise your SME pays cash, with caps of €128,400 plus up to €107,000 for AI items, so it usually wins on large projects.
Can I start work and still claim?
Under Micro Invest, yes, costs from 1 January 2026 count, but software and website work needs an agreement listing the functionality, signed before work starts. Under Digitalise your SME, no: work may only start after the grant agreement.
When can I apply in 2026?
Digitalise your SME has cut-offs on 30 November and 14 December 2026. Micro Invest 2026-2030 applications for 2026 costs open on 1 January 2027 on the Malta Enterprise client portal.
My business has 80 employees. Which can I use?
Digitalise your SME, which is open to small and medium enterprises up to 249 staff. Micro Invest is limited to businesses with no more than 50 full-time employees.
Who decides if my project qualifies?
Malta Enterprise decides Micro Invest claims and the Measures and Support Division decides Digitalise your SME applications. A supplier such as Malta Digital prepares the specification and quotation; your accountant handles the forms and accounts.
Sources
Where these facts come from.
- Malta Enterprise: Micro Invest [2026-2030] scheme page
- Malta Enterprise: Micro Invest 2026 to 2030 Incentive Guidelines, Version 1.0 (PDF)
- Malta Enterprise and Malta Institute of Accountants: MicroInvest accelerated route procedures, Version 1.0 (PDF)
- fondi.eu: Digitalise your SME scheme page
- Digitalise your SME Guidance Notes V2.0 (PDF)
- EUR-Lex: Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2831 on de minimis aid
Malta Digital is a private company, not a government body. This comparison summarises the official Micro Invest and Digitalise your SME documents and is not tax advice. Your accountant, Malta Enterprise and the Measures and Support Division have the final word.
Keep reading
Related guides.
Digitalise your SME Application: Step-by-Step (2026)
How to apply for Digitalise your SME in Malta: each portal section, the documents you need, a free checklist, a worked example and the 2026 cut-off dates.
Is There a Grant for a Website in Malta? 2026 Guide
Is there a grant for a website in Malta? How Micro Invest 2026 treats websites as a tax credit, the agreement rule, eligible costs and other schemes.
A useful first step
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Tell us what you want to build. We will tell you honestly which scheme looks like the better fit, write the functionality and technical specification down, and give you an itemised quotation. You and your accountant handle the application, and the scheme decides it.
Step 1 of 3
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