Illustration · Malta
Up to €30,000 grant.
A €60,000 custom booking and CRM system, all eligible costs, at 50%. The 7% flat rate and any top-ups come on top.
Digitalise your SME · Malta business grants
Digitalise your
SME grant.
How to apply in 2026.
A plain guide to Malta’s digitalisation grant for small businesses. It can cover up to 50% of eligible software, cloud, cyber security and AI costs in Malta, and up to 60% in Gozo. The funding body decides who qualifies.
The short answer
Digitalise your SME, in brief.
Digitalise your SME (Call 2) is run by the Measures and Support Division through fondi.eu, not by Malta Enterprise. Grants run from €25,000 to €120,000, plus a 7% flat rate, so up to €128,400. The next cut-off date is 16 October 2026.
Last checked: 7 October 2026, against the official fondi.eu scheme page and the Guidance Notes V2.0. The funding body decides eligibility. This page is a plain summary, not financial advice.
Key facts
How much the grant can cover.
Grant size
From €25,000 to €120,000 for standard digitalisation projects. A 7% flat rate for indirect costs is added, so the maximum is €128,400.
Share of the cost
Up to 50% of eligible costs for investments in Malta. Up to 60% for investments in Gozo.
Extra for AI
An additional threshold of up to €100,000, only for artificial intelligence cost items. With the 7% flat rate, that is up to €107,000.
Top-ups
An extra 10% aid intensity on cyber security, IoT, AI, big data, cloud computing or quantum technology items. A further 5% if the project takes you from 6 or fewer to at least 7 of the 12 digital intensity technologies.
Budget and end date
An initial budget of €15,000,000. The scheme remains effective until 31 December 2026, subject to funds.
Who runs it
The Measures and Support Division, through fondi.eu. The Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA) carries out the digital intensity assessment.
Source: the fondi.eu scheme page and the Digitalise your SME Guidance Notes V2.0. Figures can change between calls, so check the official page before you apply.
Cut-off dates
When you can apply in 2026.
The remaining cut-off dates for Call 2 are 16 October, 30 October, 13 November, 30 November and 14 December 2026.
Applications are evaluated after each cut-off. Eligible applications that score at least 50% of the selection criteria are funded while the budget lasts. Dates can change, so confirm them on fondi.eu.
Who can apply
Is your business eligible?
The scheme is for small businesses with a real digital project, not a one-off purchase. The full rules are in the guidance notes. These are the basics.
You may qualify if…
- You are a micro, small or medium-sized enterprise.
- You work in an eligible economic activity.
- The project will be based and operational in Malta or Gozo.
- You have not started the work yet.
- The grant would come to at least €25,000.
If you are not sure, ask the funding body. Its email is fondi.eu@gov.mt.
What it pays for
Eligible costs, in plain words.
Software
Off-the-shelf and custom software. For subscription software, two years of the subscription count as the eligible cost.
Business systems
The guidance refers to enterprise systems such as ERP, CRM, finance, HR and supply chain. A booking system, CRM or customer portal we build for you is custom software.
Cloud, security and data
Cloud computing, cyber security systems, analytical tools, big data analysis and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Artificial intelligence
AI cost items, with their own additional threshold. An AI scoping report is needed for these.
Hardware and installation
Laptops, tablets, monitors, routers and Wi-Fi equipment. Installation and training on an item, when it comes from the same provider.
What it does not pay for
Costs the scheme excludes.
The guidance notes list the ineligible costs. For anyone hiring an agency, this one matters most: “Fees relating to design, marketing and any other consultancy work.”
Websites are not listed as an eligible cost. A small website also falls well below the €25,000 minimum grant.
Also excluded
- Repair, maintenance and maintenance agreements.
- VAT and other taxes.
- Used, refurbished or re-manufactured items.
- Training, unless it comes with an item from the same provider.
- Commissions, bank charges and insurance.
Check the full list in the guidance notes before you budget.
How to apply
How to apply, step by step.
01
Book the MDIA assessment
Email funding.mdia@mdia.gov.mt to arrange the digital intensity assessment of your business.
02
Get quotations or a proposal
Collect three similar quotations against your technical specification, or prepare an Investment Proposal.
03
Prepare the declarations
Fill in the de minimis declaration form. Get a compliance certificate from the Malta Tax and Customs Administration, issued in the last three months.
04
Add the AI scoping report
Only if the project includes AI cost items. It sets out the AI items you are applying for.
05
Apply on fondi.eu
Submit your application through the fondi.eu portal before a cut-off date.
06
Wait for the grant agreement
Work may only start after the aid is granted, the date the grant agreement is signed. Do not order or start anything earlier.
07
Deliver within 24 months
Projects must be implemented within 24 months, depending on the period you applied for.
A worked example
What a €60,000 project
could look like.
Illustration · Gozo
Up to €36,000 grant.
The same €60,000 project in Gozo, at 60%. Again, before the 7% flat rate and any top-ups.
An illustration, not a quote or a promise of funding. Real figures depend on your eligible costs, your net assets, the assessment and approval.
Things people miss
Read this before
you get quotes.
Net assets can cap the grant
If you are not a start-up and your net assets are under 40% of the total eligible cost, the eligible cost is capped at 250% of your net assets. The other option is a guarantee for the difference. Start-ups have their own rule.
The €128,400 cap is cumulative
It applies to the total of all your ongoing grants, across schemes, not just this application. The additional AI threshold is not counted in this cap.
De minimis limits
De minimis aid is capped at €300,000 per single undertaking over any three years. Other de minimis aid you have received counts towards it.
Mostly paid after you spend
The grant is reimbursed against costs you have incurred and paid. Advance payments may be available under the grant agreement, up to 40% of the grant.
No double funding
You declare that you have not received, and will not seek, other public funding for the same activities.
Where we fit
What Malta Digital can do.
We build custom software, booking systems, CRM and customer portals in Malta and Gozo. For a project that could qualify, we can be one of the quoting suppliers, write the technical specification and prepare the AI scoping report where needed.
We do not decide eligibility and cannot promise approval. The funding body assesses every application.
Projects we build
- Booking systems for restaurants, clinics, salons, hotels and tours.
- CRM software and custom CRM.
- Customer and staff portals.
- Automation between the tools you already use.
Planning one of these? We’ll tell you honestly whether it looks like a fit.
A few straight answers
What you might be wondering.
Does Malta Enterprise run Digitalise your SME?
No. The scheme is run by the Measures and Support Division through fondi.eu. The Malta Digital Innovation Authority carries out the digital intensity assessment.
Can I get the Digitalise your SME grant for a website?
Websites are not listed as an eligible cost, and fees for design and marketing are excluded. A standalone website would also fall well below the €25,000 minimum grant.
Is the grant paid before or after the project?
Mostly after. You claim back costs you have incurred and paid. Advance payments may be possible under the grant agreement, up to 40% of the grant.
Can I combine it with Micro Invest or another grant?
Not for the same activities. You declare that you have not received, and will not seek, other public funding for the activities in your application.
What happens if I start before approval?
The rules say work may only start after the aid is granted, which is the date the grant agreement is signed. Wait for the signed agreement before you order anything.
Is there extra funding for Gozo?
Yes. Investments in Gozo can be part-financed up to 60% of eligible costs, compared with up to 50% in Malta.
What is the smallest project that can apply?
The minimum grant is €25,000. At 50%, that means at least €50,000 in eligible costs in Malta. In Gozo, at 60%, it is about €41,700.
Can Malta Digital guarantee approval?
No. We can quote, write the technical specification and prepare the AI scoping report where needed. The funding body decides eligibility and approval.
Planning a project that could qualify?
We’ll prepare the
specification and quote.
Tell us what the system needs to do. We’ll scope it properly and give you a clear quotation.