JobsPlus has issued a second call for applications under the Investing in Skills Scheme, in terms of which financial assistance is provided to eligible employers who provide training to their employees with the aim of increasing productivity and enhancing adaptability.
The following eligibility criteria must all be satisfied:
Complete documentation should be provided during the application process. This includes the latest available application form together with supporting documents.
The training should relate to a project that is implemented within or for the direct benefit of Malta;
Incentive Effect – the applicant should submit an application form for aid prior to the start of the activity.
Eligible Training Programme – Training carried out to comply with any National Mandatory Standards is considered ineligible; the training provided should be voluntary training as opposed to legally enforced training. Furthermore, Information Sessions and Team Building events are also not considered eligible.
The trainee needs to be formally employed with the beneficiary during the training period - apprentices or students engaged in vocational training are not considered eligible.
Other criteria are applicable to employers having an economic activity.
Aid is granted in the form of a reimbursement of eligible costs incurred, calculated at between 50% to 70% depending on the size of the applicant (higher aid percentages apply for micro and small enterprises).
The eligible costs considered under this Scheme include:
Training costs incurred for the training provided, including classroom style training, e-learning, distance learning - various conditions and cappings apply;
Air travel costs;
Trainee wage costs (subject to a capping).
Interested applicants should submit an application form to JobsPlus at least 21 calendar days before the start date of training. Applications submitted later than 7 calendar days before the start of the training shall not be approved.
This Scheme is available for training activities held until 30 June 2023.
The current wage supplement scheme has been extended till the end of March 2022.
Following recent amendments to quarantine protocols, Malta Enterprise have amended the Quarantine Leave Scheme as follows:
Mandatory Quarantine Period |
Aid awarded |
7-day |
€175 |
10-day |
€250 |
14-day |
€350 |
Assistance under this Scheme is provided to self-employed persons / undertakings employing less than 50 full-time employees and having an annual turnover of less than €10 million. Aid under this Scheme is granted in the form of a tax credit amounting to 45% of eligible expenditure (65% for undertakings operating in Gozo (unless these are start-up undertakings) and in other specific circumstances) and should be utilised within the period prescribed on the incentive entitlement certificate. The maximum amount of aid awarded under this Scheme is capped at €50,000 over a three-year period on a group basis (may be increased to €70,000 in certain circumstances).
Self-employed persons wishing to apply for this scheme in relation to eligible capital expenditure and wage costs incurred in 2021 should submit the online application by 23 March 2022. In the case of companies, the online application should be submitted by 25 May 2022. For such applications, the tax credits awarded in the Incentive Entitlement Certificate may then be utilised as from the year of assessment 2022.
Under Operational Programme I for Malta’s EU Cohesion Policy programme (2014-2020), €51m had been earmarked for ERDF Grant Schemes in aid of SMEs. These grant Schemes are broadly aimed at supporting investments made by SMEs, and which provide for assistance in the following areas:
e-Commerce (latest cut-off date being Thursday 30 June 2022)
Start up Investment (latest cut-off date being Thursday 30 June 2022)
SME Diversification and Innovation (latest cut-off date being Thursday 30 June 2022)
SME Internationalisation (latest cut-off date being Thursday 30 June 2022)
SME Consultancy Services (latest cut-off date being Thursday 30 June 2022) (business plans, feasibility studies)
The aid provided depends on the particular Scheme, however, in all cases, no expenditure should be incurred by an enterprise before approval of the project first having been issued by the relevant intermediary body.
These schemes are administered through an open rolling call with scheduled cut-off dates and are currently available till the dates indicated above.
Any investment projects for which assistance is applied for under these ERDF Grant Schemes should be concluded by the end of June 2023.
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