If you run a business in Malta and someone has mentioned the "Digitalise Your SME" grant to you, you have probably also been handed a 60-page document full of words like aid intensity, de minimis and gateway criteria.
This guide skips all of that. Here is what the grant is, how much money is on the table, when the deadlines are, and what you can actually spend it on — in normal language.
What is the Digitalise Your SME grant?
It is a cash grant from the Maltese government, co-funded by the EU, that pays for part of your business's technology upgrade. You do not pay it back.
The idea is simple. Malta wants small and medium businesses to stop running on spreadsheets, paper and disconnected systems. So it will cover half the cost of getting you onto proper software and hardware.
It is run by the Measures and Support Division and published on fondi.eu. It is currently in its second round, called Call 2.
Who can apply in Malta and Gozo?
You can apply if your business:
- Is registered and operating in Malta or Gozo
- Has fewer than 250 employees
- Has turnover of €50 million or less, or a balance sheet total of €43 million or less
- Is up to date with tax and social security
- Has positive net assets (with a narrow exception for young start-ups)
That covers the overwhelming majority of Maltese businesses. Sole traders and self-employed people count too.
Who cannot apply: farming, forestry and fishing businesses, tobacco, gambling and betting operators, and public bodies. Also, if your own company sells the type of technology you are applying for, you cannot claim for it.
One more thing worth knowing: under the first round, start-ups in Malta got a better deal — 60% or 70% instead of 50%. That preferential rate is gone in Call 2. Everyone is now on the same footing.
How much money can you get?
The government covers:
- 50% of your costs if the investment is in Malta
- 60% of your costs if the investment is in Gozo
On top of that there are two bonuses:
- An extra 10% on anything involving cyber security, cloud computing, AI, data analytics, Internet of Things or quantum technology. This part is paid by the Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA). It does not apply to plain hardware like laptops, tablets, monitors or printers.
- An extra 5% if the project moves your business up the digital scale — specifically, from six or fewer of twelve "digital technologies" to seven or more. MDIA measures this before and after.
The limits:
| Smallest grant | €25,000 |
| Largest standard grant | €128,400 |
| Extra available for AI projects | €107,000 |
| Maximum total | €235,400 |
Note that minimum. It went up from €10,000 in the first round to €25,000 now. Because the grant covers half your costs in Malta, this means your project needs to be worth roughly €50,000 in total before it qualifies. Small one-off purchases no longer make the cut — this is aimed at real projects.
There is also an overall ceiling on public funding. A single business cannot receive more than €300,000 in government support over any three-year period, counting other grants and schemes. This is the rule the paperwork calls "de minimis."
When are the deadlines?
This is where most Maltese businesses get caught out, so read this bit carefully.
There is no single deadline. Instead, applications are collected in batches. Every couple of weeks there is a "cut-off date." Whatever has been submitted by then gets assessed together as a group.
Remaining cut-off dates for 2026:
| 18 September 2026 | 30 September 2026 | 16 October 2026 |
| 30 October 2026 | 13 November 2026 | 30 November 2026 |
| 14 December 2026 |
The scheme runs until 31 December 2026, as long as money is left. The total pot is €15 million — three times what was available in the first round.
That €15 million is not a one-off, either. It was announced as the first slice of a €100 million government commitment to AI and innovation in Malta. So this is the start of a programme, not the end of one. But it is also the round where the money is sitting there right now.
The mistake that costs Maltese businesses the most
Do not buy anything, order anything, pay a deposit or sign a supplier contract before your Grant Agreement is signed.
Anything you spend before that date cannot be claimed. Not reduced — refused entirely. This is the single most common reason good applications end up funding nothing.
Get quotes. Plan. Talk to suppliers. But do not commit.
What can you spend the money on?
The grant covers technology that has a real business purpose and will last more than three years:
- Business software — ERP, CRM, accounting, HR, stock and supply chain systems
- Custom software built for your business
- Hardware — laptops, monitors, tablets, docking stations
- Cyber security systems
- Cloud services
- AI tools and data analytics
- Reporting and analysis tools
- Routers, switches and Wi-Fi equipment
- Installation and training — but only when it comes bundled in the price from the same supplier
If you are buying software on a subscription, you can claim two full years of it, even if your project runs for less time than that.
Everything has to be bought from suppliers who are completely separate from your business — no family connections, no shared ownership.
What you cannot claim
This list is where budgets get cut back during assessment:
- VAT and other taxes
- Maintenance, repair and support contracts
- Insurance
- Training, unless it is bundled with the product from the same supplier
- Second-hand or refurbished equipment
- Mobile phones
- Network cabling and electrical work
- Design, marketing and consultancy fees
- Bank charges, commissions, depreciation
What you need to prepare
Start gathering these now, because a couple of them take time:
- A Digital Intensity Assessment from MDIA — this has to be booked and done before you apply
- Either a detailed investment proposal, or three comparable quotes for each thing you want to buy
- Tax compliance certificates from MTCA, issued within the last three months
- Audited accounts for your last two financial years
- Proof you can fund your own share
- Signed declaration forms, your NACE code, and a project timeline
If you are going for the AI money, you will also need a scoping report, an ethical AI assessment and a productivity forecast.
Once approved, you have up to 24 months to finish, and the technology has to stay in place and working for three years afterwards.
Where Centric comes in
Most Maltese businesses we speak to already know they need better systems. What holds them back is not the technology decision — it is turning that decision into an application that scores well.
The committee rewards projects that read as one joined-up investment with a measurable payback, not a shopping list of licences.
This is where an Odoo ERP project tends to do well in Malta. Replacing several disconnected systems with one platform touches cloud services, e-invoicing, online sales and reporting all at once. That naturally moves your digital intensity score — which is exactly what unlocks those extra percentage points.
As an Odoo partner working with SMEs across Malta and Gozo, Centric helps you scope the system side properly: what you are replacing, what it will genuinely save you, and how that turns into the technical specifications and return-on-investment figures the assessors want to see.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay the grant back? No. It is a non-repayable grant.
Do I get the money upfront? Mostly no. You pay your suppliers, then claim back. There are some advance payments available, capped at 40% of the total grant.
What if my application is rejected? You can appeal within 10 working days. An independent board reviews it and their decision is final.
Can I combine this with other grants? Not on the same costs — you cannot get two grants for the same thing. Different parts of a project can sometimes be funded separately. Everything counts towards that €300,000 three-year ceiling.
What if I miss the September cut-off? There are more dates through to 14 December 2026. But budget is allocated as applications come in, so earlier is genuinely better.
The next cut-off is 18 September 2026. If you want to make that one, your MDIA assessment and supplier quotes need to be moving this week. If not, 30 September and 16 October are realistic targets.
We work alongside professional partners who guide you through the whole grant process, side by side with us, from scoping the project to preparing the documentation. No extra hassle on your end.
Talk to Centric about what a scoped Odoo project looks like under this scheme and whether your business is a fit before you spend time on paperwork.
Mob +356 7746 9333 | Tel +356 2746 3333 | info@centricmt.com
Scheme details are published on fondi.eu. This article reflects the Guidance Notes V2.0 issued 22 April 2026 and is accurate at the time of writing. Always check fondi.eu for the current version before applying.
Useful links
Official scheme information
- Digitalise Your SME — official scheme page (fondi.eu)
- Guidance Notes V2.0 — the full rulebook (PDF)
- De minimis declaration form and general documents
- Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA)
- EU definition of an SME — check whether your business qualifies
Centric services