Deadline: September 30, 2025
The Marketing Strategy for Micro and Small Enterprises scheme offers non-repayable grants to support external marketing strategy services aimed at improving business competitiveness and efficiency.
This scheme focuses on promoting entrepreneurship by facilitating the economic exploitation of new ideas, fostering the creation of new firms, and enhancing sustainable growth and competitiveness of SMEs, including through productive investments.
The scheme is designed to assist micro and small enterprises that often lack the in-house capacity to develop comprehensive marketing strategies by providing grants covering part of the costs for external service providers. The support is aimed at helping enterprises create detailed marketing strategies that include market analysis, positioning, branding, digital and content strategies, financial planning, and risk management. These strategies enable businesses to promote their products or services effectively to reach their target audiences and achieve their goals efficiently.
Eligible enterprises must be micro or small-sized and operational in Malta or Gozo, with a project duration of six months from the grant agreement date. The grant has a maximum aid intensity of 60% for start-ups up to five years old and 50% for older enterprises, with an overall maximum grant of €10,000. Eligible expenditures must relate strictly to developing a marketing strategy procured only from external service providers registered with the intermediate body and unrelated to the beneficiary enterprise.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to budget availability and gateway criteria that include eligibility of the undertaking and action, completeness of application, and evidence of private match financing. The scheme excludes undertakings in difficulty, public entities without commercial activities, gambling and tobacco-related businesses, and agricultural product marketing activities as defined.
During and after project implementation, beneficiaries must maintain clear accounting and document retention for auditing purposes and comply with EU and national policies, including state aid regulations and equal opportunity commitments. Reimbursement occurs in two claims: 80% after submission of the marketing strategy report and 20% after evidence of implementation of the action plan for the upcoming year.
For more information, visit FONDI.eu.
