Deadline Date: October 31, 2025
The Marketing Strategy for Micro Small Enterprises scheme in Malta provides non-repayable grants to micro and small enterprises to part-finance costs for external service providers to develop marketing strategies, promoting competitiveness and economic growth within the country.
Focus Areas, Objectives, and Priorities: The scheme emphasizes promoting entrepreneurship by facilitating economic exploitation of new ideas and fostering the creation of new firms, including business incubators. It supports innovative and smart economic transformation and regional ICT connectivity. Specific objectives include enhancing sustainable growth and competitiveness of SMEs and job creation through productive investments.
The Marketing Strategy for Micro Small Enterprises scheme caters specifically to small businesses in Malta, acknowledging their limited internal resources and need for outsourced marketing expertise. It offers grants up to a maximum of €10,000 to help finance the development of comprehensive marketing strategies by external registered service providers unaffiliated with the beneficiary enterprise. These strategies outline plans for promoting the business, products, or services aligned with the overall business objectives.
The marketing strategy reports include an executive summary, business overview, market analysis, marketing goals and objectives, positioning and branding, marketing strategies and tactics, digital and content strategies, financial overview, measurement and evaluation criteria, implementation plans, an action plan for the upcoming year, risk management, and sustainability plans. The scheme operates through open rolling calls managed on a first-come-first-served basis until funds are exhausted.
Eligible enterprises are micro and small-sized businesses operating legally in Malta, excluding entities engaged in certain restricted activities such as agricultural processing, tobacco manufacturing, or illegal activities. Applicants must meet eligibility criteria including the absence of in-house capacity to develop marketing strategies and compliance with EU regulations. Approved projects must be implemented within six months of the grant agreement, with extensions possible if justified.
Applications require detailed documentation, including financial statements, compliance certificates, evidence of private match financing, and quotations from registered external service providers. The scheme also places importance on equal opportunities, non-discrimination, and adherence to strict compliance, audit, and monitoring standards to ensure sound financial management.
The grant funding is structured in two reimbursement claims—80% upon delivery of the marketing strategy report and 20% following implementation of the action plan contained within the strategy. All marketing-related promotional costs such as advertising and media purchase are excluded from funding.
This initiative is part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the 2021-2027 programming period and seeks to empower Malta’s micro and small enterprises to become more competitive and strategically positioned in their markets through professional marketing guidance.
For more information, visit FONDI.eu.
