Malta Enterprise’s Digitalise Your Business Scheme is one of the most generous SME digital funding programmes in Europe. Yet many eligible businesses either don’t know it exists or find the application process daunting. This guide breaks down everything you need to know.
What the Scheme Offers
The Digitalise Your Business Scheme provides co-funding of up to 60% on eligible digital transformation costs, with a maximum grant of €50,000. This means a €30,000 digital intelligence project could cost your business as little as €12,000 out of pocket.
Eligible investments include business intelligence platforms, analytics dashboards, CRM systems, e-commerce solutions, marketing automation, AI tools, and website development with integrated analytics — essentially, the full spectrum of intelligence-driven digital infrastructure.
Who Can Apply
The scheme is open to SMEs registered in Malta with a genuine operational need for digital transformation. Key eligibility criteria include:
**Business size:** Small and medium enterprises as defined by EU guidelines (fewer than 250 employees, annual turnover under €50 million or balance sheet under €43 million).
**Operational presence:** The business must have a registered presence in Malta and the digital investments must benefit Malta-based operations.
**Genuine need:** Applications must demonstrate a clear business case for digital transformation, showing how the investment will improve competitiveness, efficiency, or growth.
What’s Covered
The scheme covers both technology costs and professional services. This means you can fund the software licences, platform development, and the consultancy expertise to implement them properly.
**Technology costs:** Software licences, platform subscriptions, cloud infrastructure, hardware required for digital solutions, and custom development.
**Professional services:** Digital strategy consulting, implementation support, training, data migration, and ongoing optimisation during the funded period.
**Not covered:** General IT maintenance, basic computer hardware (laptops, printers), standard office software, and ongoing operational costs after the project period.
The Application Process
**Step 1 — Pre-assessment:** Before formally applying, we recommend a strategic assessment of your digital maturity and business objectives. This helps ensure your application targets the investments with the highest impact. Many businesses apply for generic digitalisation when they could be building genuine competitive advantages.
**Step 2 — Project definition:** Define the scope, timeline, and expected outcomes of your digital intelligence project. Malta Enterprise looks for clear, measurable objectives — not vague promises of “digital transformation.”
**Step 3 — Application submission:** Submit your application through Malta Enterprise’s online portal with supporting documentation including your business plan, project scope, cost quotations, and expected ROI.
**Step 4 — Evaluation:** Malta Enterprise evaluates applications based on business impact, feasibility, and alignment with Malta’s digital economy objectives. Typical processing time is 6–8 weeks.
**Step 5 — Implementation and claiming:** Once approved, implement your project according to the approved scope. Claims are submitted with proof of expenditure and project deliverables.
Tips for a Stronger Application
**Be specific about outcomes.** “Improve our marketing” is weak. “Implement a predictive analytics dashboard that reduces customer acquisition cost by 25% within 6 months” is strong.
**Show your baseline.** Demonstrate where you are today so the improvement can be measured. Include current metrics alongside target metrics.
**Choose partners with track records.** Malta Enterprise looks favourably on applications that involve established technology partners. A consultancy with demonstrated experience in your sector strengthens the application.
**Plan beyond the grant period.** Show how the digital investments will continue to deliver value after the funded project ends. This demonstrates sustainability and strategic thinking.
How We Help
At Epic Growth, we’ve guided multiple Malta-based SMEs through the Digitalise Your Business Scheme from pre-assessment through to implementation. Our approach combines strategic consulting with hands-on delivery, meaning your application is backed by a concrete implementation plan — not theoretical promises.
We typically help clients with:
— Pre-application digital maturity assessment — Project scoping and business case development — Application preparation and submission support — Full implementation of approved digital intelligence projects — Post-implementation optimisation and training
The Window of Opportunity
Scheme funding is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis within each funding round. Businesses that prepare now and apply early have the best chance of securing their full entitlement.
The combination of generous co-funding and Malta’s growing digital ecosystem makes this an exceptional moment for SMEs to invest in intelligence-driven infrastructure. The businesses that act now will be building their competitive advantages on someone else’s euro.