- The EIF guarantees will facilitate up to €44 million in targeted financing for small and medium-sized enterprises and small mid-caps in Malta.
- It is the second EIF operation in Malta backed by InvestEU, the European Union programme that aims to mobilise investments for €372 billion by 2027.
The European Investment Fund (EIF), part of the EIB Group, has joined forces with the Malta Development Bank (MDB) in further driving the green transition in Malta, and supporting cultural and creative businesses by providing the latter with two guarantees totalling €20 million. The operations aim to foster environmental sustainability and cultural activities while boosting the country’s economic development and job creation. It is expected that this new agreement will contribute to mobilise investments in the real economy of around €44 million.
The EIF support, backed by InvestEU, includes a €15 million guarantee to empower small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small mid-caps across Malta to undertake green projects, thereby contributing to a low-carbon economy and mitigating the adverse effects of climate change. Additionally, a €5 million EIF guarantee line will support SMEs in the cultural and creative sectors, aiming to bolster an ecosystem that often faces difficulty accessing finance.
This agreement builds upon the successful €30 million operation between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and MDB at the end of 2023, which aimed to back a wide range of green initiatives such as electric vehicle charging infrastructure, solar photovoltaic installations, energy efficiency in both public and private buildings, as well as waste recycling projects.
Kyriacos Kakouris, EIB Vice-President, remarked: “We are glad to further strengthen our partnership with the Malta Development Bank to boost green investments and join efforts also in support to a thriving, agile and profitable creative and cultural space. With the support of InvestEU, both green and cultural investments in Malta will contribute to economic growth locally and throughout Europe.”
“Through this agreement, under the InvestEU program, the EIF and the MDB are going to support SMEs in Malta in their journey towards sustainability,” said EIF Chief Executive Marjut Falkstedt. “By providing access to finance at favourable conditions and expertise, we aim to empower businesses to embrace green practices, thereby fostering environmental stewardship while driving job creation.”
MDB Chairman Mr Leo Brincat said: “We want to help make sustainability and creativity significant contributors to Maltese economic growth and job creation. The MDB is proud to have been entrusted with a significant guarantee that will allow us to develop instruments to support both the green transition and the creative and cultural sector in the years ahead.”
The EIB Group in Malta
The EIB Group, comprising the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF), has been a significant supporter of the Maltese economy since 1979, providing close to €1 billion in funding. Our support extends to various areas, including facilitating access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), investing in 5G mobile infrastructure and financing the construction of about 750 social housing units. Furthermore, we have been involved in financing flagship infrastructure projects such as a new parliament building, an open-air theatre and the restoration of Valletta’s City Gate – a UNESCO World Heritage site. Examples from 2023 include €30 million in financing to the Malta Development Bank (MDB) to boost the green transition of SMEs and public-sector entities as well as an EIF operation with Malta’s Ministry of European Funds and Land – backed by InvestEU – to make €16.5 million available to small businesses to foster innovation and job creation in the country.
Background information
The European Investment Fund (EIF) is part of the European Investment Bank Group. Its central mission is to support Europe’s micro, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) by helping them to access finance. The EIF designs and develops venture and growth capital, guarantees and microfinance instruments which specifically target this market segment, as well as infrastructure. In this role, the EIF contributes to the pursuit of key EU policy objectives such as competitiveness and growth, innovation and digitalisation, social impact, skills and human capital, climate action and environmental sustainability and more.
The InvestEU programme provides long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery in the European Union. It helps to generate additional investments in line with key European priorities, such as the European Green Deal, the digital transition and support for small businesses. The InvestEU programme brings together all EU financial tools to support investment by making project financing simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is implemented through financial partners that will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The entire budget guarantee will back the investment projects of the implementing partners, increase their risk-bearing capacity and thus mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment.
The Malta Development Bank (MDB) was set up in 2017 and is Malta’s only national promotional bank. The MDB performs its promotional role in line with public policy with the objective to contribute towards sustainable economic development that benefits the Maltese people in areas including private sector development, skills and technology, infrastructure development, green economy and community services.
Press contacts
EIB
Lorenzo Squintani, l.squintani@eib.org, mobile: +39 366 57 90 312
Website: www.eib.org/press — Press Office: +352 4379 21000
MDB
Joseph Darmanin, joseph.c.darmanin@mdb.org.mt, tel: +356 2226 1700
Website: https://www.mdb.org.mt/press-releases/
InvestEU: L-EIF u l-Malta Development Bank jilħqu qbil biex jimmobilizzaw madwar €44 miljun f’investiment fi proġetti sostenibbli u kreattivi
- Il-garanziji tal-EIF se jiffaċilitaw sa €44 miljun f’finanzjament immirat lejn intrapriżi żgħar u medji u mid-caps żgħar f’Malta
- Din hija t-tieni operazzjoni tal-EIF f’Malta b’appoġġ mill-InvestEU, il-programm tal-Unjoni Ewropea li għandu l-għan li jimmobilizza €372 biljun f’investment sal-2027
Il-Fond Ewropew tal-Investiment (EIF), parti mill-Grupp tal-Bank tal-Investiment Ewropew (EIB), issieħeb mal-Malta Development Bank (MDB) biex ikompli jixpruna t-transizzjoni ekoloġika f’Malta, u jappoġġja n-negozji kulturali u kreattivi permezz ta’ żewġ garanziji lill-Bank b’total ta’ €20 miljun. Dan għandu l-għan li jinkoraġġixxi sostenibbiltà ambjentali u attivitajiet kulturali filwaqt li jsaħħaħ l-iżilupp ekonomiku u l-ħolqien tal-impjiegi fil-pajjiż. Hu mistenni li dan il-ftehim jikkontribwixxi biex jimmobilizza investimenti fl-ekonomija reali ta’ madwar €44 miljun.
L-għajnuna tal-EIF, bl-appoġġ tal-InvestEU, tinkludi garanzija ta’ €15-il miljun biex tixpruna intrapriżi żgħar u medji (SMEs) u mid-caps żgħar madwar Malta biex jidħlu għal proġetti ekoloġiċi, u b’hekk jikkontribwixxu għal ekonomija b’livell baxx ta’ karbonju u jitnaqqas l-impatt negattiv tal-bidla fil-klima. Aktar minn hekk, garanzija oħra ta’ €5 miljuni tal-EIF se tappoġġja l-SMEs fis-setturi kulturali u kreattivi, u għandha l-għan li ssaħħaħ ekosistema li ta’ spiss issib diffikultajiet fl-aċċess għall-finanzi.
Dan il-ftehim jibni fuq ieħor milħuq b’suċċess fl-aħħar tal-2023, b’valur ta’ €30 miljun bejn l-Bank Ewropew tal-Investiment (EIB) u l-MDB, li kellu l-għan li jappoġġja firxa ta’ inizjattivi ambjentali fosthom infrastruttura li tiċċarġja l-vetturi elettriċi, installazzjonijiet fotovoltajiċi, effiċjenza tal-enerġija f’bini pubbliku u privat kif ukoll proġetti ta’ riċiklaġġ tal-iskart.
Kyriacos Kakouris, Viċi President tal-EIB, qal: “Ninsabu kuntenti li qed inkomplu nibnu fuq is-sħubija tagħna mal-Malta Development Bank biex insaħħu l-investimenti ekoloġiċi u ningħaqdu fl-isforzi biex nappoġġjaw spazju kreattiv u kulturali li jiżviluppa, li jadatta u li jirrendi profitt. Bl-appoġġ tal-InvestEU, kemm investimenti ekoloġiċi kif ukoll kulturali f’Malta se jikkontribwixxu għat-tkabbir ekonomiku lokali u madwar l-Ewropa”.
“Permezz ta’ dan il-ftehim, taħt il-Programm InvestEU, l-EIF u l-MDB se jappoġġjaw l-SMEs f’Malta fil-vjaġġ tagħhom lejn is-sostenibbiltà”, sostniet il-Kap Eżekuttiv tal-EIF Marjut Falkstedt. “Billi nipprovdulhom aċċess għal finanzi b’kundizzjonijiet favorevoli kif ukoll għajnuna esperta, aħna rridu nagħtu s-saħħa lil dawn in-negozji biex iħaddnu prattiċi ekoloġiċi, u b’hekk nibnu mexxejja ambjentali filwaqt li nixprunaw il-ħolqien tal-impjiegi”.
Iċ-Chairman tal-MDB, is-Sur Leo Brinact qal: “Aħna rridu ngħinu biex is-sostenibbiltà u l-kreattività jkunu kontributuri importanti għat-tkabbir ekonomiku u l-ħolqien tal-impjegi f’Malta. L-MDB hu kburi li kien fdat b’din il-garanzija notevoli li se tippermettilna niżviluppaw strumenti li jappoġġjaw kemm it-transizzjoni ekoloġika kif ukoll is-settur kreattiv u kulturali fis-snin li ġejjin.”
Il-Grupp EIB f’Malta
Il-Grupp EIB, li jinkludi l-Bank Ewropew tal-Investiment (EIB) u l-Fond Ewropew tal-Investiment (EIF), ilu għal snin twal jagħti appoġġ qawwi lill-ekonomija Maltija sa mill-1979, fejn ipprovda finanzjament qrib ta’ biljun ewro. L-appoġġ tal-EIB jestendi f’oqsma differenti, fosthom aċċess għall-finanzi għall-intrapriżi żgħar u medji (SMEs), investiment f’infrastruttura għall-mobiles 5G u finanzjament tal-bini ta’ madwar 750 residenzi ta’ akkomodazzjoni soċjali. Aktar minn hekk, l-EIB kien involut fil-finanzjament ta’ proġetti infrastrutturali ewlenin kbar fosthom il-bini tal-parlament il-ġdid, teatru miftuħ u r-restawr tad-Daħla tal-Belt Valletta, sit storiku tal-UNESCO. Fl-2023, l-EIB ipprovda €30 miljun lill-Malta Development Bank biex jappoġġja t-tranżizzjoni ekoloġika tal-SMEs u s-settur pubbliku, kif ukoll operazzjoni tal-EIF mal-Ministeru tal-Fondi Ewropej u l-Artijiet, bl-appoġġ tal-InvestEU, biex ġew allokati €16.5 miljun għan-negozji żgħar biex jinvestu fl-innovazzjoni u l-ħolqien tal-impjiegi.
Informazzjoni ta’ Sfond
Il-Fond Ewropew tal-Investiment (EIF) huwa parti mill-Grupp tal-Bank Ewropew tal-Investiment. Il-missjoni ċentrali tiegħu hija li jappoġġja n-negozji mikro, żgħar u ta’ daqs medju (SMEs) fl-Ewropa billi jgħinhom jaċċessaw il-finanzi. L-EIF jiddisinja u jiżviluppa kapital ta’ riskju u tkabbir, garanziji u strumenti ta’ mikrofinanzjament li jimmiraw speċifikament dan is-segment tas-suq kif ukoll l-infrastruttura. F’dan ir-rwol, l-EIF jikkontribwixxi biex jintlaħqu l-oġġettivi tal-politika tal-UE dwar il-kompetittività u t-tkabbir, l-innovazzjoni u d-diġitalizzazzjoni, l-impatt soċjali, il-kapaċitajiet u l-kapital uman, l-azzjoni dwar il-klima, is-sostenibbiltà ambjentali u aktar.
Il-programm InvestEU jipprovdi finanzjament fit-tul billi jġib flimkien fondi privati u pubbliċi sostanzjali biex jappoġġja rkupru sostenibbli fl-Unjoni Ewropea. Jgħin biex jiġġenera investimenti addizzjonali f’konformità mal-prijoritajiet ewlenin Ewropej, bħal-Patt Ekoloġiku Ewropew, it-tranżizzjoni diġitali u l-appoġġ għan-negozji żgħar. Il-programm InvestEU jgħaqqad flimkien l-għodod finanzjarji kollha tal-UE biex jappoġġja l-investiment billi jagħmel il-finanzjament tal-proġetti aktar sempliċi, aktar effiċjenti u aktar flessibbli. Il-programm jikkonsisti fi tliet komponenti: il-Fond InvestEU, l-InvestEU Advisory Hub u l-Portal InvestEU. Il-Fond InvestEU huwa implimentat permezz ta’ imsieħba finanzjarji li jinvestu f’proġetti bl-użu tal-garanzija tal-baġit tal-UE ta’ €26.2 biljun. Il-garanzija baġitarja tappoġġja l-proġetti ta’ investiment tal-imsieħba, iżżid il-kapaċità tagħhom li jieħdu riskju u b’hekk timmobilizza mill-inqas €372 biljun f’investiment addizzjonali.
Il-Malta Development Bank (MDB) twaqqaf fl-2017 u huwa l-uniku bank promozzjonali ta’ Malta. L-MDB jwettaq ir-rwol promozzjonali tiegħu f’konformità mal-politika pubblika u mal-oġġettiv li jikkontribwixxi lejn żvilupp ekonomiku sostenibbli li minnu jgawdi l-poplu Malti f’oqsma bħall-iżvilupp tas-settur privat, il-ħiliet u t-teknoloġija, l-iżvilupp infrastrutturali, l-ekonomija sostenibbli u s-servizzi fil-komunità.
Kuntatti tal-Media
BEI
Lorenzo Squintani, l.squintani@eib.org, mobile: +39 366 57 90 312
Website: www.eib.org/press — Uffiċċju tal-Istampa: +352 4379 21000
MDB
Joseph Darmanin, joseph.c.darmanin@mdb.org.mt, tel: +356 2226 1700