The Malta Development Bank (MDB) has launched new schemes aimed at strengthening its support for Maltese businesses, with a focus on environmental sustainability and the cultural and creative sector.
These new schemes, backed by the InvestEU programme through the European Investment Fund (EIF), mark a strategic expansion of MDB’s financial instruments. The Sustainability Schemes will support projects that promote environmental goals, while the Cultural & Creative Sector Scheme will provide targeted financing to businesses in Malta’s dynamic creative industries.
Both Bank of Valletta (BOV) and HSBC Bank Malta will begin offering loans under the MDB’s sustainability-related products. HSBC will also serve as an intermediary for the scheme related to the Cultural and Creative sectors, whilst a third bank is expected to join in the coming months.
“This launch reflects our strong commitment to sustainability and targeted support for key growth sectors,” said Alison Micallef, Chief Executive Officer of the MDB.
Chairman Leo Brincat added: “Embedding sustainability in our financial system builds a more resilient, forward-looking economy. Targeted support for creative sectors drives lasting and meaningful growth.”
The launch of these schemes follows the successful renewal of MDB’s two flagship programmes: the Guaranteed Co-Lending Scheme (GCLS) and the SME Guarantee Scheme (SGS). For more information, eligibility and related details, click here.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Who can apply for support under these new schemes?
All SMEs in Malta are eligible to apply for these loan schemes, subject to specific eligibility criteria.
For the Cultural and Creative Sector Scheme, eligibility includes businesses operating within designated NACE sectors: the EU’s official classification system for economic activities. Certain prohibited sectors and activities also apply.
For the Sustainability Scheme, small enterprises (with up to 500 employees) may also apply, with no restrictions on turnover or balance sheet size.
2. How much financing is available for each scheme?
A portfolio of loans of around €44 million, depending on the take-up under different schemes.
3. What types of projects qualify as environmentally sustainable?
Eligible investments must support projects classified as green investments, including climate change mitigation and adaptation, the transition to a circular economy, the sustainable use and management of natural resources, the reduction of environmental impact, and the protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems.
In addition, investments aimed at improving the accessibility of services, products, and infrastructure, developing assistive technologies, or making an organisation and its premises accessible to persons with disabilities are also eligible.
There are other technical details that make an investment project sustainable or not under this Guarantee. These can be found on a dedicated tool.
Investments related to energy efficiency and renewable energy generally fall within these eligible categories. Examples include favourable loan terms for zero-emission commercial vehicles (such as electric vans and heavy-duty electric vehicles), installation of photovoltaic panels, and the replacement of air conditioning systems with more energy-efficient alternatives.
4. What kinds of businesses fall under the “cultural and creative sector”?
To be eligible for the Cultural and Creative Sector scheme, a business must operate in specific sectors listed under EU guidelines. These sectors are identified using official codes (NACE codes), as required by the European Investment Fund (EIF).
The eligible NACE codes can be found here, on page five.
Examples include architecture studios, libraries and museums, artistic crafts, audiovisual services (including film, television, video games and multimedia), printing, festivals, music and radio.
5. How do these new schemes differ from the existing GCLS and SGS?
While they operate through the same framework, these dedicated schemes offer even lower lending rates, and improved access to larger companies.
6. How does the collaboration between the Malta Development Bank and its partner banks operate, and which institution should clients approach to access the new sub-schemes?
Currently, the MDB’s two intermediating partner banks are Bank of Valletta (BOV) and HSBC Bank Malta. A third bank will soon also offer these new schemes in the MDB’s line-up. Prospective clients can approach our intermediating partner banks directly asking about these products.
For projects exceeding €1 million under the Sustainability scheme, prospective clients can either contact both BOV and HSBC, or the MDB directly, as in such cases the MDB provides co-financing under the Guaranteed Co-Lending Scheme.
7. What is the role of the European Investment Fund (EIF) and InvestEU in this?
Through the European Investment Fund (EIF), the MDB receives the financial and operational support needed to work with local banks, share risk, and make it easier for businesses to access financing.
Because these loans are backed by the EU, banks can offer better terms to businesses, such as lower interest rates or reduced collateral.
The support comes through InvestEU, a European programme that ensures funded projects help achieve key EU goals, such as protecting the environment (Green Deal), encouraging innovation, supporting digital growth, and promoting social inclusion.
Therefore these two schemes demonstrate how the MDB acts as a gateway to EU support for businesses.
8. How will MDB track the impact of these schemes on the economy?
The MDB must meet strict reporting standards as part of its agreements with the European Investment Fund (EIF) and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
The impact of the schemes will be tracked using key indicators, such as the number of loans issued, total financing made available, and the number of jobs created or protected. For sustainability-focused projects, sector-specific indicators, such as the amount of CO₂ emissions avoided, will help measure environmental benefits.
Regular reporting will be supported by case studies, audits, and independent evaluations, helping to assess the added value of the schemes and guide future policy and programme improvements.
L-MDB b’Impenn lejn Negozji Sostenibbli u Kreattivi
Skemi ġodda mnedija mill-Malta Development Bank (MDB) se jsaħħu l-appoġġ lejn in-negozji Maltin u Għawdxin, b’enfasi fuq is-sostenibbiltà ambjentali u s-settur kulturali u kreattiv.
Il-MDB nieda dawn l-iskemi b’appoġġ mill-programm InvestEU permezz tal-Fond Ewropew għall-Investiment (EIF). B’hekk, il-Bank jimmarka espansjoni strateġika tal-għajnuna li joffri lin-negozji.
L-iskemi ta’ sostenibbiltà jappoġġjaw proġetti li jippromwovu għanijiet ambjentali u għanijiet usa’ bħall-aċċessibbiltà, filwaqt li l-iskema marbuta mas-settur kulturali se tgħin lill-industriji kreattivi dinamiċi ta’ Malta.
Kemm il-Bank of Valletta (BOV) kif ukoll HSBC Bank Malta se jibdew joffru self taħt il-prodotti relatati mas-sostenibbiltà tal-MDB. HSBC se jservi wkoll bħala intermedjarju għall-iskema relatata mal-kultura. It-tielet bank mistenni jissieħeb fix-xhur li ġejjin.
“Dan il-pass mhux biss jirrifletti impenn qawwi lejn setturi ewlenin ta’ tkabbir, imma jirrifletti wkoll l-interess tagħna fit-tip ta’ tkabbir li nappoġġjaw,” qalet Alison Micallef, Kap Eżekuttiv tal-MDB.
Iċ-Chairman Leo Brincat żied jgħid: “Meta fis-settur finanzjarju nagħtu prijorità lis-sostenibbiltà, inkunu qed nibnu ekonomija aktar reżiljenti, li jimpurtaha mill-ġejjieni. L-MDB iservi bħala pont biex negozji jaċċessaw is-self li jeħtieġu minn banek kummerċjali, biex jikbru b’mod sostenibbli.”
It-tnedija ta’ dawn l-iskemi ssegwi t-tiġdid b’suċċess taż-żewġ programmi ewlenin tal-MDB: il-Guaranteed Co-Lending Scheme (GCLS) u l-SME Guarantee Scheme (SGS).
Għal aktar informazzjoni, eliġibbiltà u dettalji relatati, agħfas hawn.
MISTOQSIJIET FREKWENTI
1. Min jista’ japplika għall-appoġġ taħt dawn l-iskemi l-ġodda?
In-negozji żgħar u medji kollha f’Malta huma eliġibbli biex japplikaw għal dawn l-iskemi ta’ self, suġġetti għal kriterji speċifiċi ta’ eliġibbiltà.
Għall-iskema tas-settur kulturali u kreattiv, l-eliġibbiltà tinkludi negozji li joperaw fi ħdan setturi NACE, li hija s-sistema ta’ klassifikazzjoni uffiċjali tal-UE għal attivitajiet ekonomiċi. Għall-iskema ta’ sostenibbiltà, intrapriżi b’massimu ta’ 500 impjegat jistgħu japplikaw ukoll, mingħajr ebda restrizzjoni fuq it-turnover jew id-daqs tal-balance sheet.
Tajjeb ngħidu li hemm ukoll ċerti setturi u attivitajiet ipprojbiti.
2. Kemm hemm finanzjament disponibbli għal kull skema?
Portafoll ta’ self ta’ madwar €44 miljun, skont il-livell ta’ parteċipazzjoni taħt skemi differenti.
3. X’tipi ta’ proġetti jitqiesu bħala ambjentalment sostenibbli?
Proġetti jitqiesu eliġibbli jekk jgħinu lill-ambjent b’mod konkret, bħal ngħidu aħna billi jnaqqsu l-emissjonijiet, jgħinu biex il-pajjiż iħejji għat-tibdil fil-klima, jippromwovu ekonomija aktar ċirkolari, jew iħarsu r-riżorsi naturali u l-bijodiversità.
Investimenti li jagħmlu servizzi, prodotti jew bini aktar aċċessibbli għal persuni b’diżabilità huma wkoll permessi, speċjalment jekk jinvolvu teknoloġiji ta’ assistenza jew titjib fl-infrastruttura.
Hemm ukoll dettalji tekniċi oħra li jiddeterminaw jekk proġett huwiex sostenibbli jew le. Normalment, proġetti relatati mal-effiċjenza enerġetika u l-użu ta’ enerġija rinnovabbli, bħal self għal vetturi elettriċi jew installazzjoni ta’ pannelli solari, jiġu aċċettati.
4. X’tipi ta’ negozji jaqgħu taħt is-settur kulturali u kreattiv?
Biex negozju jkun eliġibbli għall-iskema tas-settur kulturali u kreattiv, jeħtieġ li jopera f’setturi speċifiċi elenkati fil-linji gwida tal-UE. Dawn is-setturi huma definiti permezz ta’ kodiċi uffiċjali (NACE), kif mitlub mill-Fond Ewropew għall-Investiment (EIF).
Għal aktar dettalji, żur paġna 5 f’dan id-dokument.
Eżempji jinkludu kumpaniji fl-arkitettura, libreriji, mużewijiet, negozji fl-artiġjanat artistiku, servizzi awdjoviżivi (inklużi l-films, it-televiżjoni, il-logħob virtwali u l-multimedja), l-istampar, oqsma realtati ma’ festivals, il-mużika u r-radju.
5. Dawn l-iskemi l-ġodda kif inhuma differenti mill-GCLS u l-SGS eżistenti?
Filwaqt li joperaw taħt l-istess qafas, dawn l-iskemi ddedikati joffru rati ta’ self saħansitra aktar baxxi u aċċess imtejjeb għal kumpaniji akbar.
6. Kif topera l-kollaborazzjoni bejn l-MDB u l-banek imsieħba tiegħu, u liema istituzzjoni għandhom javviċinaw il-klijenti biex jaċċessaw l-iskemi l-ġodda?
Bħalissa, iż-żewġ banek imsieħba intermedjarji tal-MDB huma l-Bank of Valletta (BOV) u HSBC Bank Malta. It-tielet bank dalwaqt se joffri dawn l-iskemi l-ġodda wkoll fiż-żmien li ġej.
Klijenti prospettivi jistgħu javviċinaw lill-banek sħab intermedjarji tagħna billi jistaqsu direttament dwar dawn il-prodotti.
Għal proġetti li jaqbżu l-€1 miljun taħt is-Sustainability Scheme, klijenti prospettivi jistgħu jew jikkuntattjaw kemm lill-BOV kif ukoll lill-HSBC, jew lill-MDB direttament, peress li f’każijiet bħal dawn, l-MDB tipprovdi ko-finanzjament taħt il-Guaranteed Co – lending Scheme.
7. X’inhu r-rwol tal-Fond Ewropew għall-Investiment u InvestEU f’dan kollu?
Permezz tal-Fond Ewropew għall-Investiment (EIF), l-MDB jirċievi l-appoġġ finanzjarju u operazzjonali meħtieġ biex jaħdem mal-banek lokali, jikkondividi r-riskju, u jagħmilha aktar faċli għan-negozji biex jaċċessaw il-finanzjament.
Minħabba li dan is-self huwa appoġġat mill-UE, il-banek jistgħu joffru termini aħjar lin-negozji, bħar-rati tal-imgħax aktar baxxi jew kollateral imnaqqas.
L-appoġġ jiġi permezz ta’ InvestEU, programm Ewropew li jiżgura li l-proġetti ffinanzjati jgħinu biex jintlaħqu l-għanijiet ewlenin tal-UE, bħall-protezzjoni tal-ambjent (Green Deal), l-inkoraġġiment tal-innovazzjoni, l-appoġġ għat-tkabbir diġitali, u l-promozzjoni tal-inklużjoni soċjali.
Għalhekk, dawn iż-żewġ skemi juru kif l-MDB jaġixxi bħala pont għall-appoġġ tal-Unjoni Ewropea lejn in-negozji.
8. L-MDB kif se jsegwi l-impatt ta’ dawn l-iskemi fuq l-ekonomija?
L-MDB jrid jilħaq standards stretti ta’ rappurtaġġ bħala parti mill-ftehimiet tagħha mal-Fond Ewropew għall-Investiment u l-Bank Ewropew tal-Investiment.
L-impatt tal-iskemi jiġi mkejjel bl-użu ta’ indikaturi ewlenin, bħall-għadd ta’ self maħruġ, il-finanzjament totali li jsir disponibbli, u l-għadd ta’ impjiegi li jinħolqu jew li jiġu mħarsa. Għal proġetti ffukati fuq is-sostenibbiltà, indikaturi speċifiċi għas-settur, bħall-ammont ta’ emissjonijiet ta’ CO₂ evitati, jgħinu biex jitkejlu l-benefiċċji ambjentali.
Ir-rappurtar regolari se jkun appoġġat minn case studies, eżerċizzji ta’ awditjar u evalwazzjonijiet indipendenti. Dawn kollha jgħinu biex jitkejjel il-valur miżjud tal-iskemi u jiggwidaw it-titjib futur ta’ programmi ġodda.