Access to Finance (Soft Loan)

Malta Enterprise have launched a new scheme entitled, Access to Finance Scheme (hereinafter the ‘Scheme’) in the form of a soft loan, that covers up to 75% of the costs related to projects undertaken by eligible limited liability companies engaged in manufacturing or service activities.

Eligible projects

The Scheme supports the following types of projects:

1. Development or expansion projects based on a business plan prepared in order to develop a new product or enter a new geographic market;
2. Projects which address environmental issues such as water usage, water treatment, waste treatment, reduction and reuse;
3. Projects intended to optimise business processes through digitalisation and advanced technologies; or
4. Projects aimed to achieve a high level of sustainability.

Supported projects must be completed within 18 months and will be assessed in terms of their potential contribution to the Maltese economy.

The soft loan

The soft loan shall be secured by a special hypothec covering at least 50% of the loan amount. The loan amount, which may cover up to 75% of costs related to the proposed project including the procurement of assets, wage costs, knowhow and other non-recurring costs, shall not exceed €1,000,000 or €500,000 and must be repaid over a five or ten year term respectively.

A fixed interest rate, that will be established following the consideration of the project and the current European Central Bank reference rate, and which is not lower than 0.5% , shall be charged by Malta Enterprise, who may also consider a moratorium of not more than 24 months.

The loan shall be deemed to have a gross grant equivalent of €200,000 as a de minimis type of aid, prorated for loans for lower amounts and/or shorter repayment terms than those indicated above. The amount not covered by the loan must be financed through a commercial bank loan and/or the utilisation of the company’s reserves deposited for this purpose with a bank.

Applications

Applications must be submitted prior to the commencement of the project and shall be submitted to Malta Enterprise by 31 October 2023.

How can we help?

Deloitte Malta is able to assist in answering your queries, so please do not hesitate to reach out to us for any further guidance you may require.

In addition, Deloitte Malta is able to assist with the preparation of the required applications and any supporting documentation, as well as document submission and any required follow-ups.