Malta grants for AI and automation: what a small business can actually claim

Search for "AI funding Malta" and you will find a lot of headline percentages and very little about how the money actually moves. Here is the practical version for a small construction, property or trades company.

Two schemes, two different jobs

1. Business Reports for SMEs (ERDF Business Enhance). This scheme pays for the diagnosis. It supports a professional review of how your business runs: a 5,000 euro eligible report, with a 4,000 euro lump-sum grant, which is 80 percent of the cost.

2. Digitalise Your SME. This scheme can co-fund the build that follows, at around 50 percent, for qualifying digital investments. Eligibility and caps are set by the scheme, so check the current call.

The sequence matters. The first scheme tells you what to build and in what order. The second can help pay for building it.

How the money flows

Grants like this are usually reimbursements, not upfront payments:

1. Approval comes first. The application goes in before any work starts. Work done before approval is not eligible.
2. You pay the provider for the report and keep the invoice and proof of payment.
3. You file the claim and the Measures and Support Division refunds the grant amount to you.

So you need to be able to front the cost until the refund lands. On a 5,000 euro report with a 4,000 euro refund, your net cost is 1,000 euro.

Who it suits

• Companies with a real admin load: quotes, invoices, follow-ups, supplier paperwork.
• Owners who want the diagnosis independent of a sales pitch.
• Businesses that can wait for approval and a reimbursement cycle.

It does not suit anyone who needs something running next week. For that, a standard Operational Audit is faster.

What a good report should contain

A funded report is only worth the grant if it gives you decisions. Look for:

• A map of where the owner is the bottleneck, with hours, not adjectives.
• A ranked list of what to fix first and the expected payback.
• A clear recommendation you could hand to any competent builder.
• An honest market comparison, because the scheme requires one.

Where Alphatech fits

The grant is paid to you, not to the provider. Read the full walk-through on our grants page.

FAQ

Is the grant paid upfront?

No. You pay the provider, keep the invoice and proof of payment, then claim the refund.

Can the grant pay for building the automation itself?

Not the Business Reports scheme. It funds the report. The build can qualify under a separate scheme such as Digitalise Your SME, subject to its own rules.

What are the available business grants in Malta?

Malta Enterprise, fondi.eu and the Measures and Support Division publish current calls. Schemes change, so check the live listing before you plan around one.

How do I get funding for AI?

Start with a funded diagnostic so the investment is scoped, then apply for build support where the project qualifies.