The new Micro Invest 2026–2030 Scheme, administered by Malta Enterprise, supports eligible businesses, including start-ups, family businesses, social enterprises and self-employed persons, that invest in developing, expanding and improving their operations.
Support is provided in the form of a tax credit calculated on eligible business expenditure, including qualifying investment and increases in wage costs. The new scheme applies to eligible expenditure incurred from 1 January 2026 and introduces substantially higher rates of support than the previous Micro Invest scheme. Applications under the new measure may be submitted from 1 January 2027.
Malta Enterprise may approve a tax credit equivalent to:
The maximum tax credit is €65,000 per Applicant Undertaking over any three-year period. This limit may be increased by an additional €20,000, bringing the potential maximum to €85,000, for applicants that are:
The support is also subject to EU State Aid rules. Total de minimis aid granted to a Single Undertaking may not exceed €300,000 over any period of three consecutive years.
The scheme is open to eligible undertakings that, at the time of application:
A self-employed person who is duly registered with Jobsplus is considered to satisfy the minimum employment requirement.
What expenditure can qualify for Micro Invest?
The new scheme provides support across several areas of business investment.
New Tangible Assets
Qualifying new tangible assets may include industrial machinery, electro-mechanical equipment, digital equipment. furniture and office furniture, apertures, including internal and external doors, windows and balconies, signage and shop windows, certain qualifying commercial and passenger vehicles, qualifying commercial vessels and qualifying aircraft.
Specific conditions apply to vehicles, vessels and aircraft. For example, support for certain commercial vehicle categories is restricted to particular business activities. For investment costs, Malta Enterprise will only consider individual invoices of at least €500 excluding VAT. VAT, import duties and other taxes are excluded from the eligible amount.
Refurbishment of Business Premises
Qualifying expenditure may include structural and finishing works carried out on business premises. The scheme requires specific supporting documentation, including a Bill of Quantities certified by a warranted Perit. A CPA or warranted Perit must also confirm the beneficiary’s title to the premises and that the premises are used exclusively for the applicant’s business activity. A warranted Perit must further confirm that the site meets the applicable legal requirements and is appropriately licensed for the business activity carried out there.
Digital Solutions, Software and Websites
Micro Invest 2026–2030 also supports eligible investment in business digitalisation. Qualifying expenditure may include packaged software solutions, customisation and setup of Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions including the first 12 months of qualifying SaaS licence payments, development and customisation of software systems, website development, digital applications, website accessibility improvements, and certain maintenance and hosting costs linked to the procurement or development of a new solution. Ongoing subscription renewals, ordinary hosting and maintenance expenditure that do not meet the scheme requirements are not eligible.
Wage Costs
The new scheme includes specific support for qualifying increases in wage costs. An eligible undertaking may apply for a tax credit on an increase in the wage costs of its full-time employees. The increase is calculated according to specific comparison rules established in the Guidelines and the eligible increase must exceed €5,000 for support to be considered.
Support may be granted as a tax credit of up to 65%, with the applicable additional rate for qualifying Gozo undertakings.
Additional support for long-serving employees
Micro Invest 2026–2030 also introduces support aimed at businesses that increase the wages of established employees. A fiscal top-up may be available for wage increases registered in 2026 and 2027 for employees who have worked for the applicant for more than four years.
The wage increase must be at least 3% per annum, which may include the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA).
Maximum additional annual support is:
Support for the second year is available only where the employee’s wage is maintained or further increased.
When can a business apply for Micro Invest?
The new scheme introduces a more flexible application system. An undertaking may submit one application per year. An application may include eligible expenditure incurred during the previous three consecutive calendar years, provided the expenditure falls within the scheme’s eligibility period and no previous application has already been submitted and approved in relation to the years being claimed.
There is an open submission period, rather than the previous system of primary and late annual deadlines, and applications under Micro Invest 2026–2030 may be submitted from 1 January 2027 through Malta Enterprise’s Client Portal.
Businesses may engage a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to assist with their Micro Invest application in accordance with technical guidance issued by Malta Enterprise and the Malta Institute of Accountants. Applications completed by a CPA in accordance with the technical guidance are expected to be processed within four weeks from submission.
Applications that are not completed by a CPA in accordance with the guidance, or are only partially completed by a CPA, require a minimum of six months to process. A CPA is also required to review and confirm costs claimed in relation to qualifying increases in wage costs and employee retention.
Not all business expenditure qualifies for Micro Invest. In particular, businesses should note that individual investment invoices must generally be at least €500 excluding VAT, systems intended to produce alternative energy are not covered, the number of eligible mobile phones, tablets and laptop computers of each type is limited to the number of full-time employees, the same expenditure cannot be supported twice through different public funding measures, ongoing software subscription renewals and ordinary operating expenditure are generally excluded; and supporting documentation relating to the application must be retained for 10 years from the issue of the Tax Credit Certificate.
Tax credits must be utilised against profits derived from the beneficiary undertaking’s trade or business activity by the fifth year of assessment from the year of assessment identified in the Tax Credit Certificate.
At Fairwinds Management, we can assist businesses and self-employed persons in assessing their eligibility for Micro Invest 2026–2030 and preparing their application. Our assistance can include reviewing eligible expenditure, assessing wage-cost claims, checking supporting invoices and documentation, reviewing applicable de minimis aid and assisting with the preparation and submission of the Micro Invest application.
