The SME Fund, a European Commission initiative implemented by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has been launched once again this year and will run from 23 January 2023 to 8 December 2023. Funds are limited and available on a first come, first served basis.
The SME Fund offers financial support to SMEs established in the European Union. The application can be filed by an owner, an employee or an authorised representative of an EU SME acting on its behalf.
In this regard, the Commerce Department is collaborating with the EUIPO to offer financial support/grants to those SMEs by providing 75% reimbursement of trademark and design fees at EU and national level. The grant consists of a partial reimbursement of costs to the beneficiary, up to a maximum of €1,000 per beneficiary in the case of trademarks and designs. Vouchers related to patents are financed by the European Commission’s financial contribution, and the modalities are still being fine tuned.
Applicants can apply at any point in time from 23 January 2023 to 8 December 2023.
It is important to note that vouchers are not retroactive, costs for activities executed before getting the grant decision cannot be reimbursed.
Should all the funds be used before the end of the call submission period, the online application system (eForm) will be closed and applicants will be informed accordingly on the SME FUND website.
A study conducted by the Malta Chamber of SMEs in collaboration with Misco among 237 business owners shows that 60% of SMEs in Malta in 2022 increased their total turnover when compared to the previous year. 22% replied that the turnover during 2022 remained the same and 17% replied that the turnover decreased when compared to 2021.
The main reasons for the increase in sales in 2022 were attributed to the “end of Covid-19 restrictions”, “more stability compared to 2021” and “more consumer confidence”, among others.
The survey which was part of the SME Barometer® was carried out between the 12th and 27th of January 2023 amongst business owners. The SME Barometer® will present quarterly surveys which give insights through scientific data on economic trends, business sentiment and state of enterprises in Malta.
The press conference was addressed by SME Chamber President Mr Paul Abela, Vice-President Mr Marcel Mizzi, Deputy President Mr Philip Fenech and CEO Ms Abigail Agius Mamo and Misco founder Mr Lawrence Zammit.
According to the Business performance survey, 39% of the businesses reported that 2022 was better than 2019 as the pre Cov id period, 15% reported that 2022 was equivalent to 2019, 17% replied that 2022 was close to 2019 and 29% replied that 2022 was below 2019 or still far off from 2019.
Asked about their biggest concerns for the year, businesses said they were seriously concerned about the increases in costs in general, the increasing wage costs, labour and employees shortage, effects of Ukraine-Russia crisis and the energy prices, should subsidy stop, among others.
Refering to plans for 2023, 29% of the businesses replied they plan to stay the same while 21% replied they intend to expand your business in Malta.
Malta Chamber of SMEs CEO Ms Abigail Agius Mamo and Head of Policy Mr Andrew Aquilina met officials from the Malta Digital Innovation Authority – MDIA to discuss the foreseen changes to the legislation and plans ahead.
MDIA have recently launched the Mind the Gap scheme, targeted to enhance cyber resilience in digital commerce.
The Malta Chamber of SMEs organised an online information session for its members about the Customs Malta new IT system as during 2023 the Customs department will be introducing changes in its IT systems which will bring about a number of changes to the current procedure.
The aim of this to achieve a paperless customs environment by 2025.
As part of The EU customs work programme shall see the implementation of all customs procedures using electronic data-processing techniques. A new coding system and new data requirements according to the EU Customs Data Model (EUCDM) shall feature in the new Automated Import System (AIS).
During this information session, the Malta Chamber of SMEs, together with the Customs Department highlighted these changes.
The 2023 annual competition for the WIPO Global Awards is searching for exceptional small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of creators, inventors, and designers that are making smart use of intellectual property rights to achieve their business goals while also harnessing their innovation and creativity for the good of society.
The 2023 competition will run until the 31 March.
It is open to SMEs from around the world, active in all sectors of the economy – be that technology, agriculture, the creative industries or beyond, with applications using all forms of IP, ranging from copyright, to trademarks, patents, and geographical indications.
Malta Chamber of SMEs Deputy President Philip Fenech and CEO Ms Abigail Agius Mamo earlier today met new MCESD – Malta Council for Economic and Social Development chairperson Perit David Xuereb.
During this meeting, the SME Chamber congratulated Mr Xuereb on this new role and discussed ideas and proposals for improving and strengthening social dialogue in Malta.
The SME Barometer® will be the official indicator on the state of business in Malta
The Malta Chamber of SMEs has today launched the SME Barometer®in collaboration with MISCO. The SME Barometer® will present quarterly surveys which give insights through scientific data on economic trends, business sentiment and state of enterprises in Malta.
Malta Chamber of SMEs CEO, Ms. Abigail Agius Mamo said that “the SME Chamber conducts regular research with its members and we are proud to enhance an already successful practice through our collaboration with MISCO. MISCO is surely a household name in research, which is synonymous with excellence and of admirable repute. The SME Chamber is therefore proud to partner with MISCO to bring to the fore economic and social indicators for the benefit and service of the business community and the country as a whole.”
Data gathered will be made available to the general public and will provide visibility on the most important issues our country and enterprises are facing periodically. The SME Barometer® will also be key in identifying future threats and propose ways on how these can be mitigated.
MISCO founding partner, Mr. Lawrence Zammit, said “over the last 40 years MISCO has sought to contribute to a better understanding of Malta’s business environment. MISCO is proud to collaborate with the Malta Chamber of SMEs through its expertise and insight on this project, which it hopes will become a point of reference for the business sector and for policy makers.”
The first joint survey conducted will be the annual business performance survey published shortly, later on in January.
The Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise,together with the Malta Chamber of SMEs and other social partners, launched an information campaign promoting energy efficiency for businesses in Malta and Gozo.
The campaign, ‘Be Efficient. Save Energy!’ will provide guidance on how different economic sectors can reduce energy consumption in their operations.
With the participation of nine associations representing the island’s principal economic sectors, this campaign was planned in response to these organisations’ proposal to participate in the government’s efforts to promote responsible energy use.
“After launching the educational campaign for efficient energy use in households and introducing energy saving initiatives for the public sector, we were approached by some associations who wanted to help in this initiative. In this regard, the government had already embarked on its plan to ensure energy price stability. Therefore, as a ministry we worked to develop an information campaign on sustainable and efficient energy use,” explained Minister for theEnvironment, Energy and Enterprise Miriam Dalli.
The campaign will be spread over several months and will see business and professional organisations sharing suggestions with their members, on how they can consume less energy, according to their sector, and explain how with small changes and environmental investments can lead to drastic reductions in energy costs and carbon footprint.
Thus, with the use of social media, e-newsletters, television adverts and other communications, this campaign will encourage more businesses to join in this initiative towards modern and sustainable operations, which will ultimately lead to a more sustainable future in energyconsumption.
On an international level, 2022 was a critical year for the energy sector, as energy prices reached unprecedent levels. In Malta, the government worked to ensure stability, a commitment which was also sustained in this year’s budget. At thesame time, the environment ministry is committed to continue pushing forward its policy and vision for increased investment in renewable energy, efficiency and sustainable technologies. This also includes several support schemes by different entities within the same ministry.
“Through this campaign we are presenting businesses with energy saving tips chosen by technical experts working in different sectors.We strongly believe that after witnessing the challenges experienced by other countries because of the ongoing energy crisis, everyone acknowledges the importance of energy efficiency,” stated Minister Miriam Dalli.More information about this campaign can be obtained from the websites of the participating associations.
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“You should focus on your business while we focus on the technology you need to drive your business. Our solutions will turbo-charge your operations and enable true omnichannel retail. This is the future of retail, and ZeroBubble is 100% committed to helping you have a smooth transition.” comments Luke from the implementation team at ZeroBubble.
Discover ZeroBubble’s various packages for SMEs of different sizes, ambitions and industry verticals.
About ZeroBubble
ZeroBubble is a retail tech hub for Small to Medium Retail Businesses. We provide cash register hardware, supplies and rental services with a state-of-the-art service centre to cater for repairs and reprogramming cash registers. We also offer the latest Cloud POS Solutions for the retail industry and Hospitality. In addition, we supply commodity accessories such as receipt rolls, cash till drawers, barcode scanners, retail hardware, and more.
Visit our outlet at 1 Marina Street Pieta outlet (corner with Telgha ta Gwadamangia) and find out how we can future-proof your business.
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