Exploring Research Grant (2024) Regulations, 2024

L.N. 50 of 2024

MALTA ENTERPRISE ACT

(CAP. 463)

Exploring Research Grant (2024) Regulations, 2024

IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred by article 5 of the Malta

Enterprise Act, the Minister responsible for Malta Enterprise, has

made the following regulations:-

(1) The title of these regulations is Exploring Research

Grant (2024) Regulations, 2024.

(2) These regulations shall be deemed to have come into force

on 1st January 2024.

In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires

"Act" means the Malta Enterprise Act;

"Corporation" means Malta Enterprise as established in

article 7 of the Act;

"eligible costs" means that expenditure that may qualify for

assistance in terms of these regulations and as shall be further

established in the Guidelines;

"experimental development" shall have the meaning

assigned to it in Article 2(86) of the Commission Regulation

(EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories

of aid compatible with the internal market in application of

Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty, as amended from time to

time;

"feasibility study" shall have the meaning assigned to it in

Article 2(87) of the Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014

of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible

with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of

the Treaty, as amended from time to time;

"Guidelines" means the Guidelines as may be published by

the Corporation, from time to time, in accordance with the Act,

establishing the parameters of implementing the aid granted by

virtue of these regulations;

"industrial research" shall have the meaning assigned to it

in Article 2(85) of the Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/

2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid

compatible with the internal market in application of Articles

107 and 108 of the Treaty, as amended from time to time;

"large undertaking" means any enterprise that does not

qualify as a small undertaking or a medium-sized undertaking;

"medium-sized undertaking" and "small undertaking" shall

have the meaning assigned to them by Annex I of Commission

Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain

categories of aid compatible with the internal market in

application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty, as amended

from time to time;

"undertaking" shall have the same meaning assigned to it in

the Act.

Where the Corporation is satisfied that an undertaking Aid for

requires aid to carry out a feasibility study in preparation of industrial feasibility

studies.

research and experimental development activities, the Corporation

may provide such an undertaking with financial assistance in

accordance with the terms and conditions established in the

Guidelines.

The Corporation may support an undertaking to carry out a Financial

feasibility study with a cash grant, which shall not exceed one hundred Support.

thousand euro (€100,000) and shall be capped at

(a) fifty per cent (50%) of eligible costs if the

undertaking is a large undertaking;

(b) sixty per cent (60%) of eligible costs if the

undertaking is a medium-sized undertaking;

(c) seventy per cent (70%) of eligible costs if the

undertaking is a small undertaking.

(1) The Corporation shall establish a deadline for the Deadline for

submission of

submission of applications in the Guidelines.

applications for

aid.

(2) Aid shall not be granted in accordance with these

regulations by the Corporation after the 31 st December 2026.

(3) The Corporation may suspend applications if the overall

budget earmarked in a specific year for aid in accordance to these

regulations was allocated.

In the eventuality that a new scheme is issued, the

Transitory

provision.

provisions in respect of which the aid was granted prior to the issuance

of the new scheme shall continue to apply thereto.

€0.27