Schemes
Promotion of Energy Audits in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises
Extended Scheme
The Promotion of Energy Audits in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Scheme has been extended through 2021 and the new deadline is 31st December, 2021
The Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) identifies SMEs as target enterprises forming part of policy which drives towards increased energy efficiency. The Energy and Water Agency is the entity that administers the implementation of Regulation 10 of the transposition of the EED, that is, the Regulation related to energy auditing in the Energy Efficiency and Co-Generation Regulations (S.L. 545.16).
The Promotion of Energy Audits in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Scheme is divided into two sections, here referred to as Scheme A and Scheme B. The first is eligible to enterprises that are listed under the De Minimis Regulation whilst the latter is for enterprises eligible under the General Block Exemption Regulation.
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Grant [up to] |
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Category 1 |
Medium Sized Enterprises in the NACE Code C and I | €5,000 |
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Category 2 |
Medium Sized Enterprises in all other NACE Codes |
€3,000 |
| Category 3 | Small Sized Enterprises in all NACE Codes |
€1,000 |
Enterprises are invited to apply through the official Application Form for an energy audit, to the level and detail as outlined in the Schedule Section of Government Notice No. 19974 (as amended), raised by a certified energy auditor chosen from the list of energy auditors which can be accessed on the website of the Regulator for Energy and Water Sources (REWS). After reviewing the application, the Agency will inform the enterprise that it can proceed with the audit. Once the energy audit is complete and submitted to the Energy and Water Agency, the latter will ensure that the report meets the minimum requirements as detailed in the previously mentioned Schedule. If the report meets the minimum requirements set out, the enterprise will receive the amount invoiced by the certified energy auditor capped up to the amount indicated in the same Government Notice.
Through cooperation with the Malta Business Bureau, the Energy and Water Agency has been in direct contract with the industry. Both parties acknowledge that through energy audits, small and medium sized enterprises with high energy consumption, may engage with professionals certified in this field in order to analyze and outline an energy review of the entity’s activities. Through the energy audit, the business will identify actions and investments that may be carried out in order to reduce energy consumption on a daily basis, resulting in lower bills and overall expenditure.
Downloadable Forms
Promotion of Energy Audits in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Scheme – Scheme A applications under the De Minimis Regulation (Commission Regulation No. 1407/ 2013).
Promotion of Energy Audits in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Scheme – Scheme B applications under the General Block Exemption Regulation.
Support Scheme for Research and Innovation Projects in the Fields of Energy and Water – 2021
APPLICATION PERIOD IS NOW OPEN
Government Notice 367 from Government Gazzette 20,590 can be found here.
Overview
The R&I Scheme seeks to support R&I projects whose objectives are in line with national policies and seek to contribute in a tangible manner to addressing one of the following:
- A national policy priority or challenge in the energy and water sectors; or
- Economic competitiveness and growth in a variety of national sectors, from an energy and water perspective.
The selection and funding of proposals under this Scheme shall be on a competitive basis.
The focus is on projects at oriented-basic research and applied research to experimental design stage, that is projects at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 2-6, with a duration ranging between eighteen and twenty-four (18-24) months.
Target projects may fall in a range of disciplines, from engineering and natural sciences to social and behavioural sciences, big data and artificial intelligence.
Seven overarching topics have been identified as priority areas for support. Preference for financial support will be given to the highest scoring proposals within these priority areas; there is no order of preference of the priority areas.
How do I apply?
All information regarding the R&I Scheme can be found in the document “Rules for Participation” which can be downloaded from this webpage.
Section 7 of the Rules details the documentation which is required.
Where templates are required to be submitted, these can be downloaded from this webpage.
The applicants shall ensure complete compliance to the ‘2021 Call for Proposals – Rules for Participation’ prior to submission as no deviations or negotiations are allowed after submission. No late applications will be accepted.
The Application is to be sent electronically to rni-energywateragency@gov.mt
You can download the presentation delivered during the online information session held on the 27th of April 2021 by clicking here.
FAQ
Can preparatory work for a project be carried out before the Project Start Date?
Preparatory work for a project (such as starting procedures for recruitment of new personnel, procurement procedures for purchase of equipment etc.) can begin from the date of signing of the Grant Agreement. However, only costs which are effectively incurred between the Project Start Date and Project End Date can be claimed as an eligible cost.
Can a natural person apply under the 2021 Call for Proposals?
As stated under Section 4 of the Rules for Participation, an Applicant must be an entity, either an individual (single) entity or part of a consortium. A natural person cannot directly apply under the 2021 Call for Proposals.
That being said, a natural person could participate in an R&I project which receives support under the R&I scheme through subcontracting, whereby the individual would be subcontracted by the Project Beneficiary. For more information, refer to Annex I in the Rules for Participation.
Is there a cap on the number of applications that can be submitted by the same entity?
There is no limit on the number of applications which can be submitted by the same entity. However, there must be a clear distinction between resources (including human, financial and technical) allocated to each proposal. Two or more applications which have shared resources (human, financial, or technical) should not be submitted.
Can foreign entities, including those from outside the European Union, apply under the 2021 Call for Proposals, either as a single entity or a budgeted partner in a consortium?
Foreign entities can apply under the 2021 Call for Proposals, either as a single entity or a budgeted partner within a consortium. It must be noted that, as stated in Section 4 of the Rules for Participation, the Applicant (or Lead Partner in the case of a consortium) is required to have an establishment or branch in Malta at the time of payment of the assistance.
Is an Applicant who has already been awarded a project under a different call eligible to apply under the 2021 Call for Proposals?
An entity which has been awarded financial support for a project is eligible to apply under this scheme as long as those costs which are already covered by some form of assistance are distinct from those being applied for under this scheme. Kindly refer to Section 5.5 in the Rules for Participation. Furthermore, it is understood that there is a clear distinction between those resources being allocated to the project proposed under the 2021 Call for Proposals and those already allocated to ongoing projects.
In the application form, a word count is specified for each section of the Project Proposal. When references are made to published work, are these included in the word count?
It is suggested that references are included as footnotes in the Project Proposal; in this case, they would not contribute to the word count.
Can figures be included in the application form under the Project Proposal?
Yes, figures can be inserted in the application form, only under Section 5: Project Proposal. It is suggested that the figure is included directly below the text box in which it is referred to.
Project Beneficiaries will be required to submit an audited End of Project Financial Report. Are the costs to cover the audit considered to be eligible costs, and if so, under which category would they fall?
Section 11.2 of the Rules for Participation states that the End of Project Financial Report shall be audited by independent certified auditors appointed by the Beneficiary. The costs to cover the audit may be considered an eligible cost, falling under sub-contracted costs.
Support Scheme for Research and Innovation Projects in the Fields of Energy and Water – 2020
APPLICATION PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED
Government Notice 1078 can be found here.
Overview
The R&I Scheme seeks to support R&I projects whose objectives are in line with national policies and seek to contribute in a tangible manner to addressing one of the following:
- A national policy priority or challenge in the energy and water sectors; or
- Economic competitiveness and growth in a variety of national sectors, from an energy and water perspective.
The selection and funding of proposals under this Scheme shall be on a competitive basis.
The focus is on projects at oriented-basic research and applied research to experimental design stage, that is projects at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 2-6, with a duration ranging between eighteen and twenty-four (18-24) months.
Target projects may fall in a range of disciplines, from engineering and natural sciences to social and behavioural sciences, big data and artificial intelligence.
Seven overarching topics have been identified as priority areas for support. Preference for financial support will be given to the highest scoring proposals within these priority areas; there is no order of preference of the priority areas.
How do I apply?
All information regarding the R&I Scheme can be found in the document “Rules for Participation” which can be downloaded from this webpage.
The application procedure is a one-stage process, where applicants submit a full application at the outset of the process. Section 7 of the Rules details the documentation which is required for the project proposal.
Where templates are required to be submitted as part of the proposal, these can be downloaded from this webpage.
The applicants shall ensure complete compliance to the ‘2020 Call for Proposals – Rules for Participation’ prior to submission as no deviations or negotiations are allowed after submission. No late applications will be accepted.
The Application is to be sent electronically to rni-energywateragency@gov.mt with “2020 Call for Proposals – Application Submission” as the subject.
An FAQs section, based on the questions received during an information session held by the Energy and Water Agency on 30th September can be found below. These will be updated periodically based on questions received by the Managing Authority.
FAQ
Once an award offer is made to a Potential Beneficiary, when are projects expected to start?
It is envisaged that projects which have received an offer of support will start not later than three (3) months after the signing of the Grant Agreement. The official Project Start Date will be specified in the Grant Agreement.
Can preparatory work for a project be carried out before the Project Start Date?
Preparatory work for a project (such as starting procedures for recruitment of new personnel, procurement procedures for purchase of equipment etc.) can begin from the date of signing of the Grant Agreement. However, only costs which are effectively incurred between the Project Start Date and Project End Date can be claimed as an eligible cost.
Can a natural person apply under the 2020 Call for Proposals?
As stated under Section 4 of the Rules for Participation, an Applicant must be an entity, either an individual (single) entity or part of a consortium. A natural person cannot directly apply under the 2020 Call for Proposals.
That being said, a natural person could participate in an R&I project which receives support under the R&I scheme through subcontracting, whereby the individual would be subcontracted by the Project Beneficiary. For more information, refer to Annex I in the Rules for Participation.
Is there a deadline for addressing questions regarding the 2020 Call for Proposals to the Managing Authority?
The deadline for submitting questions regarding the 2020 call for Proposals to the Managing Authority via email shall be Friday 23rd October, that is, one (1) week prior to the closing date of the 2020 Call for Proposals. The Managing Authority shall not respond to queries received after this deadline. The Managing Authority shall respond to all such queries by Monday 26th October.
Potential Applicants who wish to schedule proposal-specific one-on-one meetings with the Managing Authority can do so until 1 week before the closing date for this Call. Therefore, the last date on which such meetings can be held is Friday 23rd October 2020.
Is there a cap on the number of applications that can be submitted by the same entity?
There is no limit on the number of applications which can be submitted by the same entity. However, there must be a clear distinction between resources (including human, financial and technical) allocated to each proposal. Two or more applications which have shared resources (human, financial, or technical) should not be submitted.
Can foreign entities, including those from outside the European Union, apply under the 2020 Call for Proposals, either as a single entity or a budgeted partner in a consortium?
Foreign entities can apply under the 2020 Call for Proposals, either as a single entity or a budgeted partner within a consortium. It must be noted that, as stated in Section 4 of the Rules for Participation, the Applicant (or Lead Partner in the case of a consortium) is required to have an establishment or branch in Malta at the time of payment of the assistance.
Is an Applicant who has already been awarded a project under a different call eligible to apply under the 2020 Call for Proposals?
An entity which has been awarded financial support for a project is eligible to apply under this scheme as long as those costs which are already covered by some form of assistance are distinct from those being applied for under this scheme. Kindly refer to Section 5.5 in the Rules for Participation. Furthermore, it is understood that there is a clear distinction between those resources being allocated to the project proposed under the 2020 Call for Proposals and those already allocated to ongoing projects.
Section 7.1. of the Rules for Participation state that in the case of a consortium, the legal representative of each Partner is required to initialise each page of the application forms. Given the timeframe of the application period, is it possible for only the legal representative of the Lead Partner to sign all application forms, without affecting the validity of the application?
No. Given that the application forms entails significant commitments by different partners in the case of a consortium, including key declarations, these can only be considered valid once the legal representatives of all concerned partners sign. An option which can be considered would be for each of the partners to grant a power of attorney, whereby the legal representative of the Lead Partner would be authorised to sign the application on their behalf. In this case, it is only the latter who would be required to sign the documents.
In the application form, a word count is specified for each section of the Project Proposal. When references are made to published work, are these included in the word count?
It is suggested that references are included as footnotes in the Project Proposal; in this case, they would not contribute to the word count.
Can figures be included in the application form under the Project Proposal?
Yes, figures can be inserted in the application form, only under Section 5: Project Proposal. It is suggested that the figure is included directly below the text box in which it is referred to.
Leading sport organisations to higher energy efficiency
All sport organisations that have entered into a Grant Agreement for the Energy Efficiency Scheme for Sport Organisations are being notified that by means of Government Notice no. 514 issued on 22nd May 2020 the agreement period has been extended from 6 months to 8 months, due to the ongoing measures to contain/control COVID-19. Details can be found in the Government Noticed hereunder.
To assist sport organisations in reducing their energy consumption by improving their overall energy performance through an increase in energy efficiency, the Energy and Water Agency, together with SportMalta have launched the ‘Leading sport organisations to higher energy efficiency’ scheme.
Sport organisations duly registered with Sport Malta who own their premises or are using Government property as their premises can benefit from this scheme.
Interventions that are considered eligible for this scheme include, improvements in equipment efficiency, energy related building envelope improvement, reduction of energy consumption for heating and cooling systems, improvement of lighting efficiency and any other action which is expected to result in energy savings of at least 20%.
The minimum eligible cost shall be Euro 250 excl. VAT and the maximum eligible cost shall be capped at Euro 50,000 excl. VAT. The grant shall cover 100% of the eligible cost in the case of investments up to Euro 20,000 excl. VAT and 90% of the eligible cost in the case of investments greater than Euro 20,000 excl. VAT and up to Euro 50,000 excl. VAT.
Ineligible interventions include: improvement in equipment or systems which could have a direct impact on competition results/performance, interventions addressing water systems which do not result in end use energy savings, installation of photo voltaic panels and maintenance work.
How do I apply?
Applicants may apply for a grant under this scheme by means of the application form downloadable from SportMalta’s website
Ensure that all the required supporting documentation is included:
- Original quotation containing seller and buyer details, segregated prices, description of product and date of issue.
- Valid certificate issued by SportMalta
- Specific proposal assessment issued by a warranted engineer (Ensure that all the required details are included)
- State Aid Declaration Form
Send the completed application form together with all the required supporting documents by mail to: SportMalta, Energy Efficiency Support Grant, Regulatory Affairs Department, Cottonera Sports Complex, Cottonera Avenue, Cospicua BML9020
Please note that faxes and photocopies of the completed application form are not acceptable and applications that are not fully completed will not be processed.
The application must be approved by SportMalta before any equipment is purchased and installed. Any cost incurred prior to the issuing of the grant offer letter will not be considered eligible.
Following completion of the approved project proposal, the beneficiary has to submit a completion form. This includes a detailed report as well as a claim for reimbursement. The report shall include details of the installed equipment, proof that the scrapped equipment has been disposed of correctly (if applicable) and deemed energy savings validated by a warranted engineer.
Prospective applicants which intend to propose a project with an eligible cost less than Euro 5,000 excl. VAT may contact SportMalta in order to be assisted by an engineer to prepare the technical part of the application.
Applications under this scheme may be validly received from March 2019 until 6th June 2019. This scheme may be modified or terminated before the date by means of a notice in the Government Gazzette.
+1MWp Scheme
Following a positive assessment by the DGCOM of a new support scheme for large scale PV system and the publishing of the Solar Farm Policy by the Planning Authority, the Agency in conjunction with the Ministry for Energy and Water Management, has launched a competitive process which forms the basis for the allocation of support for PV systems of at least 1MWp. This competitive process introduces an innovative approach for the allocation of government aid and grid priority for large scale PV, which until recently, could not benefit from existing support mechanisms.
The second round of the scheme has now been launched, and all information can be obtained from the Ministry’s website: click here. The generation produced will continue to count towards Malta’s 2020, 10% Renewable Energy target. Meanwhile, the ongoing schemes have ensured that Malta remains on track towards the achievement of the 2020 RES target as confirmed by the country report published by the European Commission as part of the State of the Energy Union Report.