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1. Special events and activities

2. Networks and partnerships

Special events and activities

For the past eight years, Malta Enterprise has been organising the Malta SME Week. Its aim is to promote entrepreneurship so that more people, in particular young people, seriously consider becoming entrepreneurs. Malta SME Week also provides insight into what is offered to support start-ups and micro, small and medium-sized businesses. Each year, one specific activity focuses on youth entrepreneurship. These activities have either been carried out through simulation exercises, workshops, discussions and business pitching by young people themselves or through conferences involving tertiary education students.

The University of Malta’s Centre for Entrepreneurship & Business Incubation (CEBI) has been set up to put knowledge intensive entrepreneurship at the top of the University of Malta’s outreach agenda. Its aims are to promote the development of a knowledge-intensive, entrepreneurial culture in Malta, with the wider aim of fostering the socio-economic development of the Maltese Islands. The Centre is currently targeting knowledge intensive sectors such as science, technology, engineering and creative media at the University of Malta and in the wider Maltese context.

The MCAST Entrepreneurship Centre was set up in collaboration with Kordin Business Incubation Centre (KBIC) and Malta Enterprise and offers a framework for ideas to thrive and encompasses a series of activities that address the needs of MCAST students and alumni. Through this collaboration, MCAST students and alumni who demonstrate an entrepreneurial flair are provided with space within KBIC where they can nurture, grow and launch their business ideas.  The possibility of developing further ideas is also made available to alumni of the College.

Since 2021 Malta Enterprise organises the Startup Festival. The Startup Festival is the culmination of Malta Enterprise’s efforts to support startups, as it brings together various experts in different workshops, focusing on three main pillars; sustainability, digitalisation and innovation. 

In 2022 over 300 students from 14 different schools attended the Startup Festival. The festival provided an experience to students aged 14 years and over to better understand the world of entrepreneurship away from the textbook definitions. The students were exposed to today’s business realities and were given the opportunity to network with investors and meet motivational speakers. Various discussions aimed at students were held.

The National Enterprise Support Awards, which are organised by the Commerce Department and the Enterprise Policy Directorate and Schemes within the Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Business, are intended to foster awareness of the importance of entrepreneurship. One of the award categories concerns ‘Responsible and Inclusive Entrepreneurship’ to recognise initiatives to promote entrepreneurship among under-represented or disadvantaged groups including people with disabilities, the unemployed, migrants and people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

A number of organisations are active in promoting youth entrepreneurship, including JA-YE Malta, Junior Chamber International Malta, and Innovative Youth. JCI promotes business and entrepreneurship among its members through networking events, training and competitions. Young Business Entrepreneurs, which targets young, aspiring entrepreneurs by working on five strategic priorities, namely scientific research, education, entrepreneurial programmes, policymaking and raising awareness about entrepreneurship with young people and Maltese society. Young Entrepreneurs and Leaders aims at encouraging youths to enhance their entrepreneurship and leadership skills.

Since 2019, Aġenzija Żgħażagħ in collaboration with the Gozo Business Chamber, Gozo Regional Development Authority organise the Youth 4 Entrepreneurship. This programme invites Young people aged between 16 and 30 are invited to submit and present a business idea that is related to the island of Gozo focusing on sustainability. As part of this programme Aġenzija Żgħażagħ organises a number of training sessions that focus on entrepreneurship, planning and drafting a Proposal, budgeting, pitching ideas and public speaking.

The 2022 edition was won by the Victoria Scout Group with their idea entitled ‘Sustainable Black Powder’. The award was presented by Minister for Gozo and the winning team receives €500.

There are also a large number of initiatives and organisations that promote an entrepreneurial culture in Malta. For example, there are a number of radio programmes, including the ‘Fi Kliem Iehor’ programme on the national Radio Malta - the Maltese National Radio Station and ‘Entrepreneur Clinic’, which aired in 2016 on Campus FM, the local radio station broadcasting from the University of Malta. The Malta Chamber of Commerce and Industry also actively promotes entrepreneurship.

Networks and partnerships

Activities organised during the Malta SME Week have provided the space for young people to consider entrepreneurship as a career option and allow them to meet and network with Maltese entrepreneurs who can share their stories and best practices.

Global Entrepreneurship Week, which is held in November. The Edward de Bono Institute collaborates with various partner organisations to put together programmes of activities to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW). This initiative, which takes place in 160 countries around the world, is designed to connect aspiring and inspiring entrepreneurs, helping them embrace originality, imagination and ingenuity through local and global activities.

Global Entrepreneurship Week also has activities for youth including the Budding Rockstars Conference.  This entrepreneurship and innovation conference was targeted at Malta’s brightest young minds. It used panel discussions, presentations and group activities to promote entrepreneurship and to get young people to work together with experienced entrepreneur. This helps them develop their networks. This conference was organised by The Malta Communications Authority (MCA) in collaboration with other entities.

Takeoff’s incubation programme focuses on exposing and connecting entrepreneurs and start-ups to an expanding community of mentors who have the desire to share their business and technology development experience, knowledge and networks. Experienced innovators, serial-entrepreneurs, domain experts, professional advisers help Takeoff entrepreneurs get on the right path and succeed