A number of publicly supported initiatives and events in Malta contribute to promoting an entrepreneurial culture among young people.

Malta Enterprise  organises 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.  

Malta Enterprise organises the Startup Festival Malta an event intended to bolster Malta’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The festival serves as a platform where startups can connect with investors; showcase innovative products; participate in workshops and network. 

In 2024, as part of the Start-up Festival, Aġenzija Żgħażagħ organised a workshop for young people interested in entrepreneurship entitled Bounce Back, focusing on resilience through a hands-on business simulation. Over 200 students participated, working in teams to develop mindfulness-themed products under strict time and resource constraints. 

In 2025 as part of the Start-up Festival, Aġenzija Żgħażagħ supported young people’s participation through targeted youth work interventions. While Transport Malta led the Mobility Hackathon, Aġenzija Żgħażagħ facilitated the process using a creative and collaborative approach that promoted problem-solving among participants. Students from five schools developed and pitched innovative solutions, with St. Ignatius College Ħandaq Secondary School emerging as the winner. In addition, Aġenzija Żgħażagħ delivered a ‘Right to Disconnect’ session, promoting digital balance, well-being, and essential life skills, thereby ensuring that the initiative contributed both to innovation and to the holistic development of young people.

The Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), hosted nationally by the Edward de Bono Institute at the University of Malta. This annual initiative brings together multiple stakeholders and organises a wide programme of activities, including workshops, networking events and training sessions aimed at encouraging creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial thinking among young people. During this week activities include workshops specifically designed to help young people understand the benefits and opportunities associated with entrepreneurship. 

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

The Youth4Entrepreneurship Gozo initiative provided a platform for young people to present innovative business ideas addressing regional challenges, particularly focusing on digital innovation and sustainability. The initiative involved collaboration between public authorities and stakeholders such as the Ministry for the Economy, Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, Malta Enterprise, and the Gozo Regional Development Authority. 

Competitions and experiential learning events also contribute to fostering entrepreneurial mindsets. The Creative Young Entrepreneur (CYE) Workshop and Competition 2025, organised by JCI Malta, provides young people with training, mentorship and opportunities to pitch business ideas to industry experts, thereby strengthening entrepreneurial skills and visibility. 

The Future Founders: Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge offer intensive training programmes, including workshops on financial literacy, marketing, and business planning, targeting young people aged 18–30 and aiming to build entrepreneurial competences through practical experience. 

Another initiative supporting youth innovation is the Agri-Tech Ideathon, organised as part of the PoliRuralPlus project. The initiative brings together students, young innovators, farmers and technology experts to develop digital solutions addressing challenges related to agriculture, sustainability and rural development. 

Entrepreneurship culture in Malta is further supported through structured networks and partnerships involving public authorities, private sector actors, and non-governmental organisations.

At European and national level, Malta participates in the Youth Entrepreneurship Policy Academy (YEPA), a collaborative initiative involving organisations such as Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, Malta Enterprise, JA Malta, and the Edward de Bono Institute. YEPA provides a platform for dialogue between policymakers, youth organisations, and entrepreneurship networks, contributing to the development of more inclusive and effective youth entrepreneurship policies. Read more about YEPA. The initiative also highlights the importance of social entrepreneurship and promotes cooperation between stakeholders across sectors.

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.  

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.  

At programme level, JA Malta plays a key role in fostering partnerships between education, business, and public actors. Through initiatives such as the Company Programme and Start-Up Programme, young people engage directly with business mentors, industry experts, and international entrepreneurship networks, including participation in European-level events such as Gen-E.  These programmes are supported through partnerships with organisations such as the Malta Chamber, HSBC Malta Foundation, and other private sector actors, demonstrating strong collaboration between public and private stakeholders in promoting youth entrepreneurship.