The Ministry for Equality, Research and Innovation has launched a new scheme to promote innovation and the use of science in the community, through knowledge dissemination and its usage in the heart of our towns and villages. This scheme aims to sustain non-governmental organisations and registered voluntary organizations financially to carry out innovative projects in the community.
During the launch of the fund, Minister Owen Bonnici described this scheme as an important one that will drive our communities to better understand the necessity of innovation, research and the sciences, even on a local level within NGOs and voluntary organisations that are of such crucial benefit to our community.
Minister Bonnici added that, “The Government wants to keep bringing the sciences closer to our communities and to continue educating society about how these effect us in our daily lives, with innovative solutions that make our lives better and easier.”
A total of €175,000 in funds has been allocated for the year 2021, and it will be administered by the Ministry for Equality, Research and Innovation. Each organisation can benefit from a maximum of €10,000.
In order for the organisations to benefit from this fund, they are required to come up with proposals for innovative projects. Proposals with an approach that emphasises Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) as access points to guide learning processes, dialogue and critical thinking to combine theory and practice, are also eligible.
Director for Strategy and Support in the Office of the Permanent Secretary Alistair Borg said that, “This scheme has been created to offer help and support to the Maltese community, especially considering the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. It also complements the Ministry’s efforts to raise awareness about research and innovation in our society.”
All eligible applications will be evaluated by a board of evaluators according to the established and published guidelines.
Guidelines about how to apply for this fund can be found on the Ministry’s website mfer.gov.mt. All applications need to be submitted online by not later than 26th September 2021 at noon. For more information or help, one can send an email on innovationschemes@gov.mt.
