Author: SME Chamber

The Measures and Support Division within the Ministry for the Economy, European Funds and Lands have launched a Grant Scheme for the Renovation of Private Sector Buildings to support investments to address high upfront costs of building renovation in the private sector, including commercial buildings.

This Grant Scheme will support eligible micro, small, medium and large enterprises to undertake actions that reduce the primary energy demand of the building by reducing the energy used for heating, cooling, ventilation, hot water and lighting.

Applications are open from March 1 till April 28, 2023. More information on the scheme can be accessed here.

Information Sessions

Interested enterprises are invited to attend one of two information sessions to be held online by the Measures and Support Division and Servizzi Ewropej f’Malta (SEM) on March 9 between 11:00 and 11:45 or on March 16 between 14:00 and 14:45.

During the information sessions, participants will be provided with more information on the funding call, allow you to gain more awareness of SEM’s funding assistance services, and raise any queries one may have.
Attendees can register and choose the information session of their preference through this form.

Attracting and retaining the best employees is a challenging task. Organisations depend on the HR team to source and retain the right employees. Sometimes, particularly when the labour market is highly competitive or talent is scarce, even the best sourcing teams may need reinforcements. Many companies consider Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) which is seen as being a partnership to guarantee that the employees are engaged and retained successfully.

The need for Recruitment Process Outsourcing varies from one company to another. Some companies prefer to use RPO services as an extension of their HR team, others may require help with specific recruitment drives on a sporadic basis, whilst others may need to replace their talent acquisition specialist who is on long leave to be able to continue the recruitment processes successfully in their absence.

There are times where a company would require assistance with the full recruitment function including meeting the managers to understand the role requirements and come up with a person profile, issuing recruitment advertising campaigns, shortlisting and interviewing candidates up to making job offers, and onboarding candidates.  At other times, some companies might require assistance in just one part of the process, such as shortlisting the applications received, interviewing candidates, handling skills and psychometric assessments or assistance with onboarding.

Recruitment Process Outsourcing is not only used by companies who do not have an HR function internally, but also by HR teams who need a helping hand in order to focus on the more strategic parts of the HR function in their organisation. RPO is known to offer a higher rate of productivity for the company and reduces the costs of recruitment.

Our experience also shows us that outsourcing someone to specifically assist the company with the recruitment process actually reduces the amount of time spent on recruitment projects due to having a person specifically trained in recruiting individuals focusing purely on this task.

We believe that Recruitment Process Outsourcing is about building partnerships, for this reason developing a strong and lasting relationship is key for us. For RPO to work, the individual working on the project needs to take the time to understand the company culture, employer brand and the different but unique office dynamics. This understanding allows the RPO service to become an integral part of the company’s HR team and helps to create a more successful process for the company.

This article is supported by Misco Malta.

The Malta Chamber of SMEs met the member of the European Parliament Cyrus Engerer to discuss the foreseen new EU proposed legislation on packaging and packaging waste.

The SME Chamber officials thanked Cyrus Engerger for including business in this discussion and emphasised on the need not to apply a one size fit all approach for the specificity of malta and its SMEs.

Although the implementation of the current packing and packaging waste has been considered a success, the amount of packaging waste in the EU is still increasing, and too many of our finite resources are being wasted without being recirculated into the economy. Based on this, the Commission has come forward with the revision of the current rules.

There are new targets for reducing packaging waste. The target is that there will be a reduction of 15% by 2040 per Member State per capita compared to 2018.

The proposed Regulation would establish new criteria to assess whether packaging is reusable. In addition, the Proposed Packaging Regulation would impose new reusability and refill targets. For example, it would require that by 2030, there will be a 20% reduction with the target increasing to 80% by 2040; 10% of takeaway ready-prepared food by 2030 and 40% by 2040; 10% of alcoholic and non-alcoholic by 2030 and 25% by 2040; 5% of wine bottles, excepting sparkling wine, 15% by 2040.

There is also certain packaging formats that will be banned. Such formats include single-use composite packaging (e.g. containers); single-use packaging for fresh fruits and vegetables; single-use plastic grouped packaging used to group cans, tubs, tins, and pots together; single-use hotel miniature packaging; and single-use plastic and composite trays and boxes for foods and beverages.

The proposal must be adopted by the European Parliament and Council of the EU and is likely to be significantly amended in the process and the new rules will come into effect in 2024 at the earliest.

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The Malta Chamber of SMEs of was represented by (from left) Ms Marthese Micallef – Council Member, Ms Abigail Agius Mamo – CEO, Mr Philip Fenech – Deputy President and Mr Jamie Tanti – EU Affairs

Change is inevitable, and in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, it’s essential for achieving growth and success.

That’s why we are excited to announce the upcoming Growth through Change event, hosted by MAP IT, which will bring together business leaders, industry experts, and SAP users to share their experiences and insights on how to navigate the challenges of change and drive growth through innovation.

The event will showcase inspiring success stories from companies that have leveraged SAP software to transform their operations and achieve unprecedented growth. From streamlining processes and reducing costs to increasing efficiency and improving customer experience, SAP Business One has been a key enabler for change and progress in these companies.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear these stories first-hand and gain valuable insights into how they can apply similar strategies in their own organizations. The event will also provide a platform for attendees to learn about the latest developments in SAP Business One and how it can help organizations stay ahead of the competition.

SAP Business One is an integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) software that provides small and medium-sized businesses with real-time insights into all their core operations. From financial management and accounting to sales and customer relationship management, SAP Business One streamlines processes and automates routine tasks, enabling businesses to focus on growth and innovation.

The event will also provide a platform for networking and knowledge sharing, with attendees from various industries and regions exchanging ideas, best practices, and challenges. The connections made during the event will undoubtedly lead to new partnerships, collaborations, and opportunities for growth and innovation.

In conclusion, the Growth through Change event is an exciting opportunity for anyone who is looking to transform their business and achieve their goals. The insights, inspiration, and connections gained during this event will undoubtedly lead to new ideas, new collaborations, and new successes.

Join us for the Growth through Change event on the 23rd of March at the Hilton Hotel in St Julian’s at 09:00 and be part of the change and progress that will shape the future of business.

Register now on – https://forms.gle/U58su4NBUozusz916

*Sponsored article

Malta Chamber of SMEs President Mr Paul Abela held an online meeting with the President of the Asian-African Chamber of Commerce & Industry Dr Mark G. Darko and discussed potential collaboration between both Chamber’s.

Mr Abela stated that Maltese businesses already have business collaboration in Ghana  and more businesses are interested to invest and make business in Ghana.

Energy Minister Miriam Dalli announced a call for private investment in renewable energy plants.

Regulator for Energy and Water Services (REWS) unveiled the initiative on Thursday. It seeks to produce 19 megawatts of electricity supplying 6,941 households each year.

Investors may apply between May 22 and 30 to build a renewable energy plant that produces a minimum of one megawatt of energy.

They will then compete to be among those chosen to produce the 19 megawatts available in the scheme.

Application forms will be available from Friday to give would-be investors enough time to prepare.

The private sector will make the initial capital investment in renewable energy plants, but “attractive” feed-in tariffs would allow them to make a profit. Abandoned landfills, roofs, disused stone quarries and car park tops can all be used for green energy plants.

Once operational, the green energy will reduce 11,582 tonnes of carbon dioxide from our atmosphere every year, Minister Dalli added. Over 20 years, the government will pay €30 million for energy from projects in this scheme, she said.

Standing at 12.1%, Malta has already surpassed its 2030 EU renewable energy target of 11.5%, Dalli said.

Malta Chamber of SMEs President Mr Paul Abela said that businesses are eager for invesmtent and one of the projects of  interest for the private sector is to develop solar panels at the Ċirkewwa parking.

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Kindly note that a clarification virtual meeting in connection with the invitation in caption planned for  Wednesday 1st March 2023 at 10.00am.

Participation in this meeting will be by invitation and prospective bidders interested to participate in this meeting shall inform the  Regulator for Energy and Water Services  by email by 10.00am  of Tuesday 28th February 2023  to