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Innovative and creative businesses that transform intellectual property (IP) into tangible impact now have the opportunity to gain global recognition through the WIPO Global Awards 2026.

Organised by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the United Nations agency for innovation and creativity, the awards celebrate startups and SMEs that successfully leverage IP — including trademarks, copyright, and patents — to grow their businesses and generate positive economic and social impact.

Whether you protect your brand with trademarks, safeguard creative works through copyright, or hold patents for groundbreaking inventions, this competition offers a prestigious platform to showcase your achievements on a global stage.

Applications Open Worldwide

Entrepreneurs from all industries and regions are invited to apply between 15 January and 31 March 2026.

Applications are accepted in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Spanish, and Russian, ensuring accessibility to businesses across the globe.

Why Apply?

Participants in the WIPO Global Awards benefit from:

• International recognition through the WIPO–UN network

• A tailored six-month mentorship programme focused on IP strategy, commercialization, and business growth

• Opportunities to connect with investors, corporations, institutions, and innovation hubs worldwide

• An invitation to attend the Awards Ceremony in Geneva, held during the WIPO Assemblies, representing 194 countries

Awards and Special Prizes

In 2026, a total of 11 companies will be recognised:

• 10 winners across all economic sectors

• 1 Thematic Prize in Sports

• 2 Special Mentions for Best Woman Entrepreneur and Best Youth Entrepreneur

The WIPO Global Awards provide a unique opportunity for forward-thinking businesses to elevate their international profile while strengthening their IP strategy and global partnerships.

To learn more or submit an application, visit: wipo.int/en/web/awards/global

For further information, contact:

The Sustainable Development Directorate announces that the ESG Platform is live. In case you have not done so already, kindly register on the Platform here: https://esgplatform.gov.mt/login/. Once registered, you will be given login credentials so that you can start filling in the 2024 ESG Report.

 Furthermore, kindly also note that Malta’s Sustainable Development Action Awards have just been launched. These Awards have been established to recognise, promote, celebrate and reward individuals, NGOs, businesses, academic teams and public institutions/bodies that are leading the way in sustainable innovation and practices with the aim of increasing economic, social and environmental sustainability. More information can be found here: https://sustainabledevelopment.gov.mt/sd-action-awards/. In case you are a locally registered private company and are interested in applying for the ESG Positive Impact Award, you can submit an application here: https://sustainabledevelopment.gov.mt/sd-action-awards/esg-positive-impact-award/.

The Malta Chamber of SMEs in collaboration with Misco has published the results of its latest Business Performance Survey 2025 – SME Barometer®, providing key insights into the challenges and performance of businesses operating in Malta over the past year. Conducted between 8th and 21st January 2026, the online survey gathered responses from 351 businesses across various sectors, offering a comprehensive snapshot of the SME landscape.

Turnover shows modest growth, but pressures persist

When compared to 2024, 43% of businesses reported an increase in turnover during 2025, while 31% stated sales remained the same, and 26% experienced a decrease. This reflects a slight improvement compared to the previous year.

Businesses that saw increased sales attributed growth mainly to:

• Increased brand presence and improved marketing efforts

• Better sales strategies such as promotions and offers

• Price increases driven by external factors

• Diversification and changes in business models

Meanwhile, those with stagnant or declining turnover highlighted:

• Rising operational costs

• Increased competition

• Reduced customer spending power

• Labour shortages

• Inflation and global uncertainty

Profitability remains largely unchanged

Despite fluctuations in sales, profitability levels remained broadly stable:

• 39% reported profits remained the same

• 35% indicated they were less profitable

• 26% experienced higher profitability

This suggests that rising costs are absorbing much of the revenue growth seen in

parts of the business community.

Wage costs and imported goods drive price increases

Among businesses that increased prices in 2025, the main contributing factors were:

• Employee wage and salary costs (59%)

• Higher cost of imported products (40%)

• Increased overheads excluding wages

• Transport and freight costs

• Rent and regulatory compliance expenses

Festive season underperformed for many businesses

The festive trading period proved challenging:

• 44% of businesses saw a decrease in sales compared to the previous year

• 30% remained the same

• 26% reported an increase

The strongest sales day was Black Friday on 28th November (28%) folowed by

Christmas Eve (23%).

Growing concern about Malta’s direction

Survey respondents expressed increasing frustration regarding the overall business

environment. A significant number feel that Malta is not moving in the right

direction, citing:

• Unfair competition and illicit trading

• Rising bureaucracy and compliance costs

• Lack of enforcement against non-compliance

• Overpopulation and insufficient infrastructure

• Governance and transparency issues

Key Observations

The Malta Chamber of SMEs highlighted several ongoing issues affecting

businesses:

• Persistent labour shortages and difficulty attracting skilled workers

• Delayed payments negatively impacting SME cash flow

• Rising costs putting pressure on profitability

 

Recommendations to Improve the Business Environment

Based on the findings, the Chamber recommends:

• Strong action against unfair competition to ensure a level playing field

• Simplification and centralisation of compliance processes

• Better alignment of labour migration policies with market needs

• Increased transparency and anti-corruption measures

• Improved planning and communication of infrastructure works

• Rapid implementation of fully digitised government processes to reduce

bureaucracy.

During the Press conference Mr Paul Abela, President of the Malta Chamber of SMEs said that while some businesses recorded growth in 2025, many continue to face significant challenges, particularly rising costs, labour shortages, and increasing bureaucracy, all of which need to be urgently addressed.

Misco Director Mr Lawrence Zammit said that the business sector believes it can continue to create wealth, but it needs support in order to be able to keep going.

The Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) is consulting on a new Administrative Instrument designed to legally mandate safety protocols for all outdoor workers, including self-employed individuals and those in construction, transport, and landscaping—during extreme weather events, defined as Red Alert warnings or Force 9-10 gale winds.

This Administrative Instrument will apply to work carried out outdoors, including, but not limited to, construction work related activities, maintenance, civil engineering, landscaping, work at heights, maritime activities, road works and any other activities involving work undertaken outdoors.

The proposed rules establish a strict three-phase approach:

Pre-Storm Preparedness: Duty holders must have a dedicated contingency plan, secure all loose infrastructure (scaffolding, cranes), and identify vulnerable workers before bad weather hits.

During the Event: There is a mandatory cessation of all outdoor activities; works on roofs and temporary structures must stop, lifting equipment must be secured (cranes left free to slew), and electrical sources isolated.

Post-Storm Recovery: Work cannot resume until the weather alert is lifted and a thorough site inspection confirms that structural integrity and safety controls have been restored.

The full document can be found here

Members wishing to provide feedback are kindly requested to submit any feedback by Wednesday 11th February at noon by sending an email to .

The Malta Chamber of SMEs’ Landlord Section met with the Partit Laburista Chief Executive Officer Mr Leonid McKay and Head of Communications Ms Norma Saliba to present the position paper developed by the SME Chamber in collaboration with its landlords committee. The paper aims to promote fair and balance between landlords and tenants.

Click here to view paper

The Malta Chamber of SMEs, in collaboration with MTCA, organised an informative webinar focusing on the newly introduced tax rates and income brackets, which attracted strong interest from the business community, with over 200 participants in attendance.

The session provided members with a clearer understanding of the changes and their potential impact on businesses and individuals, allowing for an engaging discussion throughout. Special thanks are extended to MTCA officials, in particular Mr Lydon Farrugia and Mr Noel Agius, who delivered detailed presentations, shared practical insights, and took the time to address questions raised by participants, ensuring a valuable and interactive learning experience for all those who joined.

The latest Open Calls from the CYberSynchrony project, funded by the European Union under the Digital Europe programme.  These calls aim to support projects that strengthen cybersecurity across NIS2 sectors.  The calls opened on 01.01.2026 and will remain open until 01.03.2026 (17:00 CET).

A total budget of €3.55M in grant funding is available under this project through three (3) different open calls, with the following participation formats available:

•                 Calls 1 & 2 accept single SMEs or small consortia (of 2–3 participants) with an SME as coordinator for consortia.

•                 Call 3 accepts only consortia of 2–3 participants.

 

Each project may benefit up to Eur200,000 in funding and must have a duration of 8 months.

Who can apply: SMEs & start-ups, research organisations, universities, non-profits/NGOs, public authorities, and cybersecurity professionals.

If you would like more details, including the application process, please visit: cybersynchrony.eu/open-calls/.

For further enquiries, CYberSynchrony may be contacted via the official Contact Us form: cybersynchrony.eu/contact-us/.