SME BAROMETER (Q3 2024) traffic congestion and overpopulation feature as important issues impacting businesses
30 October 2024
The Malta Chamber of SMEs earlier today published the results of the SME Barometer (Q3 2024)...
Training Aid Framework (TAF)
The Training Aid Framework (TAF) is a financial instrument that can be utilised by SMEs (self-employed businesses or with one or more employees) to partly finance staff training costs. Applicants are required to complete applications at least three weeks before the commencement of the training programme.
The eligible training can be classified as following:
General Training – Involves tuition that is not only applicable to the employee's present and/or future position within the company but can also contribute to the qualifications obtained being transferable to other companies or fields of work.
Specific Training – Involves tuition that is directly applicable to an employee's present or future position in the company and providing qualifications that are transferable to other firms or fields of work.
The objective of the TAF is to support the private sector so as to address the challenges for firms to maintain their competitive streak within the global economy through the financing of the training of employees, with a view to achieve higher productivity and enhance adaptability.
The TAF provides training towards the fostering of a lifelong learning culture in the private sector. This is financed through the European Social Fund under the European Union's 2007-013 Cohesion Policy.
Areas that may be funded
Trainers' Personnel Costs
Training can be either carried out by external or inhouse trainers. In the case of external trainers, the costs will be on the basis of rates charged by the trainer whilst costs of inhouse training will be calculated by multiplying the hourly rate by the duration of the course.
Trainers' and Trainees' Travel Expenses
Travel Expenses are eligible when the training is held in a foreign country other than that of employment.
Ineligible Travel expenses:
Commuting from place of accommodation to training venue and vice versa;
Taxi fares
Consultancy services
Costs incurred in relation to guidance and business advice related to the training project. Service provider shall not be an employee of the Applicant claiming aid and is to be qualified in the area in which guidance and consultancy services are being sought.
The eligible cost for guidance and counselling-services fees cannot exceed 50% (up to a limit of €2,500) of the actual cost incurred.
Personnel costs relating to the employee
Costs related to wages paid (including NI contributions) to the participating employee throughout the duration of the training programme. The amount budgeted for personnel costs cannot exceed the total amount of the other eligible costs.
Ineligible Costs
Taxes:
VAT and all other taxes must be quoted separately by service providers. It is important to note that VAT is not an eligible cost.
Co-financing
The co-financing rate is dependent on the nature of training being given and the size of the undertaking.
Maximum & Minimum Grants
Maximum Grant
Each trainee may be allocated a maximum grant of €4,000 per annum. The ceiling may increase up to €10,000 should the training programme lead to an MQC (EQF) level 5 standard or higher. Individual companies may receive up to a grant of €250,000 per year.
Minimum Eligible Grant
The total eligible minimum cost per TAF application should be of €350. As an exception, beneficiaries categorised as a Micro Enterprise or a non-governmental organisation (NGO) registered as required by law and that carries out an economic activity for the purpose of Article 107(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) may be eligible for higher grant levels.
Selection and Payment Process
The selection process is administered by a Selection Committee within the Training Services Division at ETC. Unsuccessful applicants will receive a letter from the Corporation informing them of the decision along with reason/s for refusal. Unsuccessful applicants may appeal against the decision taken by the TAF Selection
Committee, by submitting an appeal in writing within fifteen (15) days of issue of the refusal letter.
SMEs must pay the total costs from their own budget pending reimbursement.
Once the operation has been successfully completed, the applicant organisation is to present the necessary documentation to the TAF Unit in order to obtain the grant/s. The undertaking benefiting under the TAF is to keep all operation related Documentation for audit purposes until 2020.
From: Focus by MEUSAC
Classification of Undertakings and Relative Aid Intensity |
||
Undertaking Size |
Training |
|
Specific |
General |
|
Large Number of workers exceeding 250 |
25%
|
60%
|
Medium Number of workers not exceeding 250; Annual Turnover not exceeding €50m and / or Annual balance Sheet Total not exceeding €43m |
35%
|
70%
|
Small No of Workers fewer than 50; Annual Turnover and/or Annual balance sheet total not exceeding €10m |
45%
|
80%
|
The Malta Chamber of SMEs represents over 7,000 members from over 90 different sectors which in their majority are either small or medium sized companies, and such issues like the one we're experiencing right now, it's important to be united. Malta Chamber of SMEs offers a number of different services tailored to its members' individual requirements' and necessities. These range from general services offered to all members to more individual & bespoke services catered for specific requirements.
A membership with Malta Chamber of SMEs will guarantee that you are constantly updated and informed with different opportunities which will directly benefit your business and help you grow. It also entails you to a number of services which in their majority are free of charge and offered exclusively to its members (in their majority all free of charge).