Startup | EU funding programmes | Griffiths + Associates
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Startup Consulting Services | EU funding programmes

Griffiths + Associates is the one-stop-shop for corporate services in Malta with over 20 years of professional experience in setting up international companies on local soil. We are duly authorised to act as Corporate Services Provider by the Malta Financial Services Authority.

Throughout the years we have advised both private clients and businesses worldwide on many areas of corporate restructuring in Malta and overseas. That’s why we able to assist clients throughout the formation and incorporation process as setting up a company requires expert advice at every stage of its lifecycle and small mistakes can end up costing big money.

We offer services from initial Malta company formation to servicing that company and eventually liquidating and winding up in Malta.

With a team of Griffiths’ qualified lawyers, accountants and auditors, our clients can be sure they are receiving professional services. We propose a cost-effective, customer-driven approach leveraging our in-house knowledge and experience and commit to providing a quick professional response to clients’ requests that satisfy their business needs.

Mr Riccardo Balboni Advisory Manager

Mr Riccardo Baldoni

Advisory Manager | Head Of Advisory Department

•   Certified Public Accountant,
a Registered Auditor.

•   Working for large-size European companies in senior positions, gained exceptional experience in the field of mergers and acquisitions, management control systems, business organization and procedures, and accounting systems.
Joined Griffiths + Associates in 2015, leading the Advisory Department.

•   Language skills: English, Italian.

Dr David LORENZO

Dr David Lorenzo

Head of Legal & Compliance

•   Lawyer ¦ LL. D., LL.M. Eur, M.A. Int. Rel., BA. Pol. Sc., CAMS,

a member of the Chamber of Advocates and a European Lawyer registered with the CCBE,
certified as an Anti-Money Laundering Specialist,
registered as an official representative (as a lawyer) of the EU Intellectual Property in Alicante and also appears on the list of IP professional contacts of the Maltese IP Office.

•   Mr Lorenzo’s multifaceted career included positions with the Council of the European Union, being an Advisor on EU policies for Maltese Business Associations, a Diplomatic Mission in Australia as well as international affairs in Italy and Spain.
Joined Griffiths + Associates in 2018, leading the Legal & Compliance Department.

•   Language skills: English, Spanish, Italian, French.

Startup Toolbar

Our fixed price legal packages are designed on the understanding that no startup is the same so your business may not need everything listed below, so contact our startup experts to discuss your needs and to price possible options.

Startup Toolbox 2023 | Griffiths + Associates
Download .pdf

Toolbar Add-Ons

In addition to our Startup Toolbar, we can design a service package to suit your specific requirements on a flat fee basis at preferential rates.  We will schedule a free meeting with our Advisory Team to discuss your requirements and which services suit your needs best.

Our practice includes

Toolbar Add-Ons | Griffiths + Associates

* Protect your intellectual property

Griffiths + Associates, within the framework of legal supporting start-ups, will help you to register trademark and apply for an EU grant covering expenses related to that.

The grant scheme “The Ideas Powered for business SME Fund” may cover the following expenses to Maltese companies: it’s basically application fees via WIPO, ARIPO or Maltese IP office for International, EU or MT trademarks as well as the IP report).

Details are as follows:

Trade mark or design protection –
VOUCHER 2

Remark:

Please note that trademark and design are not the same but the registration application process is similar and the fund covers both.
A trademark means a mark that represents the goods or services provided by an entity or an individual. It can be a logo, word, etc.
A design refers to only the features of a shape, pattern, or ornamentation applied to an article to have a visual appeal.

Up to € 1 000 per beneficiary for:

  • trade mark or design protection within the EU (national, regional, EU levels).

Eligible IP rights are trade marks and designs filed directly and electronically (where possible) at the EUIPO and at MS IPOs.

Respecting the principle of co-financing of the European Commission’s Programmes, eligible EU SMEs can apply for a 75 % reimbursement of the trade mark and design fees for acquiring trade mark or design protection in the EU (including application, class, examination, registration, publication and deferment of publication fees). IP rights similar to trade marks are included depending on applicable legislation (e.g. logotype protection under Portuguese law is covered).

  • trade mark or design protection outside of the EU.

To support EU SMEs’ growth on a more international scale, the eligible fees for international trade mark and design administered by WIPO may be reimbursed by up to 50 %. This activity intends to extend the support currently offered to EU SMEs, assisting them in the internationalisation process, while boosting the innovation and competitiveness of EU SMEs globally.

The fees subject to reimbursement are the fees charged for applications (including basic fees, designation fees and subsequent designation fees) under:

  • the international trade mark system (Madrid System);
  • the international design system (The Hague System).

Designation fees of EU countries are excluded, as well as the handling fees charged by the office of origin. Designation fees of the European Union are excluded since they are managed directly at the EUIPO, by submitting an EUTM or an RCD application.

Call submission period: to 08/12/2023

Who can get the voucher: small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) established in one of the EU Member States (definition according the Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC of 6 May 2003).

To make written above clearer, let’s look on examples:

  • if a simple Malta application rounds €160, so the SAME grant would fund around €120 (75% of €160)
  • if a simple EU application costs around €900, so the SME grant would cover €675 (75% of €900)
  • if a simple international application (outside of the EU) costs around £900, so the SME grant would cover £450 (50% of £900)
  • if a simple international application (outside of the EU) costs around £5,000, in the case the SME grant would not cover 50% as the SME grant limited to no more than €1,000.

The cost of the application (Swiss francs (CHF) currency) can be calculated using Madrid System Fee Calculator: https://madrid.wipo.int/feecalcapp/

**  If you would like to access the EU funding, Griffiths + Associates provides with the services:

  • project analysis and determination the eligibility for the EU funding;
  • risk analysis – market, financial and entrepreneurial;
  • legal due diligence;
  • drafting applications to EU call for proposals and tenders;
  • project implementation and reporting;
  • assistance in drafting of the pre-business & post-business plan and consequently in the company incorporation process.

EU funds available under the ERDF in Malta

SME Start- up Grant Scheme

  • SUPPORT DEDICATED TOWARDS: assistance of start-ups in their initial productive investment costs and implementing their business growth strategies.
  • AID INTENSITY: 50% (maximum value of €300,000)
  • ELEGIBLE ACTIONS: for an action of initial productive investment in tangible and intangible assets, in line with a business plan, to implement business growth strategies like:

•   The production, manufacture, improvement, assembly, preservation, processing of goods, materials, commodities, equipment, plant machinery;
•   Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences; Research and Technological Innovation; (ICT) development activities, software development;
•   Eco-innovations, and environmental solutions; E-health solutions;
•   The development and provision of services and products promoting healthy living; ageing;
•   Retail activities by self-employed and family businesses engaged in craft;
•   Start-ups proposing products and/or services that can be marketed and distributed internationally and which are typically more advanced than those prevailing in their respective industry in terms of technology, know-how and skills.

Actions shall be aimed at the potential business growth of the Start-up, and a resultant potential increase in the number of employees.

  • ELEGIBLE EXPENDITURE: costs for purchasing of equipment, machinery, and/or plant; costs for leasing/rental of privately owned operational premises, construction/up-grading costs, costs related to patents/licences

SME Diversification and Innovation Scheme

  • SUPPORT DEDICATED TOWARDS: diversification of enterprises, the implementation of a fundamental change, or bringing to the market significantly improved and advanced products/services to those already offered by the company.
  • AID INTENSITY: 50% (maximum value of €100,000).
  • ELEGIBLE ACTIONS: for an action to be considered eligible it needs to involve an investment in tangible or intangible assets resulting in:

•    Diversification of output into products or services not previously produced
•    Implementation of a fundamental change in overall production process
•    A new economic activity related to the diversification of the company’s activity
•    The adaptation of solutions leading to the development of improved product or service
•    The acquisition and integration into the business of solutions that are new or advanced than those currently used.

  • ELEGIBLE EXPENDITURE: purchasing of equipment, machinery, and/or plant, required by the company for the operation, procured from external sources.

E-Commerce Grant Scheme

  • SUPPORT DEDICATED TOWARDS: investment required to develop an e-commerce website and/or mobile application to enable online payments or booking systems in order to exploit the company’s potential to increase their market share and reach new markets.
  • AID INTENSITY: 50% (maximum value of €5,000)
  • ELEGIBLE ACTIONS: for an action of an investment towards the design, development, implementation and delivery of an e-commerce website and/or a mobile application resulting in an e-commerce website/mobile application having a content management system and complying with current industry standard e-commerce security practices –  incorporating an online payment gateway and supporting at least basic analytics.
  • ELEGIBLE EXPENDITURE: costs for services for the design, development, implementation and delivery of a new e-commerce website and/or mobile application or upgrading of a current one. The above mentioned services are to be procured from an external Service Provider, autonomous and unrelated to the company. The examples of allowed expenditure: domain name registration, Content Management System (CMS) software including required licenses, Shopping Cart integration, other Set-up fees (setting up and configuration of the CMS system, system design, customisation and development, integration with payment system/s, implementation of the required security features, testing and go live).

SME Consultancy Grant Scheme

  • SUPPORT DEDICATED TOWARDS: procurement of external consultancy services providing the necessary insight to businesses to take up adequate initiatives and securing their survival and future business growth.
  • AID INTENSITY: Lump sum of 4,000 € (representing an aid intensity of 80% of the eligible costs)
  • ELEGIBLE ACTIONS: for an action of procuring the external consultancy services resulting in the assessment and evaluation the following: the potential of re-engineering the organisation its operations to make it more efficient, resulting in the development of a report in the form of an Organisation and Operations Review, or a Process and Systems Review; orthe potential of the company to take on proposed investment initiatives aimed at the potential future business growth, and at rendering it more competitive through the development of a Business Plan or a Feasibility Study
  • ELEGIBLE EXPENDITURE: external consultancy services procured from an external Service Provider autonomous and unrelated to the company, development of a Business Plan or a Feasibility Study

SME Internationalisation Grant Scheme

  • SUPPORT DEDICATED TOWARDS: facilitation of the process of the internationalisation of SMEs through active participation at International Business Promotion Fairs and therefore introducing their products/services to new markets and strengthening their international market presence.
  • AID INTENSITY: 50% (maximum value of €5,000)
  • ELEGIBLE ACTIONS: for an action of active participation at the International Business Promotion Fairs resulting in having a stand and exhibiting products/services at the fair held outside the territory of the Republic of Malta.
  • ELEGIBLE EXPENDITURE: participation fees; rental of the exhibition space/stand; costs related to the construction and setting-up of the stand; travel costs; per diem ; design and printing of branding material, shipment of exhibits.

SME Growth Grant Scheme

  • SUPPORT DEDICATED TOWARDS: implementation of the company’s growth strategies related to the extension of the capacity of an existing establishment, or the setting up of a new establishment.
  • AID INTENSITY: 20-30% (maximum grant value of €500,000).
  • ELEGIBLE ACTIONS: for an action of initial investment in tangible or intangible assets related to the extension of the capacity of an existing establishment and resulting in the growth of the company, and an increase in the number of employees (full-time equivalent) employed by the company.
  • ELEGIBLE EXPENDITURE: costs for leasing of privately operational premises; construction/up-grades costs on private operational premises; costs of purchasing equipment, machinery and plant; costs related to patents and licenses.
Download .pdf

Do you have an innovative business idea and want to bring it to life?

Riccardo Baldoni Griffiths + Associates
DETAILED PROFILE

Riccardo Baldoni

Advisory Manager

We offer expert and personalised support for innovative start-ups.

To kickstart the process, schedule a meeting with one of our experts, who will guide you through the next steps and help you begin working on your plan. Don’t miss out on the chance to bring your innovative idea to life with EU funding.

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