Community Infrastructure & Mobility Support Scheme (CIMSS)

The information included in this page is meant to provide information about this incentive scheme, without prejudice to any provision in the respective scheme as published on the government gazzette

The Scheme

This scheme is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative to co-finance works and assets requested by voluntary organisations and local councils.

The scheme prioritises projects that improve community access, safety, mobility, and the long-term sustainability of community facilities, and is designed to be:

Transparent: with published rules, scoring, and award lists;
Equitable: with an allocation mechanism that keeps funding broadly balanced across voluntary organisations, where necessary;
Value-for-money: with the establishment of the allocated funds through multiple quotations; and
Accountable: with milestone payments, and verification of completion and compliance.

The allocated budget for this scheme is one and a half Million Euro (€1,500,000).

Budget Allocation

To ensure that budget retained is, on average, reasonably equal across approved voluntary organisations and local councils (where appropriate), CIMSS uses a two-levels “Fair-Share” allocation principle:

Base Allocation: A fixed portion of the scheme budget is reserved to provide a “base-grant” to each approved voluntary organisation and local council, ensuring broad and fair distribution.
Needs-Based Top-Up: The remaining portion of the scheme budget is reserved for top-up funding to cover higher-cost or higher-risk projects (e.g.: urgent structural repairs, accessibility works, safety-critical interventions), based on scoring and technical verification.

The available budget shall be split as follows:

60% Base Allocation Pool
35% Needs-Based Top-Up Pool
5% Contingency / Price Variations

This model is intended to create a balanced outcome where most voluntary organisations and local councils receive a similar baseline contribution, while still allowing Transport Malta to address urgent, safety, accessibility, and larger community-impact projects.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this scheme, an applicant must:

Be a registered voluntary organisation operating in Malta or a local council;
Demonstrate community benefit and non-profit purpose.
Have legal title or formal, written permission/lease to carry out works on the premises (as applicable).

A voluntary organisation which is registered but which does not comply with the applicable regulations in terms of payments, submission of documents or other criteria may apply for a grant under this scheme but, in order to be considered eligible for the grant, must regularise and provide proof thereof within two weeks after the closing date for submission of applications.

A voluntary organisation or local council may submit applications for funding for more than one project.

However, the base allocation shall take into consideration the number of unique eligible applicants, irrespective of the number of eligible projects submitted by each applicant.
The needs-based top-up allocation, on the other hand, shall consider the unique projects considered to be eligible and the score obtained by each individual project.

The following types of applicants and/or projects shall not be eligible for funding under this scheme:

Individuals and commercial for-profit entities.
Purely private-benefit projects with no demonstrable community use.
Retrospective funding for works already completed before approval (unless specifically authorised).

To be considered as eligible under this scheme, projects must fall under one or more categories:

Accessibility & Inclusion: lifts, ramps, barrier-free access, safety upgrades.
Safety and Structural Integrity: urgent roof repairs, water ingress remediation, structural stabilisation, electrical safety.
Mobility and Transport Support: vans/minibuses for community use; access/parking improvements supporting safe movement.
Community Infrastructure: kitchens, offices, storage, ventilation, sanitary upgrades, fencing and external safety works.
Cultural and Community Assets: refurbishment that sustains community spaces (band clubs, community halls) with public-facing use.

Projects that do not fall under any of the categories listed above may be considered for funding only if the applicant provides adequate justification to the Authority’s satisfaction that the scheme’s objectives can still be achieved through the proposed project.

Assistance to voluntary organisations which carry out an economic activity within the meaning of Article 107 TFEU will be provided in line with the de minimis Regulations on State Aid.

Applying for the Incentive

An application for a grant under this scheme shall be made by the authorised representative of the voluntary organisation or local council by submitting application form TM02 along with the supporting documents listed below, where applicable:

In the case of a voluntary organisation, a copy of the Certificate of Registration;
A document identifying the authorised representative of the applicant;
Project description, objectives, and community impact(s);
Photographs and location details;
A minimum of two quotations; three for projects over €50,000;
Evidence of ownership or lease, or permission to execute works;
Timeline and implementation plan;
Declaration about any other funding requested and/or received, to avoid double-funding.

Forms may be submitted by not later than 15:30 of Monday 11th May 2026, at Level 0, Malta Transport Centre, Pantar Road, Ħal Lija, LJA2021.

Funds Award Method

To ensure that the average award across applicants remains broadly balanced while still allowing larger and urgent projects to be funded appropriately, funds allocation shall be calculated in three steps:

Step 1 – Approve Eligible Applications: Applications meeting eligibility and scoring threshold are approved in principle and ranked.
Step 2 – Assign the Base Grant (Equity Component): Each approved applicant receives a base grant from the Base Allocation Pool. The base grant is equal across approved applicants, subject to each applicant’s requested/eligible amount. If an applicant requests less than the base grant, it receives only its eligible requested amount, and the remainder returns to the pool.
Step 3 – Allocate Top-Ups (Impact Component): Top-up funding is then allocated from the Needs-Based Top-Up Pool to higher-scoring and higher-need projects, especially safety-critical and accessibility projects. Top-ups remain subject to capping.

The total grant amount that may be issued to an individual local council, irrespective of the number of eligible projects, shall not exceed twenty thousand Euro (€20,000).

The total grant amount that may be issued to an individual voluntary organisation, irrespective of the number of eligible projects, shall not exceed one hundred thousand Euro (€100,000).

Scoring Mechanism & Threshold and Funding Priorities

The scoring mechanism that shall be used to evaluate projects, and the applicable thresholds and funding priorities may be found in the application form.

Payments, Verification, and Controls

Payments shall be milestone-based:

40% on signature of Grant Agreement and submission of bank details and implementation schedule;
40% on verified mid-project progress, based on site visit and/or evidence of works;
20% on completion, based on a final inspection, invoices/receipts, photos, and completion certificate where relevant.

Controls:

Transport Malta reserves the right to inspect, audit, and request evidence at any stage.
Cost variations require prior written approval and are limited to contingency policy.
Non-compliance may result in suspension, recovery, or disqualification from future calls.

Visibility and CSR Branding

Beneficiaries must acknowledge Transport Malta support through:

Temporary signage during works (where applicable).
Transport Malta logo on public communications related to the project.
A short completion statement and photos for Transport Malta’s annual CSR reporting.

Governance

The scheme shall be managed through:

A Scheme Administrator, on behalf of Transport Malta;
An Evaluation Committee, composed by representatives of Transport Malta, a technical assessor, and an independent observer, as applicable;
A documented conflict-of-interest policy for all evaluators.

Timeline

The scheme shall be implemented as follows:

Call for Applications: 2 weeks
Evaluation and Clarifications: 4 weeks
Grant Agreement Issuance: 4 weeks
Implementation Period: up to 12 months (extension by approval only)

More Information

Queries and requests for more information may be sent to [email protected].

Page Last Updated: 29/04/2026