The grant is open to undertakings and voluntary organisations that carry out an economic activity within the meaning of Article 107 TFEU (for which assistance will be granted in line with the de minimis Regulation), as well as those applicants that do not carry out an economic activity within the meaning of Article 107 TFEU. (Kindly refer to Section 9 of these guidelines for additional information). Applicants must qualify as one of the following:

Company registered with the Malta Business Registry;
Voluntary organisation enrolled with the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations.

Furthermore, applicants must qualify as a print medium listed on the Department of Information page available here.

Click here to download the guidelines and click here to download the application template

Application deadline: 4th November 2025

Rank Order

Beneficiary: Union Print Co Ltd

Reference number: NSS07-25-7064

Project Title: Għeruq

Amount awarded: €20,000

Description:

The GĦERUQ project aims to strengthen the appreciation of Maltese art and culture while highlighting the creativity and unique identity of the Maltese people. Through interviews, articles, features, and announcements, the GĦERUQ pages serve as an inspiration for future generations. The goal is to further reinforce the sense of national identity while encouraging Maltese people—especially the youth—to recognise and embrace their cultural heritage in a creative and contemporary way.

The culture of Malta and Gozo is a reflection of a rich history and deep traditions, and through these media articles we will continue to keep Maltese culture alive by sharing the stories, heritage, and creativity of the Maltese and Gozitan people.

The biggest challenge for similar reports is always time, because they require a lot of it, and not everyone is available.

Beneficiary: Allied Newspapers Ltd

Reference number: NSS09-25-7098

Project Title: Arts and Entertainment, The Sunday Times of Malta

Amount awarded: €19,958

The Sunday Times of Malta is committed to showcasing Maltese culture and the arts through the production of a Sunday arts and culture section. This is inspired by respecting the important status and role that artists have towards an economy’s health and a society’s well-being; while acknowledging the role that arts and culture play in shaping and increasing individuals’ and society’s sense of belonging. This commitment will be translated into an arts and culture section that is informative, entertaining, engaging and well-researched, with content presented in various formats: reviews, interviews, features and updates on events. Such coverage will be presented in the form of a minimum of 35 double-page spreads, over a period of 12 months (January 4, 2026 till and a maximum of 45 curated double page spreads, over a period of 12 months (January 5 till December 27, 2026), published in the Sunday Times of Malta.

Beneficiary: STANDARD PUBLICATIONS LTD

Reference number: NSS04-25-7054

Project Title: TMI-ARTS COUNCIL MALTA 2025

Amount awarded: €20,000

The Malta Independent on Sunday and its sister publications have championed the promotion of arts and culture since their inception. Over the years, their editorial policy, focused on delivering high-quality, informative, and engaging coverage of artistic events in Malta and abroad, has continued to strengthen.

For the past three decades, a dedicated contributor with extensive experience has been producing insightful cultural articles and reviews. In addition, a number of ad hoc contributors regularly provide critical analyses of artistic productions, reviews of cultural events, and reflections on their experiences as attendees.

In the coming year, TMIS aims to expand its cultural and artistic coverage by engaging additional contributors to ensure more consistent reporting of events. It has established collaborative agreements with curators, academics and insituations such as Teatru Manoel and Spazju Kreattiv to promote their productions, offer genuine critiques and reviews, and feature the perspectives of both artists and audiences.

TMIS plans to include a minimum two-page spread dedicated to arts and culture in every Sunday edition, complemented by further coverage across its sister publications. Additionally, The Malta Independent’s online portal features a dedicated arts and culture section.

Beneficiary: Mediatoday Co Ltd

Reference number: NSS03-25-6879

Project Title: MaltaToday & Illum Culture Pages 2026

Amount awarded: €20,000

MaltaToday:

Our objective is to produce a weekly double-page spread or two separate pages featuring cultural events across the Maltese Islands. This will appear in MaltaToday’s Sunday print edition and on the news portal maltatoday.com.mt. MaltaToday is an independent Sunday newspaper that does not promote any political party or church, catering to an audience of independent-minded Maltese readers with interests in current affairs, social issues, and the Maltese language. The Sunday edition includes a dedicated section called MT3 focused on cultural themes.

Illum:

We will also provide a similar weekly double-page spread in Illum, with a digital version available at illum.com.mt. Illum is the only Maltese-language newspaper that maintains independence from any political party or church affiliation. Its readership consists of discerning Maltese individuals who are interested in current affairs, social issues, and the Maltese language.

Beneficiary: Azzjoni Kattolika Maltija (AKM)

Reference number: NSS02-25-6849

Project Title: L-iżvilupp tal-ħiliet tal-istaff u l-voluntiera

Amount awarded: €17,950

MaltaToday:

‘Il-Leħen’ is the oldest published newspaper in Malta. It is also a newspaper which has a Catholic inspiration, because it is managed and issued by the Maltese Catholic Action (AKM). However, it is not available for AKM members only but it is also accessed by a high number of subscribers who have been with us for a number of years. The newspaper is published in Maltese and reaches more than 1700 households. AKM also has a number of subscribers who opt to receive it digitally. We make sure that 15% of the printed newspapers are made available to other non subscribers and in areas where people meet, such as day centres, hospitals and elderly homes. We also know that through our newspaper we can reach people who are not familiar with other means of communication such as social media. The newspaper is not only available to our subscribers, but it is also sold in leading shops every Sunday.

As a newspaper, we try to feature contributions of interest and give prominence to what is happening locally, also in relation to arts, culture and our heritage and traditions. At the moment we publish a 24-Page newspaper on a weekly basis. Through this project there would be instances where we would be able to increase the newspaper to 28 pages, in which the extra 2 double pages would be dedicated to arts and culture. At the moment, we also depend on what information is sent to us by regular contributors, the members of the public or other organisations for publishing. This project will help the newspaper to engage specific contributors and experts in their fields in order to feature cultural and artistic content on a regular basis. This will not only increase how often such content is published but also the quality of the content itself. This project will also be able to financially assist in the remuneration of the hours required by the Editor and the staff, and other expenses such as photographers, page-setters and attendance fees in order to publish this supplement.

It is proven that art can influence society by changing opinions, instilling values and translating experiences across space and time. Research has shown that art affects the fundamental sense of self. Painting, sculpture, music, literature and the other arts are often considered to be the repository of a society’s collective memory. Through this project we aim to continue to assist our readers and the general public by highlighting what can easily be found around us both heritage-wise and also in the exploration of new content, whether something artistic, musical or cultural and help them appreciate its beauty. We do not intend to stop there. Art can broaden perspectives, evoke emotions, express ideas, and inspire action, leading to personal growth and development. Through this project we would like the content to guide the readers to use the information in order to become better persons.

Very often, information about what is happening in the cultural sphere is sent to us exclusively in English because their aim is to be featured on newspapers and online news portals in English. Due to lack of human and financial resources available to us as a newspaper, a decision is made not to translate the information and therefore not to publish it. Through this project, we can allocate funds for linguistic fees and include such content if deemed relevant. The project will also be adding reviews and critiques of activities related to arts and culture.

This project will be able to assist the Editor and the management team in identifying qualified contributors and good quality content, which will result in improved content quality assurance for the print newspaper.

Beneficiary: Mediatoday Co Ltd

Reference number: NSS05-25-7056

Project Title: Outsourcing of linguistic services and proofreading services

Amount awarded: €12,000

Our project seeks to enhance the overall quality of Maltese-language journalism. To achieve this, we will engage professional linguistic services such as sub-editing and proofreading, provided by a qualified Maltese language specialist. These services will ensure that our articles are not only accurate but also articulate, concise, and stylistically refined. Particular emphasis will be placed on strengthening journalistic expression to maintain high standards of clarity, political sensitivity, and analytical precision. This process will include correcting orthographic errors, improving flow and readability, and refining the syntax and semantics of our written work.

By investing in these linguistic services, we aim to contribute to the ongoing advancement of Maltese journalism, positioning our newsroom at the forefront of producing news that is both factually sound and linguistically exemplary. Ultimately, our goal is to deliver content that resonates with readers, communicates information effectively, and upholds the integrity of the Maltese language within the journalistic sphere.

Beneficiary: Azzjoni Kattolika Maltija (AKM)

Reference number: NSS08-25-7095

Project Title: Clear Words, Strong Messages

Amount awarded: €10,000

This project aims to provide outsourced proofreading services in Maltese and the financial support of 2 people to get certified as Maltese Proofreaders to be able to offer proofreading services to Il-Leħen, the only weekly printed newspaper inspired by the Catholic Church.

The initiative responds to the need for high-quality, linguistically accurate, and stylistically consistent content that reflects the dignity and mission of Catholic journalism. By ensuring that all published material is clear, correct, and accessible, the service will support the newspaper’s credibility and strengthen its outreach to the Maltese-speaking community.

This project will include:

Financially supporting 2 individuals to get certified as Maltese Proofreaders,

Proofreading services of articles, editorials, features, and advertising content before publication,

Corrections in grammar, spelling, punctuation and syntax,

Style harmonization across different sections of the newspaper, and

Optional suggestions for clarity, tone, and readability improvements.