The Maltese government has announced the first two schemes for the volunteering sector in 2026. €300,000 has been allocated towards the NGO Co-Financing Fund this year; €40,000 has been assigned for the Training Initiatives Scheme.
The Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS) made the announcement on Friday.
The NGO Co-Financing Fund (NCF) provides voluntary organisations with the percentage of co-financing that are not covered by European funds, while the Training Initiatives Scheme (TIS) is a scheme that offers financial support and training to voluntary organisations, their members, and volunteers.
Minister for Inclusion and Volunteering, Julia Farrugia, launched these initiatives at the Santa Katarina VM Musical Society in Żurrieq which, through the NGO Co-Financing Fund, installed security systems against theft, fire and a modern CCTV system to protect its instruments, facilities, historical documents, and the organisation premises itself.
With €300,000 allocated in 2026, the funding allocation towards the NGO Co-Financing Fund has doubled from last year (€150,000). In the ten years this scheme has been made available, since its establishment, including this year, a total of €1.8 million has been allocated to it.
Applications for this year's NCF scheme will open on the website vofunding.org.mt from Wednesday, 25 February 2026 at noon, on a first-come first-served basis. This scheme will close once all funds have been exhausted. Information meetings will also be held to guide organisations during the application process.
Meanwhile, the Training Initiatives Scheme helps voluntary organisations and members of voluntary organisations to obtain financial support for their training. With the €40,000 allocated this year, approximately €350,000 in funding has been allocated towards this financial scheme since it was established in 2018.
The Training Initiatives Scheme consists of two separate programmes: one for VO's individual members to attend training, and the other at an organisational level for organisations. Training can either be local or abroad for individuals - attendance can either be in-person or online. The subject of the training must be either specifically related to the VO's work or on volunteering in general.
Applications for this scheme will be open on the website vofunding.org.mt from Wednesday, 11 February 2026 at noon until Thursday, 12 March 2026 at noon. Information meetings will be held to guide organisations during the application process for this scheme as well.
During this launch, Minister Farrugia said that "these schemes are clear proof of the Government's commitment to continue to invest seriously in the volunteer sector." She said that through these two schemes, the government is ensuring that voluntary organisations have the financial tools and training needed to strengthen, grow, and continue providing quality services to local communities.
"Public funds are being used strategically to invest in people who make a real difference in Maltese society," the Minister said.
The MCVS chief executive, Mauro Pace Parascandalo, said that "2026 will be another year of great work in the sector, and we are pleased to be launching the first schemes for organisations, which have now become very popular in their compliance."