Public support for culture is delivered through a layered system of central-government allocations, arms-length funding, institutional programming and EU co-financing.
At the strategic level, the National Cultural Policy (2021) identifies public investment as one of its pillars and sets an aspirational target of 2% of total government expenditure for culture. Arts Council Malta’s Strategy 2025 “Care, Create, Flourish” operationalised this through six strategic areas; the succeeding Strategy 2030 maintains the rights-based framework. The six Regional Cultural Strategies 2022–2027 extend programme support to regional and local levels through the Regional Cultural Cooperation Programme.
ACM administers nineteen competitive schemes in 2026, delivered through approximately thirty individual calls across multiple strands and rounds, with a combined recurrent allocation from government budget lines of approximately €7.4 million — up from €5.41 million in 2024, driven mainly by the expansion of the Investment in Cultural Organisations scheme (from €750,000 to €1.55 million) and the enlarged Screen Support Scheme (from €900,000 to €2 million). A funding review aligned with Strategy 2030 has streamlined the portfolio from earlier years. The schemes span the full cycle of artistic production — from research and development (Artistic Research and Development Scheme) through creation (Arts Support Scheme, Screen Support Scheme) and international circulation (International Cultural Exchanges Scheme, International Participation Scheme, Mobility Guarantee Scheme) to audience development (Culture Pass, Arts in Schools, Right to Culture). ACM’s General Budget Guidelines set the evaluation criteria; all competitive schemes operate under EU de minimis State Aid rules.
Festivals Malta programmes a calendar of eleven festivals and five national celebrations (see 3.3 and 3.5.4) and in 2026 launched the Large Scale Events Support Scheme to contract private delivery partners.
EU structural and investment funds have co-financed major capital infrastructure: MICAS (ERDF 2014–2020), the Valletta Design Cluster (ERDF), Heritage Malta digitisation projects and Carnival Village facilities. The Creative Europe Desk Malta hosted by ACM facilitates participation in Creative Europe cooperation and media strands; Budget 2026 announced Malta’s accession to Eurimages for film co-production and distribution support. The Culture and Health Co-Fund jointly financed with the EU represents a newer cross-sectoral funding instrument.
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