Initiatives by public and other entities

On a national level, one can find a good number of different sources of information on contract notifications and procurement calls.  The main ones are listed below.

Unfortunately however it is very probable that the Maltese SMEs are way below the average EU benchmark for companies that actually tap the opportunities presented by the procurement market.  This is probably due to a number of critical reasons that may range from lack of awareness, to perceived complexities and transparency issues.  It is hoped that once the survey data is anaylsed we can have a clearer picture of what the real challenges are.

Notwithstanding this, there is evidence that government, together with other parastatal entities like Malta Enterprise, is committing resources to generate more awareness about this niche market and supporting SMEs that are actually take the step to participate in national and international tenders.

Department of Contracts
The Department of Contracts falls within the portfolio of the Ministry of Finance, the Economy and Investment (MFEI). The principal mission of the Department is to have the necessary administrative structures in place so that public procurement is carried out on the principles of fairness, transparency and non-discrimination between economic operators.

There is no need for the general public to be registered in order to view tender previews, clarifications, and download free tender documents.  However more detailed information will require an e-id.

Apart from highlighting all national and EU procurement legislation, this web-based source of information includes a user-friendly tender search facility.  It also includes the recommendations published by the General Contracts Committee which is appointed by the Prime Minister; its members are primarily responsible for providing advice to the Director General (Contracts) on all matters pertaining to public calls for tenders and the award of the relevant contracts, in terms of Regulation 9 of the Public Procurement Regulations.

Department of Information

This government department publishes the official Government Gazette and it is available two or three times a week in hard-copy and 24/7 in an electronic format of course.

This service provides the public with up-to-date, comprehensive and meaningful information on all Government policies, services and activities as well as on matters of public interest.  The section highlighting the public calls for tenders is very popular with our SMEs and we can safely say that it is the major source for information for our clients primarily interested in the local procurement scenario.

Government Official Electronic Portal

www.gov.mt is the Maltese citizen’s official gateway to electronic services (e-services). The portal is part of the e-Government initiative.  It has been designed with ease of use in mind.  Normally a government scatters its services across the various departments within the respective ministries. The idea of service clusters is a recently developed technique used to bundle government services according to the needs of specific citizen groups. Within these links you will find government services worked around citizen needs, irrespective of the department they are located within.

This portal includes an information-based service which refers to actual fixed information being delivered to the citizen like for example bus schedules, downloadable forms, service information, etc.   More importantly, the portal also includes e-services which are more transaction-based services incurring a two-way transfer of information to and from Government to citizen and vice versa.

Malta Information Technology Agency
The Malta Information Technology Agency (MITA) is the central driver of Government's information and communications technologies (ICT) policy, programmes and initiatives in Malta. MITA prioritises its operations and delivery of programmes in line with Government's long-term vision to evolve Malta into a world class information society and economy by nurturing the development of a strong knowledge workforce through ICT.
The regular publication of this Procurement Outlook is intended to give the industry prior indication of tenders that the Agency is anticipating to be published during the forthcoming period. This will enable industry to be better prepared to participate in MITA's and Government's IT and IS requirements. This Outlook is not a definitive and/or exhaustive list and is compiled according to the general information available to MITA on the date of publication.  Apart from the Procurement Outlook, MITA furnishes the business community with details regarding the current and past tender notifications.

Malta Environment and Planning Authority

The Malta Environment & Planning Authority is committed to ensure that land use and the protection of the environment meet the needs of today's society and future communities. MEPA works to ensure a quality of life that will be in harmony with our natural, cultural and built environment. In so doing it seeks to implement sustainable development that safeguards the environment.

Through its e-Applications Portal, MEPA has a commitment to serve its customers using the most appropriate information and communications tools. Apart from other documents and applications, this portal provides access to procurement needs of this Authority.

Malta Enterprise
Malta Enterprise is the national development agency in the Maltese Islands and as such, its mission is to sustain Malta’s overall competitiveness and create the right environment for successful enterprise in Malta. It offers assistance and advice to those who seek to learn more about the multitude of business and investment opportunities available on the island.
One of the services it offers via the Enterprise Europe Network office it hosts is the Tenders Alert service.  This is a customised electronic alerting service whereby subscribers are notified once notifications relating to their particular profile are issued.  This service is temporarily suspended due to technical reasons and will be re-visited and re-launched soon, as part of the implementation of this project.