Xjenza Malta, in collaboration with Poland’s National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) has officially launched the first-ever Malta-Poland Call for Research and Innovation (R&I) Proposals.

This inaugural Call marks another significant milestone in Xjenza Malta’s expanding internationalisation portfolio, further strengthening opportunities for Malta-based researchers and innovators to engage in international research collaboration.

The Joint Call is a direct outcome of the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in Research and Innovation, signed between the Maltese and Polish governments in November 2024, and the first high-level Joint Committee Meeting held in September 2025 at Villa Bighi, Kalkara. During this meeting, Xjenza Malta and NCBR committed to concrete cooperative actions aimed at strengthening bilateral scientific ties between the two countries.

The Malta–Poland Joint Call for R&I Proposals will support collaborative projects jointly undertaken by Maltese and Polish research-performing entities across six strategic thematic areas aligned with Malta’s Smart Specialisation Strategy. These include Smart Manufacturing, Digital Technologies, Health & Well-being, Sustainable Use of Resources, Marine Maritime Technologies, Aerospace, Aviation & Space and Cultural Heritage.

Malta-based research entities are invited to apply for financial support of up to €150,000 per project through Xjenza Malta’s newly launched Access2GlobalResearch (A2GR) Scheme, with applications due by 30 March 2026. Following Xjenza Malta’s endorsement of the Maltese partner, Polish collaborators will be required to submit a scientific proposal to NCBR under its INNOGLOBO Scheme by 30 April 2026.

To support prospective applicants, Xjenza Malta will be organising an online information session on 6 February 2026 at 10:30 AM CET. The session will provide guidance on research entity eligibility, eligible costs, submission procedures and partner-search tools including Plumtri and NCBR’s PartFinder. Registration for the session is open until 4 February 2026.

For more information, prospective applicants are encouraged to visit the Xjenza Malta website or contact the Internationalisation Unit at international.xjenzamalta@gov.mt.