A total of €175,000 was awarded to 15 community-based organisations through the STEAM Engagement Community Fund (SECF) 2026, supporting projects that brought science closer to communities across Malta.
Administered by Esplora Interactive Science Centre on behalf of Xjenza Malta, the Fund supported initiatives promoting engagement with science through research, education, science communication, citizen engagement and citizen science. Each beneficiary will work with a STEAM professional to deliver a one-year project addressing a real community need through Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM).
The 2026 call attracted 50 applications by the deadline of 19 August, compared with 18 applications in 2025. Eligible applicants requested a total of €474,585.85, demonstrating growing interest in community-based science initiatives. Funding of up to €12,000 was available per project.
Applications were assessed by external, independent evaluators against the Fund’s published criteria. The selected beneficiaries included both first-time applicants and previous recipients, with every application assessed on its own merits.
Opening the press event, Mary Ann Cauchi, Senior Director of Esplora, said, “This Fund recognises communities as active partners in connecting science with everyday life. By bringing their ideas and local knowledge together with STEAM expertise, we are creating opportunities for people to investigate shared challenges, develop skills and shape solutions that matter to them. This reflects the direction of Esplora’s draft Strategy 2030: extending our reach across Malta and Gozo through strong partnerships, inclusive participation and lasting community impact.”
Speaking at the conference, Minister for Justice, Research and Innovation Clifton Grima said, “Together, the projects benefiting from this fund demonstrate how science can connect people with their environment, culture and communities, while reinforcing the message that science is everywhere,” said Minister Grima.
The awarded projects reflect diverse community interests, ranging from environmental sustainability and biodiversity to education, cultural heritage, health and social inclusion. Initiatives include Żibel’s SCYLLA: Investigating the Hidden Dangers of Ghost Nets, Kopin’s Cool Cities, and Green House’s ROOTS: Researching Orchid Occurrence Through Soil. Educational projects include St Catherine’s High School’s NatureLab SCHS and Rabat Primary School’s Growing Minds: An Outdoor STEAM Discovery Garden.
Cultural heritage features in projects by Soċjetà Mużikali La Stella Levantina, which explore the digital preservation of historic festa decorations, and Għaqda Mużikali Sant’Andrija, which investigates the science behind band music. Other initiatives address health and social inclusion, including Siġġiewi Rowing Club’s With or Without a Prosthesis? and TAMA’s project, which promotes awareness of sexual and gender-based violence in migrant and refugee communities.
The remaining beneficiaries are St Paul’s Missionary College, with The Living Pond Project and SparkLab STEAM Mission Programme; the 1st Sliema Scout Group; Gozo College Rabat Primary – The Happy School; the Foundation for the Conservation of the Maltese HoneyBee; and Mtarfa Local Council.
Together, the projects demonstrate how science can connect people with their environment, culture and communities, reinforcing the message that science is everywhere.
