On the 30th May 2015 the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector held the 4th SIS Grant Award Ceremony at the Valletta Volunteer Centre. During this event 25 Voluntary Organisations coming from the various areas of the sector were presented with a maximum sum of 3,000 euros each organisation to undertake their project.
The general objectives of the Small Initiatives Support Scheme are to stimulate co-operation and networking between voluntary organisations; to provide a consultative forum that can effectively address issues related to the Voluntary Sector; to provide a platform from which to develop co-operation between voluntary organisations and the Government; to promote and encourage a culture of volunteering and the participation in volunteer activities among people, especially children and youths, as an aspect of personal and social development; to foster co-operation in the volunteer sector with local and international bodies, entities or other persons for the encouragement and promotion of the development of volunteering programmes, initiatives and activities; and to encourage, in furtherance of the principle of subsidiarity, non-governmental bodies and private entities or persons and local councils to contribute to the promotion of volunteering in Malta.
The priorities for the last deadline were two. The first was Volunteering intended to 
encourage projects aimed at raising awareness of the value and importance of volunteering as a form of active engagement and as a tool to develop or improve competences for personal, social and professional development. The second was Training and Capacity Building intended to encourage organisations to invest in training and capacity building, both of the members, volunteers and administrators focusing on strengthening the capability of VOs as part of the process of building the potential of voluntary organisations to respond to the needs of the community they serve. It is an approach to development that aims to instil commitment and improve management and technical skills through training (increasing knowledge), changed operating procedures and/or restructuring within an organisation, thereby making it more effective and sustainable. Voluntary organisations tend to be very adaptable and can grow and change very quickly so it’s important to ensure that there is enough support for the changes within the organisation.
The grants were presented by the Hon. Helena Dalli, Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties together with Mr Nathan Farrugia, Chairperson MCVS.
Below is the name of the organisations, the name of their project and the amount of grant awarded under the SIS Scheme 2014 deadline:
| Mental Health Association Gozo | Caring for Carers – Training Course for Carers of Persons with Mental Health Issues | 2,575 |
| Mental Health Association Malta | Psycho-Social Support to Relatives of Mentalli ill Persons | 3,000 |
| Malta Organic Agriculture Movement | Biodiversity Malthort | 2,000 |
| Centru Tbexbix | SPOTLIGHTS | 3,000 |
| UpBeat House Music | Connect Through Music | 3,000 |
| Youth for the Environment | Garden Rehabiliation and Eco Fair | 1,000 |
| Don Bosco Oratory | DB Celebration | 3,000 |
| Anici Band Club | Progett 365 – B’Mohhi nohlom, b’idi nohloq | 2,925 |
| RISe Malta | Staff Training and Development in offender management | 3,000 |
| Malta Physical & Rehibiliation Medicine Ass. | The benefits of Rehibilitation in Society | 3,000 |
| Salesian Brigade | Pollution is Primitive, Green is Pre-emptive | 3,000 |
| Malta Gay Right Movement | Information Booklet for LGBTI persons & their Parents | 3,000 |
| Alliance Foundation | Stitch Is Sweet – SIS | 3,000 |
| Dr. Klown | Dr. Klown -Training by Belgian Clowns( Clown Dorctors) | 3,000 |
| ADHD Family Support Group | Educational Materials 2015 | 3,000 |
| SKOP | Social Justice on the Streets | 2994.88 |
| Jesuit Centre for Faith & Justice Foundation | Jimpurtani | 3,000 |
| EFRU | Flood Response – On The Job Training | 3,000 |
| Association for Speech-Language Pathologists | Celebrating 30 years of ASLP | 3,000 |
| Fondazzjoni Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl | Employment Empowerment Project | 3,000 |
| Ghaqda Madonna tal-Grazzja Banda San Mikiel | Invest in Volunteers | 3,000 |
| Gozo Tourism Association | Gozo Tourism Awards 2014 | 3,000 |
| The Scouts Association Malta | e-learning for Malta Scouts | 3,000 |
| ARAM | Incentives towards a better lifestyle for patients suffering from Arthritis and Rheumatism conditions | 3,000 |
| The Scout Association Malta (TSAM) | e-Learning for Malta Scouts | 3,000 |
