Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector

What Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector does

The Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS) is a Maltese government statutory body established under Act Number XXII of 2007 (as amended) and operating under the Ministry for Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector. It functions as the national coordinating and funding body for approximately 900 voluntary organisations, 21 local councils, and 4 regional councils across Malta and Gozo, with a core mandate of distributing public and EU funding to the sector, building organisational capacity, and supporting individual volunteers.

MCVS delivers its mandate through a hybrid physical-digital infrastructure: five Volunteer Centres located in Valletta (headquarters), Rabat, Xewkija (Gozo), Birkirkara, and Paola provide office space, meeting rooms, and hot desking; three proprietary web platforms — the VO Funding Portal (vofunding.org.mt), Voluntiera Malta (volunteers.mt), and Simplygiving.mt — handle funding applications, volunteer matching, and online fundraising respectively. The portfolio is supplemented by multiple funding schemes (Civil Society Fund, VOPS, SIS, CSS, IVOS, TIS, NCF), capacity building training programmes, European project participation (SPACE, CLIVE, ENISIE, VERA), and the annual National Volunteer Award.

MCVS is funded entirely through government allocations and does not charge fees for core services. Its staff of 11 operates with a Chief Executive (Mauro Pace Parascandalo), a Chairperson (Gertrude Buttigieg, 2023-2025 term), and Deputy Chairperson (Jorge Spiteri), with political oversight from Minister Julia Farrugia. In 2026 alone, MCVS is administering in excess of €3 million in grants to community projects across the sector, in addition to operating the national volunteer infrastructure and representing Malta in European voluntary sector networks.

Name

Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector

Legal name

Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector

Website

https://maltacvs.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector is a Maltese government statutory body that coordinates and funds approximately 900 voluntary organisations, 21 local councils, and 4 regional councils across Malta and Gozo through grants, capacity building, and five volunteer centres.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Voluntary Sector Support Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Voluntary sector support
• Funding scheme administration
• Capacity building training
• Volunteer programme coordination
• Nonprofit governance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Valletta

HQ country

Malta

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Grants, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding Allocation: MCVS operates as a government council within the Ministry for Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector. It receives government funding and allocates grants and scheme funding to voluntary organisations, local councils, and individual volunteers through various funding programmes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS) is the national statutory body that administers government and EU funding schemes to voluntary organisations, local councils, and individual volunteers across Malta and Gozo. It operates the VO Funding Portal (vofunding.org.mt), the volunteers.mt / Voluntiera Malta volunteer matching platform, and the Simplygiving.mt online fundraising platform, while running capacity building and training programmes and maintaining five physical Volunteer Centres.

Product overview

Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector operates as a centralized coordination body for Malta's voluntary sector, offering a portfolio of interconnected digital platforms and programmes. The core infrastructure consists of three main web platforms: the VO Funding Portal (vofunding.org.mt) for accessing funding schemes, Voluntiera Malta (volunteers.mt) for volunteer management and opportunities, and Simplygiving.mt for public donations. These digital platforms are complemented by five physical Volunteer Centres across Malta and Gozo, and supplemented by various funding programmes (Training Initiatives Scheme, Community Support Scheme, IVOS, CSF, NCF, VOPS, SIS) and capacity building training services. The organisation also runs specialised initiatives like the SPACE Gardening Programme for cancer patients, Youth Engage Scheme for vulnerable youth, and the annual National Volunteer Awards. The overall offering functions as a comprehensive ecosystem supporting the development, funding, and coordination of voluntary organisations in Malta and Gozo.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Voluntiera Malta: Local volunteering programme managed by MCVS that aims to support voluntary organisations with volunteers for their events and activities.
• SimplyGiving.mt
• VO Funding Portal (vofunding.org.mt)

Products and services

• VO Funding Portal (vofunding.org.mt) Online portal managed by MCVS that allows Voluntary Organisations to access multiple funding schemes including SIS, VOPS, CSS, TIS, NCF, CSF, and IVOS, submit applications, and manage their funding activities.
• Voluntiera Malta (volunteers.mt) One-stop-shop platform providing support to volunteers and voluntary organisations, including volunteer matching, YVO scheme management, and youth volunteer service programmes.
• Simplygiving.mt Online fundraising platform managed by MCVS that allows registered Voluntary Organisations to create fundraising projects or campaigns and accept donations from the public in a secure, transparent manner.
• Volunteer Centres Network Five physical volunteer centres across Malta and Gozo (Valletta, Rabat, Xewkija, Birkirkara, and Paola) providing meeting rooms, hot desking facilities, and direct support services for voluntary organisations.
• Training Initiatives Scheme (TIS)

Quantifiable outcome

• 413 beneficiaries received €774,000 through Civil Society Fund between 2021-2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fondazzjoni Suret il-BniedemcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2026Memorandum of Understanding signed for collaboration on the Community in Action Scheme. The partnership aims to promote inclusion, empowerment, and active community participation with persons facing mental health and social challenges through structured volunteering with support for both participants and host VOs. Residents from Dar Victoria, Dar Imelda, Paul Debono and Dar Frangisk will participate by volunteering in the community.
• Energy & Water AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Energy and Water Efficiency Scheme for Voluntary Organisations, helping VOs apply for energy and water efficiency improvements. Information meetings organised jointly by Energy & Water Agency and MCVS.
• Aġenzija Sapport (Support Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgreement signed to strengthen collaboration under the Youth Engage Scheme, part of Youth Volunteer Service. Partnership enables young people with disabilities to improve career prospects through practical work experience in voluntary organisations, supporting Objectives 9 and 10 of the National Strategy 2021-2030 for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
• Ministry for Inclusion and the Voluntary SectorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCVS operates within the Ministry for Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector. The Ministry provides political oversight and support for MCVS initiatives including Youth Voluntary Overseas (YVO) scheme enhancement, Civil Society Fund, and all major funding programmes.
• Office of the Commissioner for Voluntary OrganisationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative relationship with the Commissioner for VOs regarding registration, compliance, and regulation of voluntary organisations. MCVS refers VOs to ensure registration and compliance for eligibility to MCVS services and funding.
• Servizzi Ewropej f'Malta (SEM)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEuropean Services Malta collaboration for capacity building training sessions and information sharing at MCVS National Conference 2026.
• European Union Programmes Agency (EUPA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEU Programme Agency providing information stands at MCVS National Conference 2026, sharing information about EU funding schemes available to voluntary organisations.
• Bank of Valletta (BOV)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollowing discussions between the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations, MCVS, and Bank of Valletta, voluntary organisations are now exempt from administrative fees on their BOV bank accounts.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Volunteer Canada: Canada's national voice for volunteering, supporting volunteer centres and organisations nationally. Comparable to MCVS in its national volunteer matching and capacity-building mission, though at a much larger scale.
• Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO): Scotland's national intermediary body for the voluntary sector, providing funding distribution, training, digital platforms, and policy advocacy to ~3,000 member organisations. Directly comparable to MCVS in scope and mission as a national voluntary sector support body within a small country context.
• National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO): The UK's national membership body for the voluntary sector, supporting ~16,000 voluntary organisations with funding advice, training, advocacy, and digital resources. Highly comparable to MCVS as the national statutory-level coordinator for voluntary organisations, with similar functions of funding administration, capacity building, and policy advocacy.
• Volunteering Australia: Australia's national peak body for volunteering, providing policy advocacy, research, training, and sector development. Comparable to MCVS as a national voluntary sector coordinating body with similar functions though at a larger scale.
• WCVA (Wales Council for Voluntary Action): Wales's national umbrella body for the voluntary sector, providing funding, training, and policy support. Comparable to MCVS in its national coordinating role and small-jurisdiction focus, with similar government-statutory positioning.
• Volunteer Ireland: Ireland's national volunteer development agency supporting ~5,000 volunteer-involving organisations. Comparable to MCVS in mission (volunteer matching, training, advocacy) and as a national body operating in a small country context with similar regulatory and government relationships.
• National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (Singapore): Singapore's national body for volunteerism and philanthropy, providing platforms, training, and recognition programmes. Comparable to MCVS as a national coordinator for volunteering with similar functions around volunteer matching and sector development.

Regional players

• Active Citizenship Foundation (Italy): Italy's civic participation and citizen advocacy organisation, comparable to MCVS in its focus on civic engagement and community volunteering but operating in a different geographic and regulatory context.

Broad incumbents

• European Volunteer Centre (CEV): European-level network of volunteer centres and organisations. Comparable to MCVS as MCVS participates in EU projects and is part of CEV's network, providing a broader umbrella context for MCVS's volunteer sector work.

Emerging players

• Association of Volunteer Managers (AVM UK): UK-based membership body for volunteer managers. Comparable to MCVS in its volunteer management focus and training programmes, though narrower in scope (focused on volunteer management professionals rather than the full voluntary sector).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maltacvs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector