The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry and FIMBank plc have signed an Alliance Agreement intended to raise awareness of banking and corporate finance solutions among Malta's business community, the two organisations announced on 13 October 2026.

Under the agreement, the Chamber and the bank will work together on a set of themes within the banking sector, with a particular focus on access to finance, working capital finance, business support, internationalisation and the promotion of core business principles. The stated aim is to give businesses clearer insight into the financial services and banking options available to support their operations, facilitate international trade and pursue growth in local and overseas markets.

Both sides frame the partnership as a pairing of complementary strengths: the Chamber's engagement with Malta's business community alongside FIMBank's work in corporate banking and trade finance. Access to appropriate financing, they argue, helps businesses manage working capital, strengthen financial resilience and expand into new markets, and the alliance is pitched as a way to encourage more informed financial decision-making.

Malta Chamber president William Spiteri Bailey said access to finance was "a key enabler of business growth, investment and international expansion". He added that as Malta seeks to move towards a higher-value economic model, businesses need "the right financial tools, expertise and support to strengthen their competitiveness and seize new opportunities", and said the alliance aimed to raise awareness of corporate and trade finance solutions while reinforcing "responsible business, sound financial management and sustainable growth".

Chris Trapani, senior vice president and head of retail and corporate banking at FIMBank, said the bank had spent recent years building a team that combined experience, expertise and a focus on customer service across sectors. "Our goal is not simply to provide financing, but to build long-term relationships and become trusted partners in our clients' growth journey," he said.

Both organisations position the agreement as a knowledge-sharing exercise rather than a product push, with banking, finance and internationalisation placed at the centre of the cooperation. As with most alliance agreements of this kind, the substance will depend on what the two sides actually deliver: the test will be whether the planned collaboration translates into practical support that helps Maltese businesses understand and use the financing options open to them. For now, the signing formalises a framework and a shared agenda, with the detail of joint activity still to follow.