The European Commission recently opened the 2022 CEF Transport call for proposals. This call will make a total of 5.12 billion euros available for projects aimed at improving and strengthening Europe’s transport infrastructure. Project proposals can be submitted until 18 January 2023.
What is CEF Transport?
CEF Transport, which is part of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), is a financing instrument that supports the improvement and strengthening of the Trans-European Network for Transport (TEN-T). Nine core network corridors have been identified on the TEN-T. These are the main transport routes across Europe by road, water and rail, including the main (air)ports. Three of the nine corridors run through the Netherlands.
By means of CEF Transport, the European Commission is building the core and comprehensive transport networks for goods and passengers in Europe. It is intended to connect all of the major hubs, transshipment terminals, ports, airports and cities. There is an increased focus on sustainable, safe and smart transport of goods and passengers.
What will the budget be spent on?
From 2021 to 2027, CEF Transport has more than 25.8 billion euros available to support European projects. Each year a new call for proposals is published. Projects aimed at improving and strengthening the TEN-T are eligible for funding. In previous years, for example, substantial grants went to the construction of full-service truck car parks, the realisation of charging infrastructure and innovations in bicycle parking in big cities.
New call for proposals: deadline 18 January 2023
The regular CEF Transport Call 2022 opened for applications on 13 September 2022. The closing date is 18 January 2023. A budget of 5.12 billion euros is available for this call.
Funding can be applied for by governments (national, provinces, municipalities) and enterprises (port authorities, industrial, logistics and service-providing companies). A project is only eligible for funding if it has been approved by the countries in which the implementers of the project are located.
Which themes are promising?
Themes that are prioritised within the EU are more likely to receive funding from CEF Transport. The following themes are currently promising:
- infrastructure projects located on the TEN-T core and comprehensive networks (rail, maritime and inland ports, waterways, terminals, multimodal transfer points)
- transport interoperability
- Motorways of the Sea
- multimodal passenger hubs
- reduction of noise pollution from railways
- safe and secure truck parking areas
- alternative fuel infrastructure
- road safety
- improving climate resilience of infrastructure
- adaptations to the TEN-T network for military mobility (dual use with civilian transport).
Project types and grant amounts
The grant amounts per project type are as follows:
- studies or study projects with pilot activities: up to 50% of project costs
- implementation projects: up to 30% of project costs; up to 50% for cross-border projects
- implementation projects for military mobility (dual use): up to 50% of project costs.
Specific components of CEF Transport
CEF Transport has some ongoing calls for special components in addition to the regular annual calls. These include the call CEF Transport – Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF) and the CEF Transport Military Mobility Call. These are currently open for applications too.
Interested?
If you have ideas for a project that is a match for one of the CEF Transport themes, please tell us about them. We have already handled several successful CEF Transport grant applications and would be happy to help you too. For instance, we specialise in ‘impact assessment’: we provide services such as life-cycle analyses, CO2 calculations and cost-benefit analyses (CBAs). With these services, we perfectly match the requirements of the European Commission.
