Connecting Europe Facility (CEF)
Focus
Trans-European networks and infrastructures in:
- Energy
- Transport
- Telecom
Opportunities
- Funding infrastructures in transport, telecommunications and energy sectors
- 5G roll out
- Broadband for EU (BB4EU)
Support
European Council has agreed the budget for CEF to be EUR 28 396 million. It is divided as follows:
- Transport EUR 21 384 million
- Out of which EUR 10 billion from Cohesion funds
- Energy EUR 1 384 million
- Digital EUR 1 832 million
Requirements
- CEF Transport: co-financing rate between 30% and 85%
- CEF Energy: co-financing rate 50%, in special cases up to 75%
- CEF Digital: co-financing rate varies between 30% and 100%
LIFE Programme
Focus
- To contribute to Biodiversity, Circular Economy, Energy efficient, renewable energy based and climate resilient economy: Environmental technologies, resource efficiency, industry & production, waste, water
- To protect and improve the quality of the environment
Opportunities
- Funds for companies to bring their green products, technologies, services and processes to the market
- Project proposals that show synergies with EU policies different from those covered by the LIFE programme and with other EU funding mechanisms will receive bonus points in the evaluation.
Support
- 1-5 investing partners required
- Any entity (public bodies, private entities and NGOs) registered in the EU can apply
- Project length normally 4-6years
Requirements
- CEF Transport: co-financing rate between 30% and 85%
- CEF Energy: co-financing rate 50%, in special cases up to 75%
- CEF Digital: co-financing rate varies between 30% and 100%
Digital Europe Programme
Focus
European capacity building in:
- High Performance Computing
- Cloud, Data and AI
- Cybersecurity
- Advanced Digital Skills
- Accelerating the best use of technologies
Opportunities
- Implementation and deployment of products developed under other programmes such as Horizon Europe
- Digital Innovation Hubs
- Widening the use of digital technologies
Support
- Overall budget EUR 6.761 billion for 2021-2027
Types of actions:
- Grants: 50% co-funding rates
- Grants including cascading funding
- CSAs
- Procurements
Requirements
- Eligibility: legal entity from Member State or associated country, EU may limit the eligibility of third country participation in some actions under security topics.
- Further requirements defined in work programme.
Creative Europe 2021-2027
Focus
- Cultural and creative sectors
- The programme is divided to three strands:
- Culture
- Media
- Cross-sector
Opportunities
- Culture strand: European Platforms and Networks, Cooperation projects
- Media strand: audio-visual sector: market access, audience development, project development
- Cross-sector: Guarantee Facility for cultural and creative sectors
Support
- Council agreement for the budget is EUR 1.642 billion.
- Funding methods include grants, prices and procurements.
Requirements
- Eligibility requirements: legal entity from Member States; third country associated to the programme; third country listed in work programme.
European Defence Fund (EDF)
Focus
- To promote defence cooperation among companies and between EU countries to foster innovation and develop state-of-the-art defence technology and products.
Opportunites
- The European Defence Fund under the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework
Support
- Under the European Defence Fund, EUR 8.9 billion will be available
- These are complemented with national contributions, whereas EUR 4.1 billion is used to fund collaborative defence research to address emerging and future security threats.
Requirements
- Areas concerned
- Research
- Industry
- Innovation
- New technologies
- Co-op & Development
- SME Policy
- Who can apply?
- Research centres
- Corporations
- Administrations States
- SMEs
- Universities,
Eurostars
Focus
Funding programme for SMEs wishing to collaborate on:
- R&D projects that create innovative products
- Processes or services for commercialisation.
Opportunities
- Free choice theme of product-driven and market-oriented project idea
- About 30% success rate
Support
- National funding rules apply (check your national contact point)
- The maximum project duration is three years and results are expected to enter markets in two years after the project is completed.
Requirements
- An Eurostars project must be aimed at the development of a new product, process or service.
- Project participants must include at least two countries participating in Eurostars and the SMEs must dominate the consortium.
- The leading partner must be a growth-seeking SME that invests at least 10 percent of turnover or human resources to R&D.
European Investment Bank (EIB)
Focus
- Comprehensive scope – wide range of tailored instruments
- Catalytic effect – encouraging additional private and public sector
investment
Opportunities
- Loans
- Equity
- Guarantees
Support
- Loans to private sector entities to finance projects or investment programmes
- These products include debt and hybrid debt financing to project finance.
- Investments in debt and equity funds focused on private sector development
- The EIB guarantees unlock additional financing for small- and medium-sized enterprises or mid-caps by covering a portion of possible losses from a portfolio of loans.
Requirements
- SME
- Mid caps
- Large companies
