Call: Comprehensive Network Maritime ports – works or mixed

The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for Transport is the funding instrument to realise European transport infrastructure policy. It aims at supporting investments in building new transport infrastructure in Europe or rehabilitating and upgrading the existing one.

Trans-European Networks for Transport (TEN-T) policy objectives foresee:

• completion by 2030 of the Core Network, structured around nine multimodal Core Network Corridors.
• completion by 2050 of the Comprehensive Network in order to facilitate accessibility to all European regions

CEF Transport focuses on cross-border projects and projects aiming at removing bottlenecks or bridging missing links in various sections of the Core Network and on the Comprehensive Network (link), as well as for horizontal priorities such as traffic management systems.

CEF Transport also supports innovation in the transport system in order to improve the use of infrastructure, reduce the environmental impact of transport, enhance energy efficiency and increase safety.

Objective:

The objective is to develop infrastructure projects in maritime ports on the Comprehensive Network of the TEN-T.

Scope:

Works on comprehensive maritime ports, with the possibility to include studies, related to:

• port access aiming at providing safe maritime access in the form of breakwaters, access channels, fairways, locks and navigational aids;
• basic port infrastructure, with a priority on:
  • development of zero or low-emission multimodal solutions, or;
  • development of ports´ capacities and facilities in relation with offshore wind farms, or;
  • improving connectivity of remote, insular or outermost regions (as defined in Article 349 TFEU) or of Member States with no land border with another Member State;
• shore-side electricity supply;
• port reception facilities for oil and other waste (including residues from exhaust gas cleaning systems) to meet environmental requirements;
• ensuring year-round navigability by means of capital dredging and ice-breaking facilities;
• providing or improving road/rail access and connections within maritime ports.

Support will not be given to studies related to infrastructure dedicated for cruise ships, except as regards shore-side electricity supply.

Hinterland connections to the maritime ports are covered by the respective transport mode priorities but may be part of a single Action (for instance an Action improving the rail access both within and outside the port area).

The basic infrastructure for development of zero or low-emission multimodal solutions could include basic infrastructure for improving the interconnection between the maritime transport and inland waterways.

Facilities and infrastructure supported under CEF must be accessible for use by all operators on a non-discriminatory basis.

The foreseen duration of the action should be 4-5 years maximum.

• one or more EU Member States 
• by international organisations, joint undertakings, or public or private undertakings or bodies established in Member States  (with the agreement of the Member States concerned).

In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:

• be legal entities (public or private bodies)
• be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
  • EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
  • third countries associated to the CEF.

Specific cases:

• Entities from other countries are exceptionally eligible for projects of common interest in the field of transport, energyand digital and for cross-border projects in the field of renewable energy, if the granting authority considers their participation essential for the implementation of the action.
• Natural persons are NOT eligible (with the exception of self-employed persons, i.e. sole traders, where the company does not have legalpersonality separate from that of the natural person).
• International organisations are eligible. The rules on eligible countries do not apply to them.
• Entities without legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guaranteesfor the protection of the EU financial interests equivalent to that offered by legal persons.
• EU bodies (with the exception of the European Commission Joint Research Centre) can NOT be part of the consortium.

Proposal page limits and layout:

• Part A to be filled in directly online  (administrative information, summarised budget, call-specific questions, etc.)
• Part B to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system
• mandatory annexes and supporting documents (to be uploaded):
  • detailed budget table per WP (template available in the Submission System)
  • activity reports of last year
  • list of previous projects (key projects for the last 4 years) (template available in Part B)
  • timetable/Gantt chart
  • agreement by the concerned Member States (letters of support)
  • environmental compliance file
  • simplified cost-benefit analysis (CBA) if the project is supported with financing of a non-Implementing Partner financial institution.

The available call budget for Projects on the Comprehensive Network – Cohesion envelope (CEF-T-2021-COMPGEN) is EUR 250,000,000.

In order to ensure efficiency in EU funding interventions, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit applications for projects with a total requested EU contribution to the eligible costs of no less than EUR 1,000,000. Where possible, related projects should be grouped and submitted as one proposal.

The costs will be reimbursed at the funding rates fixed in the Grant Agreement (maximum 50% for the costs of studies, maximum 70% for the costs of works in outermost regions (only applicable for maritime ports and roads), maximum 50% for the other costs categories (‘project funding rate’) for Actions supporting inland waterways and maximum 30% for the other costs categories (‘project funding rate’) for Actions supporting the other transport modes.

You can apply for a higher project funding rate if your project concerns:

• cross-border links: maximum 50% (not applicable for maritime ports and roads)
• cross-border links with integrated management: maximum 55% (not applicable for maritime ports and roads)