Find EU-funding for your projects now!Search for FundingSearch for programsReset all filters

  1. Select the type of organisation that you are interested in to implement projects.

    The role of an organisation involved could by lead partner, regular project partner, associate partner, and observers.

    Info
    Type of organisation

  2. Select countries that you are interested in to implement projects.

    The funding regions are defined by countries only. In case only part of a country (certain NUTS regions) is eligible for funding relevant information is provided in the description of the programme.

    Info
    Funding region

  3. Select themes that you are interested in to implement projects.

    16 different thematic keywords were predefined when the database was set up. Each call is classified according to this system either with one, two or more themes to facilitate the search for suitable calls.

    Info
    Topics

  4. You can use free text when searching for interesting calls. All you need to do is to enter a phrase in the text bar that EuroAccess is to look for in its database.

    When looking for a phrase in the free text bar, the system will perform an exact-match search. This means that it will search the database for the exact words, in their exact order. However, you can opt for two different approaches:

    1. You can use “AND”, in this way: One AND Two. EuroAccess will look in the database for the fields which records contain both One and Two, regardless of their order and their position in any sentence.

    2. You can use the “OR”, in this way: One OR Two. In this case, EuroAccess will search the database for fields that contain either the word One or the word Two. It will retrieve all the fields with one of these words or with both.

    However, you should prefer phrases or complex words over simple words in you text searches.

    Info
    Keyword
    Selection of eligible entitiesReset all

  1. An institution, body, office or agency established by or based on the Treaty on European Union and the Treaties establishing the European Communities.

    All education and training facilities for people of different age groups.

    An intergovernmental organization having legal personality under public international law or a specialized agency established by such an international organization. An international organization, the majority of whose members are Member States or Associated Countries and whose main objective is to promote scientific and technological cooperation in Europe, is an International Organization of European Interest.

    A person with legal rights and obligations. Unlike a legal entity, a natural person does not have a legal act (e.g. association, limited liability company, etc.).

    An NPO is an institution or organization which, by virtue of its legal form, is not profit-oriented or which is required by law not to distribute profits to its shareholders or individual members. An NGO is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that does not represent business interests. Pursues a common purpose for the benefit of society.

    A partnership, corporation, person, or agency that is for-profit and not operated by the government.

    Any government or other public administration, including public advisory bodies, at the national, regional or local level.

    A research institution is a legal entity established as a non-profit organization whose main objective is to conduct research or technological development. A college/university is a legal entity recognized by its national education system as a university or college or secondary school. It may be a public or private institution.

    A microenterprise, a small or medium-sized enterprise (business) as defined in EU Recommendation 2003/361. To qualify as an SME for EU funding, an enterprise must meet certain conditions, including (a) fewer than 250 employees and (b) an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 43 million. These ceilings apply only to the figures for individual companies.

    Selection of eligible countriesReset all
    Selection of topicsReset all

  1. Administration & Governance, Institutional Capacity & Cooperation 

    This topic focuses on strengthening governance, fostering institutional capacity, and enhancing cross-border cooperation. It includes promoting multilevel, transnational, and cross-border governance by designing and testing effective structures and mechanisms, as well as encouraging collaboration between public institutions on various themes. 

    Innovation capacity and awareness are also key, with actions aimed at increasing the ability of individuals and organizations to adopt and apply innovative practices. This involves empowering innovation networks and stimulating innovation across different sectors. 

    Institutional cooperation and network-building play a crucial role, supporting long-term partnerships to improve administrative processes, share regional knowledge, and promote intercultural understanding. This also includes cooperation between universities, healthcare facilities, schools, sports organizations, and efforts in management and capacity building. 

    This topic focuses on strengthening the agricultural, forestry, and fisheries sectors while ensuring sustainable development and environmental protection. It covers agricultural products (e.g., fruits, meat, olives), organic farming, horticulture, and innovative approaches to sustainable agriculture. It also addresses forest management, wood products, and the promotion of biodiversity and climate resilience in forestry practices.

    In the food sector, the focus lies on developing sustainable and resilient food chains, promoting organic food production, enhancing seafood products, and ensuring food security and safety. Projects also target the development of the agro-food industry, including innovative methods for production, processing, and distribution.

    Fisheries and animal management are essential aspects, with an emphasis on sustainable fishery practices, aquaculture, and animal health and welfare. This also includes efforts to promote responsible fishing, marine conservation, and the development of efficient resource management systems.

    Soil and air quality initiatives play a crucial role in environmental protection and public health. This includes projects aimed at combating soil and air pollution, implementing pollution management systems, and preventing soil erosion. Additionally, innovative approaches to improving air quality—both outdoors and indoors—are supported, alongside advancing knowledge and best practices in soil and air management.

    This topic focuses on protecting the environment, promoting biodiversity, and addressing the challenges of climate change and resource management. It includes efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, develop low-carbon technologies, and reduce GHG emissions. Biodiversity promotion and natural protection are key aspects. 

    It also covers improving soil and air quality by reducing pollution, managing contamination, preventing soil erosion, and enhancing air quality both outdoors and indoors. Water management plays an essential role, including sustainable water distribution, monitoring systems, innovative wastewater treatment technologies, and water reuse policies. Additionally, it addresses the protection and development of waterways, lakes, and rivers, as well as sustainable wetland management. 

    This topic focuses on preserving, promoting, and enhancing cultural and natural heritage in a sustainable way. It includes efforts to increase the attractiveness of cultural and natural sites through preservation, valorisation, and the development of heritage objects, services, and products. Cultural heritage management, arts, and culture play a key role, including maritime heritage routes, access to cultural sites, and cultural services like festivals, concerts, and art workshops. 

    Tourism development is also central, with actions aimed at promoting natural assets, protecting and developing natural heritage, and increasing touristic appeal through the better use of cultural, natural, and historical heritage. It also covers the improvement of tourist services and products, the creation of ecotourism models, and the development of sustainable tourism strategies. 

    This topic focuses on the sustainable management, protection, and valorisation of natural resources and areas, such as habitats, geo parks, and protected zones. It also includes preserving and enhancing cultural and natural heritage, landscapes, and protecting marine environments. 

    Circular economy initiatives play a key role, with actions aimed at innovative waste management, ecological treatment techniques, and advanced recycling systems. Projects may focus on improving recycling technologies, organic waste recovery, and establishing repair and re-use networks. Additionally, pollution prevention and control efforts address ecological economy practices, marine litter reduction, and sustainable resource use. 

    This topic covers labour market development and employment, focusing on creating job opportunities, optimizing existing jobs, and addressing academic (un)employment and job mobility. It also includes attracting a skilled workforce and improving working conditions for various groups. 

    Strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and boosting entrepreneurship are key priorities. This includes enhancing SME capacities, supporting social entrepreneurship, and promoting innovative business models. Activities may focus on creating advisory systems for start-ups, spin-offs, and incubators, fostering business networks, and improving the competitiveness of SMEs through knowledge and technology transfer, digital transformation, and sustainable business practices. 

    This topic focuses on fostering community integration and strengthening a common identity by promoting social cohesion, positive relations, and the development of shared spaces and services. It supports initiatives that enhance intercultural understanding and cooperation between different societal groups. 

    Demographic change and migration address key societal challenges, such as an aging population, active aging, and silver economy strategies. It also includes adapting public services and infrastructure to demographic shifts, tackling social and spatial segregation, and addressing brain drain. Migration-related actions cover policy development, strategic planning, and the integration of migrants to create inclusive and resilient communities. 

    All projects where ICT has a significant role, including tailor-made ICT solutions in different fields, as well as digital innovation hubs, open data, Internet of Things; ICT access and connecting (remote) areas with digital infrastructure and services; services and applications for citizens (e-health, e-government, e-learning, e-inclusion, etc.); services and applications for companies (e-commerce, networking, digital transformation, etc.).

    This is about the mitigation and management of risks and disasters, and the anticipation and response capacity towards the actors regarding specific risks and management of natural disasters, for example, prevention of flood and drought hazards, forest fire, strong weather conditions, etc.. It is also about risk assessment and safety.

    This topic focuses on enhancing education, training, and opportunities for children, youth, and adults. It covers the expansion of educational access, reduction of barriers to education, and improvement of higher education and lifelong learning. It also includes vocational education, common learning programs, and initiatives supporting labour mobility and educational networks. Additionally, it addresses the promotion of media literacy, digital learning tools, and the development of innovative educational approaches to strengthen knowledge, skills, and societal participation. 

    This topic emphasizes the role of culture and media in education and social development. It supports initiatives that foster creativity, cultural awareness, and artistic expression among children and youth. Activities include promoting cross-border cooperation in the audiovisual sector, enhancing digital content creation skills, and boosting the distribution of educational and cultural media products. Furthermore, it encourages the development of media literacy initiatives, helping young audiences critically engage with digital and media content. By connecting education, creativity, and media, this topic strengthens cultural identity and supports inclusive, knowledge-based societies. 

    This topic covers actions aimed at improving energy efficiency and promoting the use of renewable energy sources. It includes energy management, energy-saving methods, and evaluating energy efficiency measures. Projects may focus on the energy rehabilitation and efficiency of buildings and public infrastructure, as well as promoting energy efficiency through cooperation among experienced firms, institutions, and local administrations. 

    In the field of renewable energy, this encompasses the development and expansion of wind, solar, biomass, hydroelectric, geothermal, and other sustainable energy sources. Activities include increasing renewable energy production, enhancing research capacities, and developing innovative technologies for energy storage and management. Projects may also address sustainable regional bioenergy policies, financial instruments for renewable energy investments, and the establishment of cooperative frameworks for advancing renewable energy initiatives. 

    This topic focuses on promoting equal rights and strengthening social inclusion, particularly for marginalized and vulnerable groups. It covers activities enhancing the capacity and participation of children, young people, women, elderly people, and socially excluded groups. Activities can address the creation of inclusive infrastructure, improving access and opportunities for people with disabilities, and fostering social cohesion through innovative care services. It also includes initiatives supporting victims of gender-based violence, promoting human rights, and developing policies and tools for social integration and equal participation in society. 

    This area focuses on improving health and social services, enhancing accessibility and efficiency for diverse groups such as the elderly, children, and people with disabilities. It includes the development of new healthcare models, innovative medical diagnostics and treatments (e.g., dementia, cancer, diabetes), and the management of hospitals and care facilities. Additionally, activities addressing rare diseases, promoting overall wellbeing, and fostering preventive health measures fall under this theme. It also covers sports promotion, encouraging physical activity as a means to improve public health and social inclusion. 

    This area focuses on strengthening justice, safety, and security through cross-border cooperation and institutional capacity-building. It includes initiatives aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of police, fire, and rescue services, enhancing civil protection systems, and rapid response capabilities for emergencies like chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents. Activities also target the prevention and combatting of organized crime, drug-related crimes, and human trafficking, as well as ensuring secure and efficient border management. Furthermore, it covers initiatives promoting the protection of citizens, community safety, and the development of innovative security services and technologies. 

    This area focuses on the development and improvement of transport and mobility systems, covering all modes of transport, including urban mobility and public transportation. Actions aiming at improving transport connections through traffic and transport planning, rehabilitation and modernisation of infrastructure, better connectivity, and enhanced accessibility. Projects promoting multimodal transport and logistics, optimising intermodal transport chains, offering sustainable and efficient logistics solutions, and developing multimodal mobility strategies. Also, initiatives establishing cooperation among logistic centres and providing access to clean, efficient, and multimodal transport corridors and hubs. 

    Activities focusing on the sustainable development and strategic planning of urban, regional, and rural areas. This includes urban development such as city planning, urban renewal, and strengthening urban-rural links through climate adaptation, sustainable mobility, water efficiency, participatory processes, smart cities, and the regeneration of public urban spaces. Regional planning and development cover the implementation of regional policies and programmes, sustainable land use management plans, integrated regional action plans, spatial planning, and the efficient management of marine protected areas. Rural and peripheral development addresses the challenges of remote and sparsely populated areas by fostering rural community development, enhancing rural economies, improving access to remote regions, and promoting tailored policies for rural sustainability and growth. 

    Keyword search
Apply selection

Filter Search for grants

back to the overview

Deadline expired

The deadline for this call has expired.

Call key data

5G large scale pilots – 5G coverage along Transport Corridors – Works

Funding Program

Connecting Europe Facility - Digital

Call number

CEF-DIG-2024-5GLSP-CORRIDORS-WORKS

deadlines

Opening
22.10.2024

Deadline
13.02.2025 17:00

Call budget

€ 52,500,000.00

Estimated EU contribution per project

between € 10,000,000.00 and € 20,000,000.00

Link to the call

ec.europa.eu

Link to the submission

ec.europa.eu

Call content

short description

CEF funding will cover the deployment of 5G SA infrastructure, plus relevant connectivity and computing, elements, required to implement innovative use-cases targeting either 5G corridors or 5G smart communities. Therefore, the proposals should address only one of the two topics below. In the case of 5G Corridor use cases, large-scale 5G SA pilots can be deployed along key European transport paths and the TEN-T network corridors including, but not limited to, the indicative list of 5G corridors in the Part V of the CEF Regulation, with a co-funding rate of up to 50%. The priority will be to support investments in cross-border sections involving two or more Member States.

Call objectives

The overall objective of the call “5G Large-scale pilots” is to deploy large-scale 5G SA infrastructures that integrate connectivity and edge cloud capacities along the 3C Network value chain. Each pilot is expected to maximise the number of use cases enabled by 5G systems in areas such as healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, education, mobility, transport (including use cases for Connected and Automated Mobility for road, railway and inland waterway as well as coastal maritime automation, or multimodal transport as appropriate) etc., targeting urban, sub-urban, rural, and cross-border areas.

The strategy is to bring together the demand side of individual projects (vertical sector use cases) with supply chain actors across the EU in the 3C Network ecosystem.

Specific objectives are the following:

  • 5G SA large-scale pilots will stimulate a wider and faster deployment and take-up of 5G across Europe, while providing the foundation for developing “lead markets” for 5G and edge cloud systems, relying where applicable on technologies and standards developed under other EU programmes, in particular the Digital Europe Programme and Horizon Europe.
  • 5G SA large-scale pilots should demonstrate the benefits gained in specific vertical applications, following the evolution from current electronic communications networks towards virtualised and cloud-native network functions and distributed telco edge cloud, opening new opportunities to Europe’s key industries.
  • 5G SA large-scale pilots funded under this call for proposals are expected to leverage 5G infrastructures delivering leading-edge connectivity characteristics e.g.: symmetric gigabit performance, high-user-density, ubiquitous coverage (e.g. to connect IoT devices), low latency and very high reliability. They will contribute to the integration of devices, networks, cloud and edge computing, and communication capabilities for telco edge cloud deployment to realise a ubiquitous mesh of computing and communication resources. Where necessary, the pilots should bundle 5G networks with a cloud-to-edge middleware stack capable of supporting the data-intensive use cases and applications designed for a multi-purpose context (5G corridors and/or 5G applications for socio-economic drivers).
  • These large-scale pilots are encouraged to cover multiple use cases. Cross-sector synergies between multiple use cases are expected to be enabled by 5G SA supporting local smart communities and connecting multiple sites distributed across multiple countries and regions.
  • 5G SA large-scale pilots should be designed in a way that, with adaptations due to possible different requirements, they can be replicated across Europe, for instance under other funding programmes such as ERDF, EAFRD or national investments. Projects may be preceded by inception studies or best practices funded in earlier calls under this programme or may be based on any other preparatory work funded under other programmes (such as R&I under Horizon Europe).

read more

Expected effects and impacts

The projects funded under this call are expected to accelerate the deployment of 5G SA across the Union, thus directly contributing to the achievement of the Digital Decade connectivity goals and the other Digital Decade targets. The benefits and impact of these actions will equally depend on the level of innovation present in the use cases addressed.

By closing deployment gaps and removing capacity bottlenecks and technical barriers, the deployment of 5G Corridors along the TEN-T networks will contribute to strengthening the social, economic, and territorial cohesion in the EU.

5G Corridor projects would deliver uninterrupted coverage, where service continuity will meet relevant quality-of-service requirements over the entire range of the corridor section. In turn, this will enable the developmment of a broad range of 5G-enabled CAM services, including road, rail, inland waterways and coastal maritime, and if appropriate in combination with multimodal transport, as well as complementary safety-related services where appropriate. The latter could be based on direct short range communication technologies, such as V2X and ITS-G5, and supporting complementarities between existing and future infrastructure deployment actions.

In the future, deployed infrastructure may contribute to the improved safety of road/rail/waterway/coastal operations (e.g. Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), Future Rail Mobile Communication System (FRMCS), River Information Services (RIS)) and enable 5G services for multiple application domains.

Key parameters to measure impact for the 5G Corridor topic, will be:

  • Aggregate length of the corridor sections covered by 5G
  • Spectrum bands enabled along the sections
  • Inter-antenna distance, or in the case of deployment limited to passive netwok infrastructure only, inter-pylone/mast/towers
  • Availability of various service features along transport routes, and
  • Target network performance such as data rate and latency for each vehicle.

Projects may also contribute to the objectives of the Commission’s strategy on the mobility of the future in terms of road safety, optimised road traffic and reduced CO2 emissions and traffic congestion, as well as the competitiveness of the European telecom and automotive industries.

5G smart communities use cases are expected to accelerate the take-up of 5G SA connectivity for the provision of innovative services and contribute to a wider deployment at the same time. Such services can help reboot the overall economy, as well as support the transition towards the provision of smart services in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal. 5G SA innovative use cases include:

  • IoT infrastructure and community services that require a flexible, low-latency, reliable, high-user-density connectivity infrastructure, e.g. through a combination of fibre and wireless connectivity (5G, small cells, and Wi-Fi) that is IPv6-enabled.
  • 5G- and edge cloud- based use cases that leverage new 5G characteristics, e.g.: higher bandwidth and ubiquitous coverage (eMBB), ultra-low latency (URLLC), massive machine-type (mMTC).
  • Process and data innovations that require connectivity infrastructures with advanced service features, e.g. quality-of-service guarantees enabled by edge computing facilities and support by network slicing.
  • Projects that rely, where relevant, on open, disaggregated, and interoperable technology solutions and contributing to the emergence of a European 3C network ecosystem of suppliers.
  • Leveraged impact on investment in 5G and edge cloud for vertical sectors by all types of public and private investors.
  • Positive spillover effect to Digital Decade indicators not only for “digital infrastructure” but also to other use cases in Digital Skills, Digital Transformation of Businesses and Digital public Services.

In addition to the support for local innovation, the EU added value is also based on the dissemination and the early adoption of concrete 5G SA use cases that will contribute to gaining insights and increasing maturity for 5G applications in different sectors. It is expected that this will generate spillover effects across the 3C Network value chain, in particular by nurturing consumer-supplier synergies between actors working on converged, cloud-enabled connectivity and computing infrastructures. In all 5G Large Scale Pilots proposals, the beneficiaries should demonstrate that they have access to use case resources and capacities, including relevant radio spectrum (in case of passive infrastructure deployment, either directly or contractually with 5G spectrum band owners). They should provide reassurances as to the operation of the service beyond the specific areas (e.g. 5G corridor section) supported by CEF, and beyond the time horizon of the CEF-funded project, in view of the long-term development of the infrastructures (e.g. more extensive pan-European corridor network, replication of a smart community use case, etc.).

All proposals should include a solid implementation plan, including access to services and applications with social, economic, and environmental benefits extending beyond the co-fundeded Member States, the beneficiaries or telecoms sector, as well as a commitment to maintain the infrastructure beyond the lifetime of the project. Proposals should also include a plan to enable uninterrupted service beyond the 5G cross-border sections (for 5G Corridors proposals) and, if applicable, beyond the scope of the funded 5G SA network at the SED location (for 5G smart communities proposals). Such a plan should include the same security conditions that apply to the CEF-funded project.

Each proposal must be supported by the relevant competent authorities involved in the deployment of 5G SA network infrastructure in the area where the deployment is foreseen to take place, e.g. along a transport path on the two sides of the border, at national and/or regional and/or local levels for the 5G Smart Communities.

All the proposals should define post-project ownership and describe the mechanism(s) set in place for long term cooperation and sustainability. The functional and operational relationship(s) between the different participants in the value chain for the provision of digital services should be clearly defined.

Beneficiaries will be asked during project implementation to share their knowledge, achievements and lessons learnt, including in the context of relevant Support Actions, in order to demonstrate the benefits of 5G SA by providing concrete examples of 5G based use cases for SEDs. Sharing of project information will be essential for project replication (e.g. requirements elicitation, scoping and templates for financial sizing, facilitating identification of complementary funding sources) across the Union, thus facilitating the spillover effect of CEF Digital investments.

During project implementation beneficiaries will be also asked to cooperate with the ongoing CSA projects (or follow up actions) that support and enhance 5G edge and distributed cloud integration for European 5G corridors and 5G smart communities and foresee specific budget for these activities.

The Broadband Competence Offices (BCO) Network will also play an important role in helping applicants and beneficiaries to overcome the challenges related to the envisaged deployment and take-up of 5G SA, e.g. by conveying knowledge and good practices.

Proposals funded under this call may include synergetic (ancillary) elements relating to another sector of the CEF programme, i.e. energy and transport, if these synergetic elements allow to significantly improve the socio-economic, climate or environmental benefits of the action. CEF co-funding may be provided as long as the cost of these synergetic elements does not exceed 20% of the total eligible costs of the action. Art. 10 of CEF Regulation.

Synergies between CEF projects and with other relevant EU programmes is encouraged. Maximising the value, impact, efficiency of EU funding and supporting delivering on EU priorities is an EU added value which will be positively considered under the “Priority and Urgency” criterion.

read more

Expected results

The deployment of 5G corridors has been identified as a Multi-Country Project (MCP) in the Path to the Digital Decade Policy Programme. In addition, the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) provides guidance in reviewing the 5G Strategic Deployment Agendas for both road and rail, with a particular focus on deployment scenarios, cooperation models, and regulatory incentives. Therefore, each proposal must foresee cooperation with relevant Programme Support Actions funded under CEF Digital as well as relevant working groups and fora of the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS), which is expected to provide strategic input to the implementation of the CEF Digital programme with the support of dedicated CSA projects.

Applicants may apply for grants towards work projects, covering the following categories:

  • Deployment of passive network elements including civil works, e.g., ducts, dark fibre, 5G radio stations, towers, masts and/or pylons.
  • Deployment and installation of active network elements, e.g., antennae, storage and computing capabilities such as network controllers, routers, switches, edge MEC/node etc.
  • Deployment and installation of specific tracks-ide devices (e.g., road, rail) for CAM use cases, such as sensors, cameras etc. for traffic monitoring purposes, including connected road-side units.
  • Studies for preparatory works to be deployed as part of proposed works within the same application, such as network planning.

The proposed cross-border section of a 5G corridor must cross at least one Member State border, while its length on both/all sides of the border may vary, depending on national circumstances, such as means of transport, geographic situation and maximum size of the project/EU funding indicated in the call.

As regards Member States with large highway and rail networks (over 1000 km), cross-border segments of 5G corridors may span up to 15% of the corresponding combined length of TEN-T comprehensive corridors, per mode of transport (e.g., road, rail) in a Member State. If justified by the project objectives and in the absence of 4G coverage or where 5G networks cannot support services addressing evolving end-users' needs), longer cross-border sections may be considered. As regards Member States with significantly smaller highway and rail networks, similar conditions to adjust the scale of corridor length may apply, and could thus exceed 15% of the corresponding TEN-T sections of the 5G corridors in a Member State, provided that market failure is demonstrated in the proposal.

In the case of Member States without intra-EU borders due to their geographic situation, or with no relevant sections of TEN-T corridors inside their borders, actions aiming at 5G coverage of intra-national corridor sections with insufficient mobile coverage suitable for CAM services, or sections without 4G coverage, are eligible. Similarily, 5G corridor deployment projects crossing the border of a third country or terminating at a port with maritime connections to other EU Member States are also within the scope of this call.

Cross-border deployment projects may also cover intra-national corridor sections where justified, if demonstrating market failure, and could be supported by CEF Digital with a maximum of 30% funding rate; complementary national deployment initiatives funded under other programmes, in line with state aid rules would be included.

In both cases, i.e. cross-border sections with or without intra-national sections, projects supported by CEF Digital shall not undermine coverage obligations of the mobile network operators stemming from spectrum licence conditions. Should the same area be considered for deployment, the applicants must demonstrate that service requirements fulfilled by the CEF funded project for future CAM services along the section concerned are going beyond requirements of coverage obligations, in particular service continuity with guaranteed quality of service, such as data capacities offered per vehicle, speeds, latency, or other service enablers. Costs related to fulfilling coverage obligations under spectrum licences will not be eligible for financing under CEF Digital.

Funding projects that foresee sharing both, passive and active infrastructure, e.g. through wholesale offers, is encouraged in order to allow for an efficient use of funds provided under this programme. Sharing passive, as well as active equipment on the part of mobile network operators (e.g. using the neutral host model), should aim at substantially reducing network deployment costs and acilitating an energy efficient use of resources when deploying and operating the 5G SA infrastructures. Existing  infrastructures such as ducts, fibre, equipment shelters, power supply and utility poles should be used as needed and if possible. Large-scale pilot proposals should clearly outline the benefits of deploying 5G corridors, as well as their integration with edge and cloud infrastructure. This should be reflected in the design of the proposed supporting network architecture,its evolution towards the computing continuum, and should enable the development of innovative applications and use cases in the field of CAM (e.g. solutions for multi-modal mobility).

Proposals concerning corridors should demonstrate how the infrastructure will be made available for other service providers or users inside or outside the consortium, e.g. providing access on an open, fair, non-discriminatory basis to all operators that hold relevant spectrum licenses in the territory concerned, while keeping in mind the respective levels of risk undertaken. The provision of open, fair and non-discriminatory wholesale access is a key consideration for ensuring consistency with State aid rules. Proposals may include limitations to third party wholesale access to active network elements for the provision of FRMCS or ITS if justified on security grounds.

5G corridors proposals should describe how the project will be used for the provision of CAM or FRMCS services along the entire corridor. Any arrangements for network sharing options to ensure uninterrupted provision of services along the entire corridor should be clearly defined.

read more

Eligibility Criteria

Regions / countries for funding

EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT)

eligible entities

Education and training institution, International organization, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)

Mandatory partnership

Yes

Project Partnership

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))
    • non-EU countries (except for topics with restrictions; see below): countries associated to the CEF Programme or countries which are in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before grant signature (list of participating countries)

Please note however that this call is subject to restrictions due to security reasons. This means that only the following countries are eligible: EU Member States. Participation in any capacity (as beneficiary, affiliated entity, associated partner, subcontractor or recipient of financial support to third parties) is limited to entities from eligible countries. Project activities (included subcontracted work) must take place in eligible countries (see section geographic location below and section 10). The Grant Agreement may provide for IPR restrictions (see section 10).

Specific cases:

  • Entities from other countries (only for proposals submitted under topic CEF-DIG-2024-5GLSP-CORRIDORS-WORKS)) are exceptionally eligible for projects of common interest, if the granting authority considers their participation essential for the implementation of the action.
  • Countries currently negotiating association agreements (only for proposals submitted under topic CEF-DIG-2024-5GLSP-CORRIDORS-WORKS) — Beneficiaries from countries with ongoing negotiations for participating in the programme (see list of participating countries above) may participate in the call and can sign grants if the negotiations are concluded before grant signature and if the association covers the call (i.e. is retroactive and covers both the part of the programme and the year when the call was launched).
  • 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 — EU bodies (with the exception of the European Commission Joint Research Centre) can NOT be part of the consortium.

other eligibility criteria

Proposals must be submitted by:

  • minimum 2 applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from at least two Member States, or a Member State and associated or third country (see Digital Security Requirements Section and section 6 of the call document for the conditions to allow entities from Associated and Third countries)
  • exceptionally, when there is no terrestrial border with a Member State, or in the case of outermost regions, 5G corridor deployment projects crossing the border of a third country or terminating at a port with maritime connections to other EU Member States, minimum 2 applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from at least one Member State.

The participation of the following actors as part of the consortium is encouraged:

  • mobile network operators
  • tower companies
  • telecom backhaul operators
  • road operators
  • rail infrastructure managers
  • original equipment manufacturers
  • mobility service providers (such as innovative solutions providers for traffic management and intelligent transport systems)

Financial support to third parties is not allowed.

For topic CEF-DIG-2024-5GLSP-CORRIDORS-WORKS, the maximum co-funding rate is:

  • maximum 50% for the costs of preparatory studies, necessary to the works deployment within the proposal,
  • maximum 70% for the costs of works in outermost regions, and
  • maximum 30% for all other costs categories (‘project funding rate’)).

You can apply for a higher project funding rate if your project concerns: strong cross-border dimension: maximum 50%

Please consult p. 12-15 of the call document for more information regarding the digital security requirements.

Additional information

Topics

Digitalisation, Digital Society, ICT

Relevance for EU Macro-Region

EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region

UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)

project duration

36 months

Additional Information

All proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funders & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.

Proposals must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents, e.g. plan for the exploitation and dissemination of the results including communication activities, etc.

The application form will have three parts:

  • Part A (to be filled in directly online) contains administrative information about the participants (future coordinator and beneficiaries and affiliated entities), and the summarised budget for the project
  • Part B (to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system) contains the technical description of the project.
  • Part C (to be filled in directly online, for Works topic only) containing additional project data

Mandatory annexes and supporting documents (to be uploaded)

  • detailed budget table per Work Package (template available in the Submission System). The detailed budget table should contain one or several dedicated work packages related to the use case(s)
  • activity reports of the last finalized accounting year (unless exempted from operational capacity check; see section 7)
  • list of previous projects (key projects for the last 4 years) (template available in Part B)
  • timetable/Gantt chart (template available in the Submission System)
  • letters of support from all MS benefitting from the project´ (Member States agreement) (template available in the Submission System)
  • ownership control questionnaire, including for associated partners and subcontractors (template available in the Submission System)
  • security declarations signed by the participating entities.
  • other annexes

Additionally, for topic CEF-DIG-2024-5GLSP-5GCORRIDORS-WORKS, proposals must also submit:

  • - self-declaration from all Mobile Network Operators involved in the proposal that the public funding of the CEF intervention will not be used by the involved MNOs for the purpose of the fulfilment of any relevant coverage obligation, for instance in the context of spectrum licenses (to be uploaded in the Submission System in “Other annexes”)
  • - declaration from the coordinator, on behalf of the consortium, that no 5G infrastructure, present or credibly planned, is capable of providing an uninterrupted mobile coverage suitable for CAM services in the corridor section concerned (to be uploaded in the Submission System in “Other annexes”)
  • - security guarantees approved by the respective authorities of the associated third country or other third country, in case of third country entities participation (template available in the Submission System).
    • Exceptionally, should a third country require more time to provide its approval, the applicants must submit, by the call deadline, a copy of the security guarantee and the acknowledgment of receipt of the request by the third country. In this case, the security guarantees approved by the third country must be sent by the proposal coordinator to HADEA-CEF-DIGITAL-CALLS@ec.europa.eu by 11 April 2025, 17:00:00 (Brussels time) at the latest, identified with the proposal ID in the email subject.

The limit for a full application (Part B) is 120 pages.

Call documents

CEF-DIG-2024-5GLSPCEF-DIG-2024-5GLSP(493kB)

Contact

European Health and Digital Executive Agency - HaDEA - National Contact Points
Website

European Health and Digital Executive Agency - HaDEA
Website

To see more information about this call, you can register for free here
or log in with an existing account.
Log in Register now

back to the overview