CEF Transport: €1.1 billion available for infrastructure projects across the EU

The European Commission launched through its Executive Agency CINEA the 2026 call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for Transport, making €1.1 billion available to build and modernise transport infrastructure in the EU and the CEF associated countries of Ukraine and Moldova.

The projects to be funded will contribute to the completion and modernisation of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T). They will lead to more sustainable, smart, interoperable and resilient mobility across the TEN-T.

The 2026 CEF Transport call covers the TEN-T network pursuant to TEN-T Regulation (EU) 2024/1679, in the following areas:

• Railway projects on the TEN-T Core Network
• Inland waterway projects on the TEN-T Core Network
• Electrification of the road haulage and airport sectors
• Electricity charging infrastructure in maritime and inland ports, and equipping vessels for the use of alternative fuels
• Adapting the transport infrastructure at Union external borders
• Digitalisation of road transport
• Military Mobility

An online info session on the 2026 CEF Transport call will take place on Wednesday 24 June 2026 and will guide applicants through the call, application procedure, award criteria, and evaluation process.

Who can apply?

Applications are welcome from:

• One or more Member State(s)
• International organisations or
• Public or private bodies established in an EU Member State or countries associated to CEF (Ukraine and Moldova)

Applicants should submit their proposal electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal, at the latest, by 6 October 2026 at 17.00 CET (Brussels time).

What happens next?

Proposals will be evaluated by independent experts, the European Commission, and CINEA. Applicants will receive the evaluation results no more than six months after the submission deadline, and grant agreements for successful projects will be signed within nine months after the submission deadline.

To expand its database, experts can still register as Commission evaluators of proposals by signing up via the Participant Portal and sending an e-mail to CINEA-CEF-Transportec [dot] europa [dot] eu (CINEA-CEF-Transport[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu).

Background

The EU needs an efficient and interconnected multimodal transport system for passengers and freight. This involves developing an affordable, reliable, and efficient rail network, improving inland waterways and maritime port infrastructure, achieving better integration between transport modes, and enhancing automation and interoperability to boost the transport network's efficiency and safety.

The CEF Transport programme is the key EU funding instrument for the development of high performing, sustainable and interconnected Trans-European transport networks, with a focus on the nine European Transport Corridors and two horizontal priorities. The programme co-finances projects that enhance multimodality, improve infrastructure, and advance innovation and new technologies.

Under the CEF programme, €25.8 billion is available for grants from the EU's 2021-2027 budget to co-fund trans-European transport network projects in EU Member States. Since 2014 the CEF programme has supported over 1 900 projects with a total of €47.2 billion in the transport sector.

The call for proposals supports projects under the General, Cohesion and Military Mobility envelopes of the CEF Transport programme. The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) manages the promotion and evaluation of the call and supervises the implementation of projects.