Following the adoption of the 2018 CEF Energy Work Programme in March 2018, the second call for energy proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for 2018 has opened today.
The European Commission will release €500 million of funding for energy infrastructure projects that plan to strengthen the EU’s internal energy market, enhance security of energy supply, and help provide clean, sustainable energy for Europe. The deadline for submitting proposals in the areas of electricity, gas, smart grids and cross-border carbon dioxide networks infrastructures is 11 October 2018. Projects submitted in response to this call will be evaluated in November and December 2018, and the results will be communicated in February 2019.
Proposed projects, which can be either studies or works, will be evaluated against several criteria. These include their state of maturity, their cross-border dimension, and to what extent they will remove bottlenecks and end energy isolation. To be eligible to apply for CEF funding, projects must be designated Projects of Common Interest (PCIs). PCIs are considered essential for completing the EU’s internal energy market, and are required to have a significant impact on at least two EU countries.
How to apply?
Applicants should submit their proposal through the dedicated proposal submission system, accessible from the 2018-2 CEF Energy call webpage. All call documents and additional background information are available on the call webpage. A virtual information day on the two 2018 calls and application process was held on 9 April 2018 – the recording and all presentations can be downloaded on the event page.
Background
The CEF provides EU funding for infrastructure projects, which in the case of energy shall increase competitiveness, enhance the EU’s security of energy supply, and contribute to sustainable development and protection of the environment (for example, by maximising the use of renewable energy and smart energy networks). It is making available a total of €5.35 billion for energy projects in the 2014-2020 period. The Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) manages CEF Energy call for proposals and follows up the technical and financial implementation of the projects with the beneficiaries, providing technical expertise and high quality programme implementation.
More information
2018-2 CEF Energy call for proposals
Source: European Commission – INNOVATION AND NETWORKS EXECUTIVE AGENCY