EU launched a Blending Facility to support sustainable transport projects – 1st cut-off day 14 Feb 2020
Published: November 18, 2019
On 15 November 2019, the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) launched a call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Blending Facility. It seeks to promote the participation of private sector investors and financial institutions in projects contributing to the environmental sustainability and efficiency of transport in Europe. 1st cut-off date, the deadline for submission of project proposals, is on 14 February 2020.
€198 million are made available in the form of grants to support Blending Operations. These operations are a combination of grants and/or financial instruments from the EU budget and financing from Implementing Partners (via a loan, debt, equity or any other repayable form of support). This innovative blending mechanism has been devised to make sure that projects selected for grant support are bankable with a proven maturity.
WHAT PROJECTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING?
The rolling call for proposals supports two priorities of the CEF Transport multi-annual work programme for 2014-2020, with an indicative budget of €99 million each:
- Deployment of European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS)
- Alternative fuels for transport
| Type of Alternative Fuel technology |
Infrastructure | Mobile assets | ||
| Trucks & busses |
Vessels | Railway vehicles |
||
| CNG | 10% | 10% | – | – |
| LNG | 10% | 10% | 15% (1) | – |
| Electricity | 15% | 20% | 20% | – |
| Hydrogen | 20% | 20% | 20% | 20% |
The co-funding rates of the Action
As regards the mobile assets, the co-funding rate will apply to the eligible costs understood as the difference between the costs of a conventional solution and the costs of the innovative technology solution.
(1) For the deployment of LNG vessels in inland navigation, the co-funding rate is set at 20% of the eligible costs.
A virtual information day on the rolling call will take place on 5 December 2019.