Open calls › Connecting Europe Facility (CEF)
External Borders: studies, works or mixed
Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) · CEF-T-2026-SAFEMOBGEN-EXTBORDER-WORKS
Studies and works improving rail and road infrastructure at border crossing points on the EU external border.
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What is this call about?
The topic co-finances studies and works that improve rail and road infrastructure at border crossing points on the Union external border of the TEN-T network. Public and private legal entities in EU Member States and CEF-associated countries can apply, without a consortium.
What does this call fund?
Scope
The topic funds the modernisation of transport infrastructure on the TEN-T network so as to ease rail and road traffic flows at border control areas on the Union external border. It is part of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Transport general envelope for projects related to safe and secure mobility. Only transport infrastructure is targeted, through works, studies or a mix of both.
Eligible activities
- Improving rail and road connections to border crossing points, including parking lines and spaces related to border controls.
- Rail projects that facilitate traffic flows at TEN-T border crossing points, including as regards interoperability.
- Upgrading parking spaces for trucks, waiting areas and road lane capacity from the parking spaces to the border control points and between them, provided this eases traffic flows at the external border.
- Certain border check equipment, such as smart IT solutions that speed up checks and reduce congestion, or fixed devices integrated into the transport infrastructure, but only as part of a wider infrastructure adaptation project.
Exclusions from support
Border check equipment and facilities cannot, in principle, be supported as a stand-alone project. Mobile equipment, administrative buildings, storage and warehouse facilities, and parking facilities for border officers cannot be supported.
Priorities and requirements
Priority is given to upgrading existing border crossing points to allow coordinated bi-directional controls and to projects on the TEN-T European Transport Corridors. Applicants should coordinate with relevant Interreg IPA Cross-Border Cooperation programmes where appropriate. A proposal combining studies and works must address different sections or activities for each component. Infrastructure supported under CEF must be accessible to all operators on a non-discriminatory basis.
Project size and eligible costs
Applicants are strongly encouraged to request an EU contribution of at least €1,000,000, and requests above €10,000,000 per grant agreement are ineligible. The grant is a budget-based actual cost grant. Project management costs should not exceed 10% of total project costs.
What are the key facts?
- Topic budget
- €20,000,000
- Minimum amount per project
- €1,000,000
- Maximum amount per project
- €10,000,000
- Funding rate
- up to 50%
- Call code
- CEF-T-2026-SAFEMOBGEN-EXTBORDER-WORKS
- Programme
- Connecting Europe Facility (CEF)
- Funder
- European Union, through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Transport programme
- Eligible applicants
- public or private legal entities established in EU Member States or countries associated to the CEF Programme
- Duration
- studies should end by 31 December 2029 and works by 31 December 2030 at the latest
Who can apply for this call?
- Applicants and affiliated entities must be legal entities, public or private.
- They must be established in an EU Member State, including overseas countries and territories, or in a country associated to the CEF Programme.
- Entities from other countries may exceptionally take part in projects of common interest in transport if the granting authority considers their participation essential.
- A consortium is not required.
- Letters of support signed by the Member State(s) or CEF-associated country(ies) benefiting from the project (Member State agreement) are a mandatory annex.
- Beneficiaries and affiliated entities must register in the Participant Register before submission and be validated.
- Natural persons are excluded, except self-employed sole traders without separate legal personality. International organisations may take part. EU bodies, other than the Joint Research Centre, cannot.
- Entities subject to EU restrictive measures, or to conditionality measures under Regulation 2020/2092, cannot take part.
- Projects must target transport infrastructure at border control areas on the Union external border of the TEN-T network.
Check your eligibility and how your project fits
In your free account, we check the eligibility conditions against the call documents for your organisation and assess how well your project fits this call.
When is the deadline?
6 October 2026
6 October 2026, 17:00:00 CET (Brussels). Proposals are submitted electronically through the Funding and Tenders Portal. The indicative timetable foresees evaluation from October 2026 to March 2027, results in April 2027 and grant agreement signature in May or June 2027.
Interested in this call? Summary written with AI from the official call documents. Details can differ, so check the official call page before you apply. Read the official call documents before you decide. The official text is always binding.
Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the official call documents. Official call page Last updated 6 October 2026.