Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility - Co-funding Rate

The CEF-T-2024-AFIFGEN call under the Connecting Europe Facility aims to support the deployment of alternative fuel infrastructure within the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) in the EU. With an indicative budget of EUR 780,000,000, projects must focus on electricity recharging, hydrogen refueling, and ammonia/methanol bunkering infrastructure for various transport modes. The application process includes multiple deadlines: September 24, 2024, June 11, 2025, and March 4, 2026.

Eligible applicants include public and private entities involved in transport infrastructure, with the call emphasizing the importance of projects contributing to the decarbonization of transport. While consortiums are not explicitly required, partnerships with financial institutions are encouraged. The projects must be located within the TEN-T network and typically involve a co-funding requirement, with at least 10% financial contribution from a financial institution.

Funding proposals can vary in size, with total allocations from the call supporting significant investments in infrastructure to achieve sustainability goals. The application process has several stages: admissibility checks, eligibility assessments, evaluation, and preparation of a grant agreement. The program has seen a success rate of approximately 63% for admissible proposals in its first cut-off.

Overall, the call aims to foster the transition to zero-emission transport by financially assisting infrastructure projects across the EU, aligning with broader European Green Deal objectives.

The CEF-T-2024-AFIFGEN call, under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) 2 Transport program, aims to support the deployment of Alternative Fuel supply infrastructure, contributing to decarbonizing transport along the TEN-T network. The call is open for submission under the CEF Infrastructure Projects (CEF-INFRA) type of action, utilizing a CEF Action Grant Budget-Based model grant agreement. The opening date was February 29, 2024, and it follows a multiple cut-off deadline model. The deadline dates were September 24, 2024, June 11, 2025, and March 4, 2026, all at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The indicative budget for this call is EUR 780,000,000.

The scope of the call includes actions supporting:

1. Deployment of electricity recharging infrastructure for Heavy-Duty Vehicles (HDV), equipped with recharging points of minimum 150kW, 350kW, and 1MW power output.

2. Roll-out of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure for HDV.

3. Roll-out of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure for public transport in bus depots, for railways on sections of the TEN-T rail network with derogations from electrification, on isolated networks, or in terminals for refuelling shunting locomotives.

4. Roll-out of hydrogen refuelling and electricity recharging infrastructure dedicated to inland waterway and maritime vessels, vehicles, and equipment for port operations and airports.

5. Deployment of bunkering infrastructure for ammonia supply to maritime and inland waterway vessels and vessels for port operations in TEN-T maritime and inland ports.

6. Deployment of bunkering infrastructure for methanol supply to maritime and inland waterway vessels and vessels for port operations in TEN-T maritime and inland ports.

Costs related to vehicles or vessels are generally ineligible, except for vessels in inland waterway and short sea shipping if an initial number of vessels is needed to kick-start the use of the supported infrastructure. In such cases, the eligible cost is limited to the difference between a fossil-fuel vessel and the zero-emission vessel(s). Costs related to the production of green hydrogen for transport may be eligible as synergetic elements under specific conditions outlined in Section 10.6 of the Work Programme.

Key updates to the call include:

An adjustment to the AFIF Call text, with the third cut-off date postponed to March 4, 2026. Clarification of eligibility criteria for maritime and inland waterway vessels supplied by hydrogen refuelling stations and ammonia or methanol facilities. Modification of the extension principle for projects funded with unit contributions.

Evaluation results from the first cut-off date (September 24, 2024) indicate:

Number of submitted proposals: 49
Number of admissible and eligible proposals: 37
Number of inadmissible proposals: 7
Number of ineligible proposals: 5
Number of successful proposals: 31
Total CEF contribution for successful proposals: EUR 331,548,600

Applicants were informed of the evaluation results. A list of successful projects from the first cut-off is available.

The call text was updated to include electric charging in public bus depots as eligible for funding.

The list of Implementing Partners is being updated as new Administrative Agreements are signed for the period 2024-2025.

Admissibility conditions are described in section 5 of the call document, while proposal page limits and layout are detailed in Part B of the Application Form in the Submission System. Eligible countries are described in section 6 of the call document, along with other eligibility conditions. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are in section 7. Submission and evaluation processes are in section 8 and the Online Manual. Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are in section 9. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is in section 4, and the legal and financial set-up of the grants is in section 10.

Required documents include:

Call document CEF-T-2024-AFIFGEN
Application form (Parts A and B)
Detailed budget table per Work Package (WP)
Timetable (Gantt Chart)
Letter of support (MS agreement)
Environmental compliance file
Financial approval letter (IP)
Financial approval letter (non-IP)
Simplified CBA calculator (CEF-T)
List of Implementing Partners
CEF Model Grant Agreement MGA
Decision on unit contributions for CEF ERTMS, AFIF-EVRI, and RFN
CINEA guide on economic appraisal for CEF-T transport projects
Work Programme 2021-2027 (CEF-T)
CEF Regulation 2021/1153
TEN-T Regulation 2024/1679
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509

There are 31 partner search announcements available. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests.

For help, contact CINEA-CEF-TRANSPORT-CALLS@ec.europa.eu. Additional resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, IT Helpdesk, and Online Manual.

The CEF-T-2024-AFIFGEN call is a funding opportunity aimed at boosting the deployment of alternative fuel infrastructure across Europe's TEN-T network. It supports various projects, including electric recharging and hydrogen refuelling stations for heavy-duty vehicles, public transport, and maritime/inland waterway vessels. The call encourages the transition to cleaner transport solutions by providing financial assistance for infrastructure development, with a focus on sustainability and decarbonization. While the call primarily targets infrastructure, it also considers the initial deployment of zero-emission vessels under specific conditions. The European Commission has allocated a substantial budget to this call, reflecting its commitment to achieving its green transport objectives. The call has multiple cut-off dates, allowing applicants flexibility in preparing and submitting their proposals.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated but can be inferred to include entities capable of deploying alternative fuel supply infrastructure. This likely encompasses a range of organizations, including public authorities, private companies, infrastructure operators, and potentially public-private partnerships. The call also mentions Implementing Partners and non-Implementing Partners, suggesting that financial institutions and other relevant organizations can also participate.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a CEF Action Grant Budget-Based [CEF-AG], as indicated in the call information.

Consortium Requirement: The call does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the mention of "multi-applicants proposal" and the need for agreements from Member States where the project is implemented suggests that consortia are possible and perhaps encouraged.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is focused on the TEN-T network, implying that projects must be located within this network across the EU. The call also mentions a "Cohesion envelope," suggesting that projects in Member States eligible for funding from the Cohesion Fund may have specific opportunities. Eligible countries are described in section 6 of the call document.

Target Sector: The program targets the transport sector, specifically focusing on the deployment of alternative fuel supply infrastructure. This includes infrastructure for electricity recharging, hydrogen refuelling, ammonia bunkering, and methanol bunkering.

Mentioned Countries: The call mentions Member States in the context of project implementation and the need for agreements, but no specific countries are named. The focus is on the TEN-T network, which spans across the EU. There is also mention of Cohesion Member States, referring to those eligible for funding from the Cohesion Fund.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is deployment. The call supports the roll-out of infrastructure, suggesting that projects should be at the stage where they are ready to be implemented and operationalized.

Funding Amount: The indicative budget for the call is EUR 780,000,000. The total CEF contribution for successful proposals from the first cut-off was EUR 331,548,600. The funding amount per project is variable, depending on the project scope and eligible costs.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with multiple cut-off dates. The deadline model is multiple cut-off, with deadlines on 24 September 2024, 11 June 2025, and 04 March 2026.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to support the deployment of alternative fuel infrastructure.

Application Stages: The application process involves multiple stages, including admissibility checks, eligibility checks, evaluation, and grant agreement preparation. The specific number of stages is not explicitly stated, but the documentation refers to various sections describing these processes.

Success Rates: The success rates for the first cut-off of the 2024-2025 AFIF call were as follows: 49 submitted proposals, 37 admissible and eligible, 31 successful. This indicates a success rate of approximately 63% for admissible and eligible proposals.

Co-funding Requirement: Yes, there is a co-funding requirement. The call requires a financial contribution from a financial institution (Implementing Partner or non-Implementing Partner) of at least 10% of the project cost, with exceptions for projects financed by Implementing Partners.

Summary:

The CEF-T-2024-AFIFGEN call, under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), aims to support the deployment of alternative fuel supply infrastructure across the TEN-T network in the EU. The call provides grants to projects focused on electricity recharging, hydrogen refuelling, and ammonia/methanol bunkering infrastructure for various transport modes, including heavy-duty vehicles, public transport, inland waterway vessels, maritime vessels, and airport operations. The call has a total indicative budget of EUR 780,000,000 and operates with multiple cut-off dates.

Eligible applicants can include public and private entities involved in transport infrastructure. Projects must align with the scope of deploying alternative fuel infrastructure and contribute to the decarbonization of the transport sector. While the call is now closed, with the last deadline having passed on September 24, 2024, there are two more cut-off dates in the future, on June 11, 2025 and March 4, 2026.

The application process involves several stages, including admissibility and eligibility checks, evaluation based on award criteria, and the preparation of a grant agreement for successful projects. A key requirement is the need for a financial contribution of at least 10% of the project cost from a financial institution, demonstrating the project's financial viability and commitment from external investors. The call emphasizes the importance of deploying infrastructure that supports the transition to cleaner fuels and reduces the environmental impact of the transport sector within the TEN-T network.