Cross-sector and cross-border resilience stress tests of critical infrastructure

The EU is offering a funding opportunity through the Internal Security Fund (ISF) under the call titled "Cross-sector and cross-border resilience stress tests of critical infrastructure" (ISF-2026-TF2-AG-CER-TEST). This initiative opened on December 9, 2025, and has a submission deadline of March 31, 2026. The total budget allocated for this call is €15 million, aimed at supporting the implementation of the Critical Entities Resilience (CER) Directive by funding projects that conduct stress tests on essential infrastructure systems across different sectors and borders.

Eligible applicants typically include public authorities, law enforcement agencies, and governmental bodies that are tasked with overseeing critical infrastructure protection. The funding mechanism is categorized as action grants, specifically ISF Action Grant Budget-Based, which means funding is based on actual eligible costs incurred during project implementation. The application process features a single-stage submission, requiring applicants to present complete proposals once rather than going through multiple phases.

There are no explicit success rates mentioned for this particular call, nor is there clear information on co-funding requirements. While the specific eligibility criteria for applicants, geographic scope, and consortium requirements are referenced in the call document, they remain unspecified in the data available. However, considering its EU framework, geographic eligibility likely extends to EU Member States.

The focus areas include enhancing resilience through operational stress tests, developing methodologies, and fostering cooperation across borders to bolster critical infrastructures such as energy, water, transport, and digital services. This call aims to address vulnerabilities faced by critical infrastructure due to evolving threats and aims to enhance the security and resilience of essential services within the EU framework.

The EU Funding & Tenders Portal presents a call for proposals under the Internal Security Fund (ISF) aimed at supporting the implementation of new legislation on critical entities resilience, specifically the ISF-2026-TF2-AG-CER call. The type of action is ISF Project Grants (ISF-PJG) with an ISF Action Grant Budget-Based [ISF-AG] Model Grant Agreement (MGA). This is a forthcoming call with a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is December 9, 2025, and the deadline for submission is March 31, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time.

The total budget allocated for the ISF Project Grants, encompassing both ISF-2026-TF2-AG-CER-STRENGTH and ISF-2026-TF2-AG-CER-TEST topics, is 15,000,000 EUR for the year 2025.

The conditions for participation are as follows:

1. Admissibility Conditions: The proposal page limit and layout are described in section 5 of the call document and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
2. Eligible Countries: Eligibility is described in section 6 of the call document.
3. Other Eligible Conditions: Additional eligibility conditions are described in section 6 of the call document.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: These aspects are described in section 7 of the call document.
5a. Evaluation and award: The submission and evaluation processes are detailed in section 8 of the call document and the Online Manual.
5b. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in section 9 of the call document.
5c. Evaluation and award: The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in section 4 of the call document.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: This is described in section 10 of the call document.

The call document and annexes include:

Call document
Application form templates: Standard application form (AMIF, ISF and BMVI), available in the Submission System.
Model Grant Agreements (MGA): AMIF, ISF and BMVI MGA
Additional documents: ISF Work Programme, ISF Regulation 2021/1149, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

There is a partner search function available where LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated in the topic header.

Two topic Q&As are provided:

1. Where to list previous projects in the application: The list of previous projects should be included as a separate mandatory annex, as mentioned in point 5 of the call text and point 11 of the Call for proposals document.
2. Choice between unit costs and actual costs for travel, accommodation, and subsistence: For the period 2021-2027, the HOME Funds (AMIF, BMVI, and ISF) apply unit costs for travel, accommodation, and subsistence, as specified by the Model Grant Agreement and Annotated Grant Agreement.

For support, applicants are advised to read all provisions carefully before preparing their application. For help related to the call, contact HOME-ISF@ec.europa.eu. Additional resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ for submission of proposals, the IT Helpdesk for technical issues, and the Online Manual for a step-by-step guide through the Portal processes.

In summary, this call for proposals aims to bolster the resilience of critical entities within the EU by providing funding through ISF Project Grants. The focus is on supporting the implementation of new legislation in this area. Applicants need to adhere to specific admissibility criteria, including page limits and layouts, and must be from eligible countries. The evaluation process involves assessing financial and operational capacity, and the award criteria are detailed in the call documents. The indicative timeline for the evaluation and grant agreement is also provided. The call provides a comprehensive set of documents and support resources to guide applicants through the process, including application templates, model grant agreements, and online manuals. The total budget for this call is 15,000,000 EUR, and the submission deadline is March 31, 2026.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, the mention of LEARs (Legal Entity Appointed Representatives), Account Administrators, and self-registrants suggests that the opportunity is open to a range of organizations, potentially including public bodies, private companies, research institutions, and NGOs. Further details would be available in section 6 of the call document.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically an ISF Project Grant (ISF-PJG) and an ISF Action Grant Budget-Based [ISF-AG].

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. The partner search announcements suggest that collaboration is possible, but it is not clear if it is mandatory.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The eligible countries are described in section 6 of the call document. Without access to that document, the geographic eligibility cannot be determined. However, given that it is an EU funding opportunity under the Internal Security Fund (ISF), it is likely that EU member states and possibly associated countries are eligible.

Target Sector: The target sector is security and resilience, specifically focusing on supporting the implementation of new legislation on critical entities resilience. This includes cross-sector and cross-border resilience stress tests of critical infrastructure.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned in the provided text.

Project Stage: The project stage is not explicitly mentioned, but the call for proposals focuses on supporting the implementation of new legislation and conducting stress tests, suggesting that the projects should be at the development, validation, or demonstration stage.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the topic is EUR 15,000,000. The indicative number of grants is not specified in the provided text.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not mentioned in the provided text.

Summary:

This is a call for proposals under the Internal Security Fund (ISF), specifically aimed at supporting the implementation of new legislation on critical entities resilience. The call, titled "Cross-sector and cross-border resilience stress tests of critical infrastructure," seeks projects that will conduct stress tests to enhance the resilience of critical infrastructure across different sectors and national borders. The funding mechanism is an ISF Project Grant, with a total budget of EUR 15,000,000 allocated for the call. The application process is a single-stage submission, with the deadline for submissions on March 31, 2026. The call is managed through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, where applicants can find the call documents, application form templates, and related information. Interested parties can also use the portal to search for partners to collaborate on projects. The call aims to address vulnerabilities and improve the security and resilience of critical infrastructure in the face of various threats and challenges. The call document provides details on admissibility conditions, eligible countries, evaluation and award processes, and the legal and financial setup of the grants. Applicants are advised to carefully read all provisions and consult the available support resources before preparing their applications. The call is part of a broader effort to strengthen the internal security of the European Union and protect its citizens and critical assets.