Electricity, Gas, Smart Grids, Hydrogen and CO₂ networks - Studies

The grant opportunity is part of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Energy program, aimed at financing energy infrastructure projects under Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) and Projects of Mutual Interest (PMIs). The total budget for this call, which is open for proposals until September 16, 2025, is €600 million. Eligible applicants generally include energy infrastructure developers, transmission system operators, and other entities involved in energy projects, particularly those able to engage in cross-border collaborations.

Funding is provided in the form of grants to support both studies and potentially works, emphasizing projects that align with the European Green Deal and EU decarbonization targets. The focus is on energy sectors such as electricity, hydrogen, smart grids, and CO2 networks. While specific countries are not mentioned, the geographic eligibility encompasses EU member states and possibly neighboring non-EU countries that contribute to the EU's energy goals.

The application process is single-stage, requiring a detailed submission that includes a description of the project, a budget table, timelines, and an environmental compliance file. Projects must demonstrate socio-economic benefits and a contribution to energy market integration and security of supply. Previous calls indicate a success rate of about 15-25%, though specific rates for this call are not provided. Co-funding is typically required, with the EU covering a significant percentage of eligible costs.

In summary, this grant is designed to support essential energy infrastructure studies and projects, bridging funding gaps to ensure that initiatives promoting energy transition, efficiency, and market integration can be realized across Europe.

The EU Funding & Tenders Portal presents a call for proposals under the CEF (Connecting Europe Facility) 2027 program, specifically focusing on energy projects of common interest (PCIs) and projects of mutual interest (PMIs). The call, titled CEF-E-2025-PCI-PMI, aims to finance projects that contribute to the European Green Deal, the Paris Agreement, the 2030 climate and energy targets, and the EU's long-term decarbonization objectives. The call is open for submission with a deadline of September 16, 2025.

The expected impact of the financial assistance is the further development and implementation of PCIs and PMIs, helping to achieve the TEN-E policy objectives and the CEF energy policy objectives, such as further integration of an efficient and competitive internal energy market, interoperability of networks across borders and sectors, facilitating decarbonisation of the economy, promoting energy efficiency and ensuring security of supply.

The expected outcome is to enable PCIs and PMIs to be implemented within the framework of the deployment of trans-European networks in the energy sector, supporting energy infrastructure PCIs and PMIs that have significant socio-economic benefits and ensure greater solidarity among Member States, but which do not receive adequate financing from the market.

The objective of this topic is to support and contribute to the implementation of PCIs and PMIs. The scope includes projects for studies contributing to the preparation of the implementation of a PCI or a PMI. These studies encompass activities needed to prepare project implementation, such as preparatory, mapping, feasibility, evaluation, testing and validation studies, including in the form of software, and any other technical support measure, including prior action to define and develop a project and decide on its financing, site / route identification and preparation of the financial package.

Only projects contributing to PCIs and PMIs as identified in the First Union list of PCIs and PMIs list shall be eligible for support through EU financial aid in the form of grants. PCIs or PMIs falling under the energy infrastructure categories set out in Article 24 and Annex II of the TEN-E Regulation are eligible for EU financial assistance in the form of grants for studies.

The call budget for 2025 is EUR 600,000,000. The call adopts a single-stage submission process.

Key documents for application include the call document, application form, detailed budget table, timetable/Gantt chart, environmental compliance file, letter of support (Member State agreement), TEN-E compliance form, CEF MGA (Model Grant Agreement), GIS User Guide, Work Programme 2021-2027 (CEF-E), CEF Regulation 2021/1153, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, and TEN-E Regulation (EU) 2022/869.

Applicants are advised to save the form in Part A, under other questions, right after selecting the country/ies for the country code/s to be displayed in the structured proposal reference under general information.

The call provides opportunities for partner search announcements, allowing LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants to publish partner requests.

For help related to this call, applicants can contact CINEA-CEF-ENERGY-CALLS@ec.europa.eu. Additional resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, IT Helpdesk, and Online Manual.

In essence, this call for proposals aims to foster the development and implementation of energy infrastructure projects across Europe that align with the EU's Green Deal and decarbonization targets. It provides financial support for studies and preparatory activities related to Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) and Projects of Mutual Interest (PMIs) in the energy sector. The funding is intended to bridge the gap where market financing is insufficient, ensuring that critical energy infrastructure projects with significant socio-economic benefits and promoting solidarity among Member States can proceed. Applicants need to demonstrate how their projects contribute to the EU's energy and climate goals, and they must comply with specific eligibility criteria and submission requirements.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, based on the context of Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) and Projects of Mutual Interest (PMIs) in the energy sector, eligible applicants could include energy infrastructure developers, transmission system operators (TSOs), project promoters, and potentially other entities involved in the development and implementation of energy infrastructure projects. The documentation mentions LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants, which suggests that a variety of organizations with legal entity status can apply.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically CEF Project Grants (CEF-PJG) and CEF Action Grant Budget-Based [CEF-AG]. The call aims to provide EU financial assistance in the form of grants for studies and potentially works related to PCIs and PMIs.

Consortium Requirement: The text suggests that both single applicants and consortia are possible. The Q&A section discusses scenarios for single and multi-applicant proposals, and encourages joint applications for cross-border PCIs/PMIs. The section 3.2 "Consortium set-up" should be filled even if no consortium cooperation is planned, providing information on cooperation between promoters and the organisation of the project.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility appears to be focused on EU Member States, as the projects must contribute to the goals of the European Green Deal and ensure solidarity among Member States. The TEN-E Regulation and CEF Regulation are EU-specific. However, there are mentions of projects taking place in third countries, which suggests that projects with benefits for EU member states but implemented partially outside the EU might be considered.

Target Sector: The program targets the energy sector, specifically energy infrastructure, trans-European networks in energy (TEN-E), electricity, gas, smart grids, hydrogen, and CO2 networks. It focuses on projects that contribute to the European Green Deal, decarbonization, and the integration of the internal energy market.

Mentioned Countries: The text refers to EU Member States generally. There is mention of projects taking place physically in a Member State and in a third country.

Project Stage: The program supports projects at the study/preparation stage (preparatory, mapping, feasibility, evaluation, testing, and validation studies) and potentially at the works/implementation stage. The call distinguishes between CEF-E-2025-PCI-PMI-STUDIES and CEF-E-2025-PCI-PMI-WORKS, indicating support for both project development and implementation phases.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the call is EUR 600,000,000. The funding amount for individual projects is variable.

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 grants.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:
This is a call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Energy program, specifically targeting Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) and Projects of Mutual Interest (PMIs) in the energy sector. The call, CEF-E-2025-PCI-PMI, aims to support projects that align with the European Green Deal, the Paris Agreement, and the EU's decarbonization targets. The call provides grants for both studies and works related to energy infrastructure projects, including electricity, gas, smart grids, hydrogen, and CO2 networks. Eligible applicants include energy infrastructure developers, transmission system operators, and other entities involved in these types of projects. The geographic focus is primarily on EU Member States, although projects with benefits for the EU but implemented partially outside the EU may be considered. The application process is a single-stage open call, with a deadline of September 16, 2025. The total budget for the call is EUR 600 million. Applicants must submit a detailed application form, budget table, timetable, environmental compliance file, and other supporting documents. The call seeks to promote the integration of the internal energy market, interoperability of networks, decarbonization, energy efficiency, and security of supply within the EU. The call aims to support energy infrastructure PCIs and PMIs that have significant socio-economic benefits and ensure greater solidarity among Member States, but which do not receive adequate financing from the market.