Framework Loans

The JTM-2026-PSLF-FRAMEWORK-LOANS opportunity is a funding initiative within the European Union's Just Transition Mechanism, aimed at facilitating significant public sector investments in territories identified in approved Territorial Just Transition Plans (TJTPs). The facility combines grants and loans, where grants are provided by CINEA, the EU's executive agency, alongside loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB). Eligible applicants primarily include public sector entities, local and regional authorities, and certain international organizations, but natural persons are generally excluded unless specifically self-employed.

Funding is structured as a blended instrument, with grants covering 15% of the loan value for standard projects or up to 25% for projects situated in less developed regions. The minimum loan amount begins at €12.5 million, with typical project budgets starting around €25 million. The overall budget for these framework loans is capped at €1.3 billion for the 2021-2027 period, with €630 million allocated specifically for the 2026 call.

Projects eligible for this funding should contribute to sustainable investments across a wide spectrum of sectors, including renewable energy, green mobility, digitalization, energy efficiency, and social infrastructure, while actively demonstrating a measurable impact on greenhouse gas reductions and contributing to job creation. However, certain sectors such as nuclear energy, tobacco, and fossil fuels are explicitly excluded.

The application process operates on a rolling basis with multiple cut-off dates: first on January 27, 2026, and the last on February 16, 2027. Proposals will undergo a multi-stage evaluation process that includes checks for admissibility, eligibility, and detailed merit assessments against established criteria. While specific success rates are not provided, the rigorous evaluation hints at high competitiveness among applicants.

Co-funding is mandatory, as applicants must secure an EIB loan to be eligible for the grant. The process encourages leveraging additional financing sources beyond EU grants and EIB loans. Detailed guidance documents, including a call document and various forms, are available through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Overall, this initiative seeks to address vital environmental, social, and economic challenges for regions transitioning towards climate neutrality by 2050, factoring in equity and inclusion as core principles in funding strategies.

The Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) Public Sector Loan Facility (PSLF) call (JTM-2026-PSLF) is an EU funding opportunity offering JTM Lump Sum Grants (JTM-LS) under the JTM Lump Sum Grant [JTM-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement. The call is currently open for submission with a multiple cut-off deadline model. The opening date for submissions was October 23, 2025. There are four deadline dates: January 27, 2026, April 16, 2026, September 17, 2026, and February 16, 2027, all at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The call aims to address serious social, economic, and environmental challenges arising from the transition towards the EU’s 2030 climate and energy targets and the EU’s 2050 objective of climate neutrality. Projects should demonstrate a measurable impact, with key performance indicators (KPIs) related to greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions, job creation per gender, and the number of people reached. Applicants are encouraged to use the EIB methodology for assessing project GHG reductions and emissions variations, as well as consider the guidance provided in the publication “Considering gender in regional transformations: A toolkit for just transition regions” to identify gender challenges.

The call targets projects linked to a framework loan that benefit EU territories identified in the Territorial Just Transition Plans. Projects must be linked to an EIB framework loan; framework loans from other banks or EIB financial intermediaries are not eligible.

The scope of the call includes a wide range of sustainable investments, such as: investments in renewable energy and green and sustainable mobility, including the promotion of green hydrogen; efficient district heating networks; public research; digitalisation; environmental infrastructure for smart waste and water management; sustainable energy, energy efficiency and integration measures, including renovations and conversions of buildings; urban renewal and regeneration; the transition to a circular economy; land and ecosystem restoration and decontamination, taking into account the ‘polluter pays’ principle; biodiversity; up-skilling and re-skilling, training; and social infrastructure, including care facilities and social housing. Infrastructure development may also include cross-border projects and solutions leading to enhanced resilience to withstand ecological disasters, in particular those accentuated by climate change. A comprehensive investment approach is favored for territories with important transition needs. Investments in other sectors may also be supported if they are consistent with the approved Territorial Just Transition Plans.

Specifically excluded sectors are: decommissioning or construction of nuclear power stations; manufacturing, processing, and marketing of tobacco and tobacco products; help to undertakings in difficulty, as defined in point (18) of Article 2 of Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014, unless authorized under temporary State aid rules established to address exceptional circumstances or under de minimis aid to support investments reducing energy costs in the context of the energy transition process; and investments related to the production, processing, transport, distribution, storage, or combustion of fossil fuel. Project activities must benefit a territory covered by an approved Territorial Just Transition Plan and be consistent with the plan's sectors and thematic areas.

The total budget for this call is EUR 630,000,000.

Conditions for application include: Admissibility Conditions regarding proposal page limits and layout, as described in section 5 of the Call document and Part B of the Application Form; Eligible Countries, as described in section 6 of the Call document; Other Eligible Conditions, also described in section 6 of the Call document; Financial and operational capacity and exclusion, as described in section 7 of the Call document; Evaluation and award processes, as described in section 8 of the Call document and the Online Manual; Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds, as described in section 9 of the Call document; Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, as described in section 4 of the Call document; and Legal and financial set-up of the grants, as described in section 10 of the Call document.

Relevant documents include: the Call document for the Public Sector Loan Facility; the Standard application form (JTM); a Calculator (Financial information file) (JTM LS PSLF); a Simplified business plan (JTM); Model Grant Agreements (MGA) including the JTM Lum Sum MGA; the JTM Multiannual Work Programme 2026-2027; JTM Regulation 2021/1229; EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509; Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment; EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement; the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual; Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions; and the Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics.

To submit a proposal, applicants must access the Electronic Submission Service via the submission button, confirm their choice of action type and model grant agreement, and follow the prompts to the correct entry point. Existing draft proposals can be accessed via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

For assistance, applicants can contact CINEA-JTM-PSLF@ec.europa.eu, consult the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, or contact the IT Helpdesk for technical issues. The Online Manual provides a step-by-step guide through the Portal processes.

In summary, this call for proposals under the Just Transition Mechanism's Public Sector Loan Facility aims to fund projects that support the EU's climate and energy transition goals in territories identified in the Territorial Just Transition Plans. It requires projects to be linked to an EIB framework loan and to demonstrate a measurable impact on GHG emissions, job creation, and the number of people reached. The call is open to a wide range of sustainable investments, excluding certain sectors like nuclear power, tobacco, and fossil fuels. The submission process involves multiple cut-off dates and requires applicants to adhere to specific eligibility and admissibility conditions, as well as to provide detailed information on their project's impact and financial viability.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the focus on public sector loans and the reference to Territorial Just Transition Plans, it can be inferred that eligible applicants are likely to be public sector entities, such as regional or local authorities, or other public bodies responsible for implementing the plans. The mention of framework loans suggests that entities with the capacity to manage and utilize such loans would be eligible.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a JTM Lump Sum Grant (JTM-LS). This grant is intended to complement a framework loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the reference to cross-border projects and the possibility of investments in various sectors suggest that consortia may be possible, especially for projects requiring a comprehensive investment approach. The possibility for LEARs, Account Administrators or self-registrants to publish partner requests also suggests that consortia are possible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is limited to EU territories identified in the Territorial Just Transition Plans. The project activities must benefit a territory covered by an approved Territorial Just Transition Plan and must be consistent with this Plan and the sectors and thematic areas it sets out.

Target Sector: The program targets a wide range of sectors related to sustainable investments and the green transition. These include: renewable energy, green and sustainable mobility (including green hydrogen), efficient district heating networks, public research, digitalization, environmental infrastructure for smart waste and water management, sustainable energy, energy efficiency and integration measures (including building renovations), urban renewal and regeneration, circular economy, land and ecosystem restoration, decontamination, biodiversity, up-skilling and re-skilling, training, and social infrastructure (including care facilities and social housing).

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned. The eligibility is tied to EU territories with approved Territorial Just Transition Plans, implying that the program is applicable across the EU where such plans exist.

Project Stage: The project stage is likely to be in the development, validation, demonstration, or implementation phases, as the funding is intended for sustainable investments and infrastructure development. The projects should be ready for implementation and able to demonstrate a measurable impact.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the topic is EUR 630,000,000. The funding amount for individual projects will likely vary depending on the scope and nature of the project, but it will be a lump sum grant.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with multiple cut-off dates. The submission session opens on 23 October 2025, with deadline dates on 27 January 2026, 16 April 2026, 17 September 2026, and 16 February 2027.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: Based on the information provided, the application process involves multiple stages, including admissibility checks, eligibility checks, evaluation against award criteria, and grant agreement preparation. The exact number of stages is not explicitly stated, but it can be inferred that there are at least 3 stages.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is not specified, so it is not possible to determine the success rates.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, since the grant is linked to an EIB framework loan, it is possible that some form of co-financing or matching funds may be required as part of the loan agreement.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call under the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) Public Sector Loan Facility (PSLF), offering lump sum grants to projects that support the EU's 2030 climate and energy targets and the 2050 climate neutrality objective. The call is specifically for projects located in EU territories with approved Territorial Just Transition Plans and that are linked to a framework loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB). The funding supports a wide array of sustainable investments, including renewable energy, sustainable mobility, environmental infrastructure, energy efficiency, urban renewal, circular economy initiatives, and social infrastructure. Certain sectors like nuclear power, tobacco, and fossil fuels are excluded. The application process is an open call with multiple cut-off dates, and applicants must demonstrate how their projects will achieve a measurable impact, including greenhouse gas emission reductions and job creation. The total budget for this call is EUR 630 million. This initiative aims to assist regions in transitioning to a climate-neutral economy by providing financial support for projects aligned with their specific transition plans.