CEF Digital: third round of calls closed with 74 proposals

The third round of Connecting Europe Facility - Digital (CEF Digital) calls, worth €241 million, attracted 74 proposals with coordinators from 24 different countries and a total of 229 partners in the consortia compositions.

The distribution of applications per topic is as follows:  

• 5G coverage along transport corridors - Works: 6
• 5G coverage along transport corridors - Studies: 2
• 5G and Edge for Smart Communities - Works: 32
• Backbone connectivity for Digital Global Gateways - Works: 27
• Backbone connectivity for Digital Global Gateways - Studies: 7

The results of the third call are expected to be out this autumn, following evaluations by an independent expert panel and the final selection decision by the European Commission.

Seal of Excellence label 

CEF-Digital is now one of the programmes that awards the Seal of Excellence.

The Seal of Excellence prizes proposals that were assessed under CEF-Digital calls’ evaluations and complied with the minimum quality requirements, but which could not be financed due to budgetary constraints.

Background information

Discover the projects awarded in the first and second calls of CEF-Digital on the Funding & Tenders portal.

The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital programme supports projects of common interest deploying secure, resilient and high-capacity networks, including 5G and backbone infrastructures, fostering economic growth, innovation, and competitiveness in the digital sector. It also addresses the connectivity needs of rural, remote and overseas areas, as well as the digitalisation of transport and energy networks to create a more integrated and inclusive digital environment within the EU.