Deadline Date: June 30, 2026
The European Commission is inviting applications to support projects aimed at deploying or significantly upgrading backbone networks to enhance connectivity and resilience across the European Union.
The focus is on supporting the deployment or upgrade of backbone networks including submarine cables, terrestrial backbone networks, and satellite infrastructure that address risks, vulnerabilities, and dependencies in EU backbone infrastructure, as well as enabling connections between Member States, linking Member States with islands, outermost regions, or overseas territories, and connecting Member States with third countries including accession and neighbourhood countries.
Total Budget €180,000,000.00. The maximum requested grant amount should not be higher than €20,000,000 per project for the works topic, and €5,000,000 per project for the studies topic.
The initiative is designed to strengthen the resilience and reliability of the EU’s core connectivity infrastructure by addressing existing gaps and vulnerabilities. Projects are expected to contribute to improved cross-border connectivity and ensure more secure and robust communication networks.
Proposals must meet specific conditions related to connectivity, such as linking at least two Member States, connecting Member States with their islands or outermost regions, or establishing connections between Member States and third countries. In the case of terrestrial backbone networks, only cross-border segments necessary to interconnect national systems will be supported.
Eligibility is open to legal entities, whether public or private, that are established in eligible countries. These include EU Member States, including Overseas Countries and Territories, as well as third countries associated with the programme, subject to any specific restrictions.
Through this call, the programme aims to reduce dependencies, mitigate risks, and build a more secure and interconnected backbone infrastructure across the European Union and beyond.
For more information, visit European Commission.
