Deadline Date: June 30, 2026
The European Commission is seeking applications to support the transformation of existing submarine cable systems into smart infrastructure to strengthen security, resilience and environmental monitoring capabilities across the European Union.
The focus of this call is to enhance the security, resilience, and overall performance of submarine fibre cable infrastructure by deploying smart cable technologies and enabling data sharing with Regional Cable Hubs and competent national authorities, as well as to promote the use of data collected through these systems by authorised stakeholders such as scientific and academic communities for environmental monitoring purposes.
The implementation of such systems plays a crucial role in safeguarding infrastructure from natural events, accidental damage, or deliberate threats, while also facilitating the collection of environmental data including temperature, ocean currents, and marine biodiversity.
The total available budget for this call is €20,000,000, with an indicative maximum grant amount of €4,000,000 per project. Projects are typically expected to have a duration of up to 24 months, although extensions may be granted if justified.
The call encourages collaboration among stakeholders, including operators, public authorities, utilities, investors, and vendors, to maximise cost-efficiency and synergies. Activities under this call may include both implementation works and necessary preparatory studies, provided that study components are clearly defined in separate work packages.
Eligibility is limited to legal entities, both public and private, established in EU Member States, including Overseas Countries and Territories, due to security-related restrictions. Eligible applicants may include operators, utilities, public authorities, investors, and technology vendors essential to project implementation.
For more information, visit European Commission.
