Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Facility: Road & Air Transport - works

The technical upgrade of existing chargers is not eligible. The deployment of a new recharging pool dedicated to heavy-duty vehicles in an existing pool (e.g for LDV) is eligible provided that the AFIFGEN call requirements are met. Please also note that the extension or upgrade of an existing charging pool already equipped with 1MW points is not eligible. The objective of the AFIFGEN call is to expand the network, rather than to densify locations that may already be profitable with high demand.

No. While the same grid connection may supply one HDV pool and one LDV pool, the HDV pool must have a dedicated power allocated to guarantee that HDV demand may be satisfied at any time, irrespective of the power demand from the LDV pool. This means that the power allocated to the HDV pool cannot be shared with other recharging pools dedicated to LDV.

No, eSAF production and supply is not a priority covered by this call.

Yes. The electrification of airport ground services and electricity supply to stationary aircraft and airships may include the supply of electricity to commercial aviation aircraft propelled by electricity. Note however that only TEN-T airports are considered eligible locations.

To be eligible for funding, the electrification of airport ground operations shall address either the electricity supply to stationary aircraft or all supply facilities for ground operation vehicles operating on runways, taxiways and apron.

Electricity infrastructure for ground operations may be eligible to supply the following non-exhaustive list of services:

• Service to aircraft: catering trucks, water trucks, lavatory service vehicles, refuelling vehicles, ground power vehicles
• Luggage & cargo handling: luggage handling vehicles, belt loaders, container loaders, air cargo handling vehicles
• Passenger service: apron buses, platform stairs, stair trucks
• Ramp service: aircraft repositioning, pushback and aircraft tugs
• Other: maintenance platforms, fire service vehicles, de-icing vehicles

Vehicles and ATM related equipment are not eligible for funding.

For the calculation of the 3-km buffer, you have to measure the driving distance from the nearest exit of the TEN-T road alignment up to the entry point of the recharging station’s location. The nearest exit is the point in which the vehicle leaves the TEN-T road alignment with no possibility to go back (e.g. when the dotted line of a highway exit lane becomes a continued line). The road interchange used to exit has to be fully-fledged allowing both exit and re-entry.

The 3-km driving distance from/to the TEN-T road network is already a flexibility offered to project promoters. It will therefore be applied in a strict way.

Public or private CPOs and e-Mobility Service Providers (e-MSPs) are potentially eligible, as long as they have incurred the installation costs and the infrastructure has been registered in the assets account of these entities.

Manufacturers that supply recharging points to CPOs and/or e-MSPs are not eligible applicants. Site owners, understood as the entities or individuals who own the land but not the assets, are not eligible applicants either.

There are no eligibility maps under the 2026 AFIFGEN call. In accordance with section 2.2.2 of the Call text, the recharging pools must be located at any of the following locations:

• on the TEN-T road network or within 3 km driving distance from the nearest exit of a TEN-T road, or
• in Safe and Secured Parking Areas (SSPA) certified Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum levels, in line with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1012, and located on the TEN-T road network or within 3 km driving distance from the nearest exit of a TEN-T road, or
• in TEN-T urban nodes, including in port and airport areas,

provided that the horizontal requirements mentioned in 2.2.5 below are fulfilled.

No. In accordance with the AFIFGEN Call text, charging pools must be publicly accessible on a 24/7 basis irrespective of whether the infrastructure is located on a public or private site or premise.

No. Passenger boarding bridges and its automation-related elements are not eligible under the 2026 AFIFGEN call. Only the electrification infrastructure described under section 2.2.3 of the Call text is eligible. In the case of a passenger bridge with integrated PCA equipment, only the PCA component will be eligible.

No, support to the deployment of Hydrogen Refuelling Stations and hydrogen supply infrastructure for transport in general is not eligible for funding under the CEF-T-2026-AFIFGEN call. Eligible activities are described in section 2.2 of the Call text.

No, it is sufficient to meet one of the four requirements for an HDV pool to be eligible, namely : “i) be located on the TEN-T road network OR ii) within 3 km driving distance from the nearest exit of a TEN-T road OR iii) in Safe and Secured Parking Areas (SSPA) OR iv) in TEN-T urban nodes”.

The financing contribution provided by a financial institution can take the form of equity.

The Financial Approval Letter indicates that such equity contributions have been duly approved by the financial institution’s governing body in line with its own rules, policies and procedures.

Equity provided solely by an affiliated or other entity that is not a public or private financing institution does not comply with the eligibility conditions, as this does not ensure that an independent due diligence has taken place similar to the one applied by regulated financial institutions.

When the financing takes the form of equity, the size of the financial institution’s financing covering the project shall be of at least 10% of the proposed Project cost.

A loan can be allocated by a financial institution as lender to a holding company as borrower, for a project to be implemented by a subsidiary or affiliated company, provided that i) the financial contribution finances the project or part of the project for which the applicant intends to request grant support under the CEF-T-2026-AFIFGEN and CEF-T-2026-SUSTMOBGEN calls and that ii) the borrower (holding company) of the financing is also beneficiary of the grant.

Yes, the financial agreement or the financial framework loan can already be signed by the parties provided that it was done for the specific purpose of the submitted project.

Yes. The application will be considered as an aggregation of several single projects contributing to a global objective. In such case, each financial institution involved must provide a Financial Approval Letter indicating precisely the part of the project to which a financing is granted. Each financing will represent at least 10% of the concerned part of project. The rate of 10% cannot be reached jointly by cumulating the financing of the two or more financial institutions.

It is recommended to structure such applications in different work packages per applicant and related financial institution.

Only costs that are strictly necessary and directly required for the operation of the charging infrastructure may be considered eligible.

Regarding cost related to buildings or facilities serving multiple purposes, only the areas strictly necessary for the operation of the charging infrastructure are eligible. Driver-dedicated areas, such as restrooms, toilets and changing facilities, are not eligible.

Note that the proportional allocation of shared costs between eligible and non-eligible components (e.g. on a pro-rata basis) is not accepted. Applicants should therefore ensure that the costs declared are clearly attributable to eligible components of the charging infrastructure, in line with the applicable eligibility conditions and Article 6.1 of the Annotated Grant Agreement.

No. Costs for any type of studies, pre-designs, (technical) designs, etc. are not supported for funding.

The CEF-T-2026-AFIFGEN call is supporting the electrification of airport ground services and electricity supply to aircrafts and airships, including related management systems and electricity storage inside the airport area. In association with this equipment, a project can include photovoltaic installation only as a synergetic element limited to 20% of the total eligible costs of the project.

As indicated in page 10 of the Call text ‘Electricity grid connection’ is eligible as a synergetic element. Please note that the total costs of the synergetic element shall not exceed 20% of the total eligible costs of the Action and should be part of a dedicated work package in the application.

Note as well that costs related to grid connection equipment owned by the Distribution System Operator (DSO) or the Transmission System Operator (TSO) are not eligible, as specified in section 2.2.6 of the Call text.

The Financial Approval Letter (consisting of a transmittal letter certifying the approval of the financing and the project summary sheet) is a mandatory document for the CEF-T-2026-AFIFGEN and CEF-T-2026-SUSTMOBGEN calls.

The letter must be submitted together with the application or, at the latest, within 30 days after having been informed of the project selection outcome.

Please note that any modification to the template may result in the inadmissibility of the application.

Applicants must submit (upload) the Environmental Compliance File for all applications. For works applications and study applications with physical intervention, the ECF must be completed with (i) the environmental compliance questionnaire duly filled in, along with the requested information being applicable i.e. non-technical summary, and (ii) the declarations signed by the competent authority (i) for monitoring Natura 2000 sites and (ii) under the water framework directive 2000/60/EC.

Regarding study projects without physical intervention, and works projects that do not affect significantly the environment, the ECF must be uploaded by ticking the box of ‘project type’, and including in the comments boxes for each question ‘not applicable’. For these applications, no declarations signed by the competent authority are needed.

The works projects that do not affect significantly the environment concern applications for Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR), Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), VTMIS, RIS, telematics application systems, actions exclusively related to implementation of electric vehicles charging stations in existing build-up areas, solutions to improve accessibility for persons with reduced mobility, and vessels and rail rolling stock retrofitting.

The Environmental Compliance File (ECF) is mandatory and must always be submitted with the application file. However, for certain categories of projects, it should be completed by selecting the relevant “project type” and indicating “not applicable” in the comments box for each question. In these cases, the signature of the competent environmental authority is exceptionally not required. This applies, in particular, to “ actions exclusively related to implementation of electric vehicles charging stations in existing built-up areas”. The notion of “electric vehicles” is to be understood irrespective of the transport mode and therefore covers both charging infrastructure for road transport and infrastructure for the electrification of ground handling services, including electricity supply for aircraft. For such projects, the ECF does not require the signature of the competent environmental authority and should be completed as indicated above.

By contrast, for airport projects that are subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), a Natura 2000 assessment under Article 6(3), or a water assessment (e.g. where the project forms part of a wider modernisation or extension project), applicants must complete the ECF, provide the relevant supporting documentation, and obtain the signature of the competent environmental authority.

Under the 2026 call for proposals, the proposals submitted to the following calls are exempted from submitting a CBA:

• CEF-T-2026-SIMOBGEN
• CEF-T-2026-MILMOB
• CEF-T-2026-AFIFGEN
• CEF-T-2026-SAFEMOBGEN
• CEF-T-2026-SUSTMOBGEN

For these calls, the submission system does not contain an upload slot for the upload of CBA documentation.

Yes, a single 1 MW recharging point for HDV may have both an MCS and a CCS connector. Note that if each connector can be used simultaneously, they will be considered as two recharging points (1 MCS and 1 CCS).

There is no specific requirement regarding the technical solution, as long as the synergetic element is integrated as part of the project to improve its socio-economic, climate, or environmental benefits and serves the infrastructure in question. Please note that the synergetic element must be presented in a separate work package and cannot exceed 20% of the project’s total eligible costs.

To be eligible for funding, a charging pool combining Megawatt Charging System (MCS) recharging points and Combined Charging System (CCS) recharging points must include at least four MCS recharging points, each having a minimum power output of 1 MW. In addition, CCS recharging points with a minimum power output of 350 kW may be included in the same pool. However, for each pool, the number of supported 350 kW recharging points cannot exceed the number of supported 1 MW recharging points.

As set out in Section 6 of the call texts, twinned proposals are proposals relating to the same project that are submitted under different calls and/or topics. Where proposals form part of the same Global Project, this must be clearly indicated in Part B. However, proposals submitted under the same topic are not considered twinned proposals, even if they form part of the same Global Project. They will be evaluated as separate proposals.

It is compulsory to indicate the exact locations of the charging pools (with Degrees-Minutes-Seconds geographical coordinates) even if the location is still indicative, and the expected number of recharging points per pool. This information will be taken into consideration to evaluate the maturity of a proposal.

Note that adjustments may be possible during project implementation in case of justified issues with some locations.

As defined in Annex II to Directive 2007/46/EC, HDV means a motor vehicle of categories M2, M3, N2 or N3.

No. To be eligible, HDV charging pools must be exclusively dedicated to HDV usage and designed accordingly in terms of dimension and circulation. Exclusive use can be ensured through signage and additional measures such as physical segregation from LDV and/or digital restrictions for HDV recognition.

Recharging pool means one or more recharging stations at a specific location, as defined by Article 2 (51) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (AFIR).

No. The call text specifies “publicly accessible recharging pools dedicated to heavy-duty vehicles equipped with at least 4 Megawatt Charging System (MCS) recharging points having each a minimum power output of 1 MW; however not necessarily charging simultaneously at their maximum power.”

Accordingly, each MCS recharging point must have a minimum power output of 1 MW and be technically capable of delivering this power. However, the requirement does not imply that all recharging points must charge simultaneously at their maximum power output. Recharging pools must be equipped with an energy management system that enables the dynamic allocation of available power among the various recharging points.

The Financial Approval Letter may be signed by a public or private financial institution, meaning a commercial bank, a national promotional bank or any other financial institution, including investment funds and institutional investors, duly authorised to carry out lending, investing or leasing activities according to the applicable legislation, and established and operating in one or several of the EU Member States.

No. The AFIFGEN Call text does not establish any minimum power requirement at the POD. In accordance with the AFIFGEN Call text, the applicant must ensure that the pools are equipped with recharging points that can deliver individually a minimum power capacity of 1 MW – for MCS recharging points – or 350 kW – for CCS recharging points. It is not required that such recharging points can charge simultaneously at their maximum power.

Charging pools for Heavy Duty Vehicles (HDV) are eligible if only exclusively dedicated to HDV. The 2026 AFIFGEN Call text mentions some non-exhaustive measures, such as physical segregation from Light Duty Vehicles if any on the same location and digital restrictions for HDV recognition.

Digital restrictions means that exclusive use by HDV can be ensured, for example, with tools like automatic licence plate recognition systems, digital credentials, vehicle to grid authentication, application with QR code and/or RFID systems for registered fleets.

No. The financial support provided by a financial institution has to represent at least 10% of the proposed Project cost. Intragroup financing does not satisfy this eligibility condition.

No, an uncommitted credit line/facility does not imply an actual financing on a given project from a financial institution. It only represents a total amount of funding that can be drawn from a credit line without specific purpose. Projects only covered by such credit facility lines are therefore not considered in line with the requirements of this call.

Yes, in case of several financial institutions involved, only one needs to deliver a Financial Approval Letter provided that it covers a financing of 10% of the proposed Project cost and that this financial institution has performed the due diligence of the entire project. The Financial Approval Letter explicitly refers to this comprehensive risk-based appraisal process of the financial institution, in line with its rules, policies and procedures. A Financial Approval Letter is then not required from the other financing institutions financing the project but may be provided in support of the project.

No. There is no priority given to any specific road section on the TEN-T road network or particular geographical distribution for HDV recharging points deployment.