Can I apply to Connecting Europe Facility: Digital?

By country

• Can a company from an EU country apply?Yes
• Can a company from Poland (a Widening country) apply?Yes
• Can a company from the UK apply?NoOrganisations in the United Kingdom can't apply: it is open to the EU.
• Can a company from Switzerland apply?NoOrganisations in Switzerland can't apply: it is open to the EU.
• Can a company from Norway apply?NoOrganisations in Norway can't apply: it is open to the EU.
• Can a company from Israel apply?NoOrganisations in Israel can't apply: it is open to the EU.
• Can a company from Ukraine apply?NoOrganisations in Ukraine can't apply: it is open to the EU.
• Can a company from Türkiye apply?NoOrganisations in Türkiye can't apply: it is open to the EU.
• Can a company from Canada apply?NoOrganisations in Canada can't apply: it is open to the EU.
• Can a company from Japan apply?NoOrganisations in Japan can't apply: it is open to the EU.
• Can a company from South Korea apply?NoOrganisations in South Korea can't apply: it is open to the EU.
• Can a company from the United States apply?NoOrganisations in the United States can't apply: it is open to the EU.
• Can a company from India apply?NoOrganisations in India can't apply: it is open to the EU.

By organisation

• Can a founder without a company yet apply?Yes, ifRegister a company first: the applicant must be an incorporated SME.
• Can a startup apply?Yes
• Can an established SME apply?Yes
• Can a mid-cap company apply?Yes
• Can a large company apply?Yes
• Can a university apply?NoNot open to a university. Telecom operators, infrastructure owners and public bodies that build or run network infrastructure.
• Can a research organisation apply?NoNot open to a research organisation. Telecom operators, infrastructure owners and public bodies that build or run network infrastructure.
• Can a company apply on its own, without partners?Yes

By stage

• Can I apply with an idea or early research?Yes
• Can I apply with a proof of concept?Yes
• Can I apply with a prototype?Yes
• Can I apply with a pilot with real users?Yes
• Can I apply with a product on the market?Yes

The rules in full

Where you must be based

the EU

Applicants must be established in an EU Member State (overseas territories included). Current calls are security-restricted to EU Member States only, and third-country entities are accepted only in rare cases.

Who can apply

a startup, an SME, a mid-cap, a large company, a public body or a non-profit

Telecom operators, infrastructure owners and public bodies that build or run network infrastructure. The open 2026 cable repair call accepts only public or publicly owned bodies with an emergency-response mandate.

Alone or with partners

Alone, or as a consortium

Single applicants are allowed in many works topics. Consortium rules are set per topic; the 2026 cable repair call has no consortium requirement.

Stage

No set TRL

No TRL gate. CEF Digital co-funds deployment of connectivity infrastructure (works) and studies, not R&D.

Also required

EU-controlled

What you get

grants, up to €20M

Set per call. 2026 Gateways: works up to €20M (exceptionally €60M), studies up to €5M. The 2026 cable repair call has €40M in total.

Funding rate

Works 30% of eligible costs (up to 50% with a strong cross-border dimension, up to 70% in the most remote regions); studies 50%; cable repair works up to 50%