[European Commission](https://commission.europa.eu/index_en)

March 31, 2026

€2,000,000–€3,000,000 per project | 90% funding rate | Total topic budget: €6,000,000 | Project duration up to 24 months

Supports projects to enhance the resilience of critical infrastructure and essential services across the EU under the Critical Entities Resilience (CER) framework.

Proposals must be submitted via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 17:00 CET on the deadline.

--- ## Description This funding opportunity, under the Internal Security Fund (ISF), supports projects aimed at strengthening the Critical Entities Resilience (CER) framework in the European Union. The focus is on practical solutions for implementing the CER Directive, improving the resilience of critical infrastructure and essential services against a broad spectrum of risks, including natural hazards, terrorist attacks, insider threats, sabotage, and public health emergencies. Projects should foster cooperation between public and private stakeholders, facilitate the exchange of best practices, and address cross-sector and cross-border challenges in critical infrastructure resilience. --- ## Due Dates - March 31, 2026: Full application deadline (submit electronically via the [EU Funding & Tenders Portal](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/ISF-2026-TF2-AG-CER-STRENGTH?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094502&order=DESC&pageNumber=11&pageSize=50&sortBy=startDate) by 17:00 CET) --- ## Funding Amount - Requested EU contribution per project: **€2,000,000 to €3,000,000** - Funding rate: **90% of eligible costs** - Total available budget for this topic: **€6,000,000** - Project duration: **up to 24 months** (extensions possible with justification) - Indirect costs: flat-rate of 7% of eligible direct costs (except volunteers and exempted categories) - Prefinancing: typically 80% of the grant amount paid after signature --- ## Eligibility - **Eligible applicants:** Legal entities (public or private bodies, non-profit or profit-making entities, international organisations) established in: - EU Member States (except Denmark) - Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein - For this topic: European third countries (e.g., Ukraine) if participation is clearly justified (e.g., for cross-border risk assessment) - **Consortium requirements:** - Minimum 3 independent legal entities from at least 2 eligible countries - At least 1 entity must be established in an EU Member State - Entities from European third countries and international organisations may not apply as coordinators - **Ineligible:** Natural persons (except self-employed/sole traders without separate legal personality), EU bodies, and entities subject to EU restrictive measures or conditionality measures --- ## Application Process - **Submission:** Proposals must be submitted electronically via the [EU Funding & Tenders Portal](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/ISF-2026-TF2-AG-CER-STRENGTH?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094502&order=DESC&pageNumber=11&pageSize=50&sortBy=startDate) using the online system before the deadline. - **Proposal structure:** - Part A: Administrative information (completed online) - Part B: Technical description (download template, complete, and upload as PDF) - Part C: Project KPIs (completed online) - Mandatory annex: List of previous projects (last 4 years), submitted as a separate PDF - **Page limit:** Part B is limited to 50 pages (excess pages will not be evaluated) - **Evaluation:** Two-step process—first, pre-selection based on relevance; second, full evaluation of quality and impact - **Award criteria:** Relevance (min. 21/30), Quality, Impact (overall min. 70/100 points) - **Supporting documents:** Legal entity validation, financial capacity documents, etc., required if selected --- ## Additional Information - **Eligible activities:** Analytical and evaluation work, testing/validation/deployment of innovative solutions, risk/vulnerability assessments, development of guidance/training, networking and public-private partnerships, awareness-raising, procurement of resilience-enhancing equipment, and more (see [call document](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/isf/wp-call/2026-2027/call-fiche_isf-2026-tf2-ag-cer_en.pdf) for full details) - **Ineligible activities:** Projects focusing solely on cybersecurity (unless combined with non-cyber elements) - **Budget rules:** Financial support to third parties is not allowed; subcontracting should be limited and justified if over 30% of the budget - **Cost eligibility:** Personnel, travel (unit costs), equipment (depreciation and, for listed items, full cost), indirect costs (7%), etc. - **Mandatory mid-term progress report** for all projects - **Consortium agreement** is required for multi-beneficiary grants --- ## External Links - [ISF-2026-TF2-AG-CER-STRENGTH Topic Page](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/ISF-2026-TF2-AG-CER-STRENGTH?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094502&order=DESC&pageNumber=11&pageSize=50&sortBy=startDate) - [Call Document (PDF)](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/isf/wp-call/2026-2027/call-fiche_isf-2026-tf2-ag-cer_en.pdf) - [Standard Application Form (PDF)](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/temp-form/af/af_amif-isf-bmvi_en.pdf) - [Model Grant Agreement (PDF)](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/agr-contr/general-mga_amif-isf-bmvi_en.pdf) - [EU Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/guidance/om_en.pdf) - [FAQ: Listing Previous Projects in Applications](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/faq/17486?topicIdentifier=ISF-2026-TF2-AG-CER-STRENGTH&topicIdentifierId=ISF-2026-TF2-AG-CER-STRENGTH&isQA=true) - [FAQ: Travel, Accommodation & Subsistence Costs Rules](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/faq/17409?topicIdentifier=ISF-2026-TF2-AG-CER-STRENGTH&topicIdentifierId=ISF-2026-TF2-AG-CER-STRENGTH&isQA=true) --- ## Contact Information | Purpose | Contact | |-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | General call inquiries | [HOME-ISF@ec.europa.eu](mailto:HOME-ISF@ec.europa.eu) | | Portal technical issues | [IT Helpdesk](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/helpdesks/contact-form) | For further guidance, consult the [Online Manual](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/guidance/om_en.pdf) and topic-specific FAQs.

Strengthening the CER framework

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