Last call
In the current funding period of the European Union (2013 – 2020), municipalities throughout the EU have one last chance to apply for a voucher to finance WLAN networks.
The fourth call starts on June 03, 2020 at 13:00 CET and ends on June 04, 2020 at 17:00 CET.
A relatively small budget of 14.2 million euros is available for the upcoming call. This means that 947 vouchers of 15,000 euros each can be awarded across the EU. The main criterion for approval is the order in which applications are received. A geographical balance can be achieved. In order to apply for a voucher, municipalities must be registered on the WIFi4EU portal prior to the call. The voucher enables the winning municipalities to set up free Wi-Fi networks in public spaces. Demand for the vouchers is high: 2,800 vouchers were awarded in the first WiFi4EU call, which took place in November 2018, with more than 13,000 municipalities in all EU Member States, Norway and Iceland applying. In the second call in April 2019, more than 10,000 applications were submitted for the 3,400 vouchers available. In the third call for applications in September 2019, all 1,780 vouchers were distributed in the first two seconds of the call.
Extension of the implementation deadline
In light of the coronavirus crisis affecting municipalities and regions across Europe, the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA), in agreement with the European Commission, has decided to respond to the associated restrictions. For all winners of the three calls to date, the European Commission has extended the deadline for commissioning the WLAN networks from 18 months by eight months. INEA and the European Commission expect that this measure will help to complete the funded and planned WiFi4EU networks, benefiting local communities and citizens across Europe.
Outlook
According to the EU Commission, the programme is to be continued in the next funding period (2021 – 2027). The Commission will announce further information on possible changes to the conditions next year. Further information can be found here: