EU Funding Opportunities for Local Public Transport
UITP knowledge hub on key EU funds and financing instruments available for local public transport companies in Europe.
EU Financing Architecture in a Nutshell
The EU funding and financing architecture under the current EU budget 2021-2027 rests upon two central pillars.
Firstly, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) (2021-2027, €1.2 trillion) is a mainstream EU budget with financing based on EU’s own resources. The MFF is the financial planning tool and provides a detailed overview of the EU’s financing priorities with a prime objective to ensure the orderly development of expenditures in line with political priorities, and within the limits of the EU resource base.
Secondly, the Next Generation EU (2021-2023, €807 billion) is a temporary recovery instrument with financing based on periodical borrowings on capital markets, and with the final payment operations until December 2026.
Regarding the EU budgetary typology, there are three main strands of financial support, with the two last strands representing reimbursable (repayable) forms of financing, often in the form of debt instruments such as loans:
- EU grants (non-repayable forms of funding)
- EU financial instruments
- European Investment Bank (EIB) financial instruments
Funding Opportunities
The Next MFF 2028–2034
The next EU financial programming, MFF 2028-2034, will set the EU’s long-term budget and define the priorities that will also shape the future of transport and mobility across Europe. Its impact on the public transport sector is substantial, influencing the scale and direction of EU investments in passenger mobility, innovation, and infrastructure, while supporting the transition to a green and digital transport services.
UITP has recently published a Position Paper on the MFF 2028-2034, as well as the Policy Statement on the initial MFF packaged by the European Commission from July 2025, calling for a bold, forward-looking framework that places local public transport at the centre of Europe’s climate, competitiveness, and social ambitions.
With city budgets under increasing pressure and the need for urgent climate action, the next MFF must prioritise sustainable urban, local, and regional passenger transport as a long-term investment in both people and the planet.
Interactive EU Funds Table
Our interactive table will provide you more details about selected EU funding or financing opportunities.
Just click on your Fund of choice to get more information.