Strengthening Illicit Trade Detection and Anti-Fraud Capabilities

Deadline: 07-May-2026

The European Commission is inviting applications under EUAF-2026-TA Technical Assistance to strengthen the detection of illicit trade, improve cross-border cooperation, and enhance the fight against fraud, corruption, and financial crime. The call has a total budget of EUR 10.8 million, with grants from EUR 100,000 to EUR 1,620,000 for eligible public authorities, international organisations, and certain research, education, and non-profit entities.

Overview

The EUAF-2026-TA Technical Assistance call supports projects that improve the operational and technical capacity of authorities working to protect the EU’s financial interests.

It focuses on practical support such as:

• Advanced technical equipment
• IT and intelligence tools
• Staff exchanges and joint operations
• Training and workshops
• Support for customs and law enforcement investigations

The main goal is to help authorities better detect smuggling, counterfeit goods, VAT evasion, customs fraud, and excise fraud.

Key Funding Details

• Programme: European Union Anti-Fraud Programme (EUAF)
• Call: EUAF-2026-TA Technical Assistance
• Funding Body: European Commission
• Total Budget: EUR 10,800,000
• Minimum Grant: EUR 100,000
• Maximum Grant: EUR 1,620,000
• Maximum Share per Project: Up to 15% of the total call budget

What the Grant Supports

This funding is designed for projects that improve anti-fraud enforcement and cross-border cooperation.

Eligible focus areas include:

• Providing specialised technical knowledge
• Purchasing advanced operational equipment
• Developing or upgrading IT tools and data systems
• Supporting staff exchanges for specific anti-fraud projects
• Assisting joint investigation teams (JITs)
• Supporting cross-border enforcement operations
• Providing technical and operational support for national investigations
• Building IT capacity in Member States and eligible third countries
• Improving data exchange and intelligence monitoring
• Organising specialised training, workshops, conferences, and studies
• Strengthening the detection of smuggled and counterfeit goods
• Supporting work against illicit cigarettes and tobacco imports used to evade VAT, customs duties, and excise taxes

Why This Grant Matters

This grant is important because illicit trade and fraud often involve multiple countries, agencies, and digital systems.

It helps authorities:

• Improve cross-border cooperation
• Modernise customs and law enforcement tools
• Strengthen financial crime investigations
• Detect counterfeit and smuggled goods faster
• Protect EU revenues and public funds

In short, this is a strategic funding opportunity for organisations working on anti-smuggling, anti-fraud, customs enforcement, and financial crime prevention.

Who is Eligible?

Eligible applicants include:

• National public authorities
• Regional public authorities
• International organisations tasked with protecting EU financial interests

For training-related projects, the following may also apply:

• Research institutes
• Educational institutes
• Non-profit entities supporting EUAF objectives

Country eligibility

Applicants must be established in:

• EU Member States
• Listed EEA countries
• Countries associated with the EUAF Programme
• Countries in ongoing association negotiations, if the agreement becomes effective before grant signature

Additional requirement

• Applicants must be legally established
• Applicants must have been operating for at least one year

What Does “Protecting EU Financial Interests” Mean?

This is a key concept in the call.

It means protecting the EU’s budget and revenue systems from losses caused by:

• Fraud
• Corruption
• Smuggling
• Counterfeit trade
• VAT fraud
• Customs duty evasion
• Excise tax evasion
• Other financial crimes affecting EU funds or revenues

Your proposal should clearly show how it contributes to this goal.

How to Apply

Follow the official call documents, but the basic process is:

1. Check eligibility
   • Confirm your legal status, country eligibility, and one-year operating history.
2. Define the problem
   • Identify the specific issue, such as tobacco smuggling, counterfeit goods, or weak intelligence systems.
3. Match your project to the call
   • Make sure it clearly fits one or more priority areas like equipment, IT tools, training, staff exchanges, or joint investigations.
4. Build a practical project plan
   • Explain activities, timeline, partners, expected outputs, and operational impact.
5. Show EU added value
   • Highlight cross-border cooperation, data-sharing benefits, and contribution to protecting EU financial interests.
6. Prepare the budget
   • Request between EUR 100,000 and EUR 1,620,000.
   • Ensure all costs are clearly justified.
7. Submit through the official European Commission system
   • Complete all forms and annexes as required in the call package.

Tips for a Strong Application

• Focus on a specific anti-fraud challenge
• Show clear operational need
• Explain how the tools or training will be used in practice
• Demonstrate cross-border relevance
• Link every activity to protecting EU financial interests
• Provide a clear and realistic budget

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Giving a vague project description
• Not clearly linking the project to EU financial interests
• Requesting equipment without explaining operational use
• Ignoring the cross-border cooperation element
• Submitting a weak budget justification
• Failing to show measurable anti-fraud impact

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is EUAF-2026-TA Technical Assistance?

It is a European Commission funding call under the European Union Anti-Fraud Programme (EUAF) that supports projects to fight illicit trade, fraud, corruption, and financial crime.

How much funding is available?

The total budget is EUR 10,800,000.

Applicants can request:

• Minimum: EUR 100,000
• Maximum: EUR 1,620,000

Who can apply?

Eligible applicants include:

• National or regional public authorities
• International organisations
• For training projects: research institutes, educational institutes, and non-profits supporting EUAF objectives

What types of activities are funded?

The grant supports:

• Technical equipment
• IT tools and systems
• Data exchange capacity
• Staff exchanges
• Joint investigations
• Training and workshops
• Support for customs and law enforcement investigations

Is this grant only for equipment purchases?

No. It also funds:

• IT system development
• Operational support
• Training
• Staff exchanges
• Joint investigation support
• Workshops and studies

What is the main priority of this call?

The main priority is to improve the detection of illicit trade and strengthen cooperation between authorities protecting the EU’s financial interests.

Conclusion

The EUAF-2026-TA Technical Assistance call is a major opportunity for organisations working in anti-fraud enforcement, customs control, anti-smuggling operations, and financial crime prevention.

With EUR 10.8 million available, this grant can help eligible authorities and institutions strengthen their technical tools, IT systems, training, and cross-border cooperation. The strongest proposals will be those that are practical, clearly aligned with EU anti-fraud priorities, and directly linked to protecting the EU’s financial resources.

For more information, visit European Commission.