Guide to the Facility for Eastern Partnership Investment in Connectivity (EPIC).
Date: 2022-05-24
Institutions: European Investment Bank
Subjects: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Eastern Partnership, European neighbourhood policy, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, financing, investment project, technical cooperation, trans-European network, transport infrastructure, user guide

Guide to the Facility for 
Eastern Partnership Investment 
in Connectivity
(EPIC)

 
Guide to the Facility for  
Eastern Partnership Investment  
in Connectivity 
(EPIC)

Guide to the Facility for Eastern Partnership Investment in Connectivity (EPIC)

© European Investment Bank, 2022.
98 -100, boulevard Konrad Adenauer  –  L-2950 Luxembourg
+352 4379-1
info@eib.org
www.eib.org
twitter.com/eib
facebook.com/europeaninvestmentbank
youtube.com/eibtheeubank

For more information about Jaspers:
jaspers@eib.org
www.jaspers.eib.org

All rights reserved.
All questions on rights and licensing should be addressed to publications@eib.org

For further information on the EIB’s activities, please consult our website, www.eib.org.  
You can also contact info@eib.org. Get our e-newsletter at www.eib.org/sign-up.

Published by the European Investment Bank.

Printed on FSC® paper.

The EIB uses paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Because it’s made by people who like trees.  
FSC promotes environmentally sound, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s 
forests. 

We all know reading is good for you. It’s good for the planet, too — as long as you read on the right paper.

pdf:

QH-04-20-661-EN-N ISBN 978-92-861-4911-5 doi:10.2867/937181

Contents

Foreword  

Chapter I  EPIC at a glance 

Chapter II  Accessing EPIC support 

Chapter III  Implementing EPIC support 

Abbreviations and acronyms  

Glossary 

Contacts 

5

6

18

22

27

28

29

3

 
 
 
 
 
 
4

Foreword

The Facility for Eastern Partnership Investment in Connectivity (EPIC) is funded by the European Union. 
It supports beneficiary countries in the Eastern Neighbourhood with Advisory Support and Technical 
Assistance (TA) to prepare and implement viable connectivity investment projects related to the 
Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). It was jointly set up by the European Commission, which is 
providing grant funding, and the European Investment Bank (EIB), which is managing the facility. EPIC is 
also supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the World Bank, 
which can also provide Advisory Support and Technical Assistance. Investment projects prepared with 
support from EPIC are expected to meet the requirements of the aforementioned international financial 
institutions and hence become investment-ready1.

The purpose of this guide is to present the facility and explain how it works. It may be updated from 
time to time, both to clarify processes and procedures and to reflect any evolutions of EPIC.

This guide comprises three chapters:

•  Chapter 1 – EPIC at a glance – An overview of the EPIC facility detailing its objectives, stakeholders, 
governance, eligibility rules and the kind of support available.

•  Chapter 2 – Accessing EPIC support – The process through which EPIC support is allocated to projects 
and beneficiaries.

•  Chapter 3 – Implementing EPIC support – How EPIC Advisory Support and Technical Assistance 
are to be implemented, including reporting on EPIC operations, amendments to applications and the 
cancellation of activities. Communication and visibility activities are also overviewed.

1   International financial institution financing remains ultimately subject to the successful outcome of the respective institutions’ due diligence 

process, approval by their governing bodies, as well as the negotiation and signature of a finance contract.

5

CHAPTER I

EPIC at a glance

Context 

Objectives 

Outset 

Who is involved? 

Governance 

What to support? 

What kind of support? 

7

8

9

11

14

16

17

Context

The European Union and its Eastern neighbours share a vision, a 
network and a transport investment plan

Under the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), the Eastern Partnership (EaP) is a joint initiative 
involving the European Union (EU), its Member States and its Eastern European partners Armenia, 
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova (hereinafter Moldova) and Ukraine. The EaP 
aims to build a common area of shared democracy, prosperity, stability and increased cooperation. An 
important building block of the EaP is close cooperation on transport infrastructure networks to foster 
connectivity between the European Union and its Eastern partners.

In this context and based on high-level agreements between the European Union and the EaP countries, 
in November 2018 the European Commission adopted maps of the Trans-European Transport Network 
(TEN-T)2 in the EaP region. In December 2021, the European Commission presented a Communication 
on the extension of the TEN-T to third countries underlining that the EaP should continue building a 
pipeline of TEN-T projects and bring the projects to maturity in view of meeting the conditions for 
funding and financing. The EaP should focus on projects located on the indicative TEN-T core network.

Further to this and to assist decision-makers in prioritising strategic investments in transport infrastructure 
related to the TEN-T, the European Commission — with support from the World Bank and in consultation 
with the EaP countries and civil society representatives — prepared the Indicative TEN-T Investment 
Action Plan3 (December 2018). This plan identified priority investments totalling €12.8 billion, including 
€4.4 billion of ongoing projects and €8.4 billion of projects in the pipeline for the period up to 2030. 
This plan will be updated to reflect the Eastern Partnership post-2020 priorities.

Investing in sustainable, rules-based and secure transport connectivity with a focus on the extension of 
the core TEN-T network is also among the long-term policy objectives of the Eastern Partnership Policy 
beyond 2020 as outlined in the Joint Communication Eastern Partnership Policy beyond 2020: Reinforcing 
Resilience — an Eastern Partnership that delivers for all4 adopted in March 2020. The Joint Staff Working 
Document Recovery, resilience and reform: post 2020 Eastern Partnership priorities5 published in July 2021 
outlines the EaP priorities and targets for the post-2020 agenda. This agenda is structured under two 
pillars — Investment and Governance — and proposes an Economic and Investment Plan for the Eastern 
Partnership to support the partner countries’ socioeconomic recovery by pursuing the green and digital 
transitions. The Economic and Investment Plan includes significant investments in transport connectivity 
aiming to mobilise up to €4.5 billion and will use innovative tools, such as blending and guarantees, 
to foster sustainable development and mobilise public and private investment. This includes priority 
investment projects in the extended core TEN-T network.

A key recommendation of the Indicative TEN-T Investment Action Plan was to allocate more attention and 
resources to high-quality project preparation to ensure the ambitious plan’s successful implementation. 
For this purpose, it was considered essential to create a dedicated multimodal project preparation facility: 
EPIC was subsequently designed to perform this role.

2  https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/international/european_neighbourhood_policy/eastern_partnership/tent-maps_en 
3  https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/sites/near/files/ten-t_iap_web-dec13.pdf
4   https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/joint-communication-eastern-partnership-policy-beyond-2020-reinforcing-resilience-eastern-

partnership-delivers-all_en 

5  https://eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/swd_2021_186_f1_joint_staff_working_paper_en_v2_p1_1356457_0.pdf

7

CHAPTER I Objectives

Connectivity for democracy, prosperity and cooperation

The overall objective of EPIC is to support the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) in the EaP region 
and help build a common area of democracy, prosperity and increased cooperation.

EPIC targets improvements in connectivity both within the EaP region and between EaP countries and 
the European Union. More specifically, EPIC aims to provide Advisory Support and Technical Assistance to 
select, prepare and implement priority projects related to the TEN-T in accordance with international best 
practice and requirements and standards of the European Union and international financial institutions. 
This is expected to enhance the readiness of the projects concerned for financing and implementation.

With its programmatic approach, EPIC aims at fostering transparency, coordination and cooperation 
among stakeholders, including the EaP beneficiaries and promoters, the European Commission and 
the international financial institutions concerned, focusing efforts and financing on true and agreed 
priorities in an era marked by large investment needs but scarce resources. Furthermore, the scale and 
longevity of EPIC makes it possible to establish and refine a mechanism for efficiently delivering eligible 
Advisory Support and Technical Assistance.

At the level of individual projects, EPIC aims to generate concrete, viable connectivity investments that 
can deliver tangible results for citizens and businesses, such as reduced travel time and cost, improved 
road safety, elimination of bottlenecks, adaptation to climate change, as well as other socioeconomic 
and environmental benefits.

Finally, by providing support for specific projects, as well as through training and networking events, 
EPIC aims to strengthen local institutional capacity to prepare and implement transport infrastructure 
projects in line with international best practice and EU requirements.

8

EPIC at a glanceOutset

A new thrust to turn a plan into reality

Following publication of the Indicative TEN-T Investment Action Plan, the European Commission and the 
EIB jointly developed the first concept for a facility to help EaP countries prepare connectivity infrastructure 
projects. On 10 April 2019, the concept was discussed and feedback collected from representatives of 
EaP countries, civil society and all relevant IFIs during the 16th EaP Transport Panel in Brussels.

Subsequently, at the EaP transport ministerial meeting in Luxembourg on 6 June 2019, representatives 
of EU Member States and the EaP countries agreed a joint declaration to work towards establishing a 
facility to assist EaP countries in preparing and implementing priority TEN-T projects. They also agreed 
that the facility should promote quality infrastructure projects and a level playing field, including open 
public procurement and alignment with high standards of good governance.

Against the backdrop of this wide consensus on the overall concept, and taking account of the feedback 
received, the EIB developed a detailed proposal for an Advisory Support and Technical Assistance 
facility called the Eastern Partnership Investment in Connectivity. On 7 November 2019, the Board of the 
Neighbourhood Investment Platform (NIP) approved this proposal. EPIC was subsequently developed 
throughout 2020 and 2021 and launched as a joint initiative of the European Commission and the EIB, 
the EBRD and the World Bank in early 2022.

EPIC takes a programmatic approach, promoting viable transport infrastructure projects related to the 
TEN-T and the Indicative TEN-T Investment Action Plan, thereby pursuing a key EU priority in the Eastern 
Neighbourhood in line with the priorities for the EaP post-2020 and the Economic and Investment Plan 
for the Eastern Partnership. It combines Advisory Support and Technical Assistance to help EaP countries 
prepare connectivity investments in line with international best practice and EU/international financial 
institution requirements and standards, ready for financing and implementation.

EPIC is driven by experience accumulated through other similar initiatives, particularly the Joint Assistance 
to Support Projects in European Regions (JASPERS)6 and the Western Balkans Investment Framework 
(WBIF)7, Technical Assistance to Connectivity in the Western Balkans (CONNECTA)8. It also builds on 
existing experience and portfolios of promoters and IFIs in preparing projects in the EaP region.

EPIC provides a cooperation framework between the Commission, the EIB, the EBRD, the World Bank 
and possibly other international or national financial institutions accepted to participate therein, under 
which international financial institutions will contribute through Advisory Support and the facilitation 
of Technical Assistance to support priority connectivity investments in the EaP region.

6  https://jaspers.eib.org
7  https://www.wbif.eu
8  https://connecta-info.eu

9

CHAPTER I JASPERS is a joint advisory initiative between the EIB and the European Commission, and 

has been an important instrument of the EU Cohesion Policy for more than 15 years. Since 

2013, it has also been working in EU pre-accession countries under the European Union’s 

Instrument for Pre-Accession, where it has built a solid record of accomplishment. JASPERS 

helps beneficiaries to shape high-quality projects by offering support for project preparation 

(all stages of the project cycle) and capacity strengthening. Its assistance covers all sectors  of 

infrastructure, including all transport sub-sectors — road, rail, air and maritime. JASPERS  has 

a critical mass of expertise (110+ staff, including around 40 transport experts, largely based in 

regional offices in Eastern and Central Europe), which enables the necessary complementarity 

of advice for cross-sector/cross-border projects. JASPERS expertise is independent and 

autonomous regarding the financing of underlying projects.

EPIC consists of three building blocks:

1.  A Coordination Committee, with members from the European Commission, EIB, EBRD and World 
Bank, the role of which is to ensure coherence with EU policies, transparency and good governance. 
The EPIC Coordination Committee is supported operationally by a secretariat.

2.  The EPIC Advisory Team and/or international financial institution advisory teams that provide 
direct high-level advice to beneficiaries regarding project prioritisation, scoping of Technical 
Assistance, and supervision of consultants. 

3.  Consultants that perform the bulk of the Technical Assistance work necessary to produce high-

quality project documentation, such as pre-feasibility studies or feasibility studies.

Though primarily focused on the preparation of infrastructure projects, EPIC can also organise dedicated 
training and networking events on aspects relevant to more than one project. Both project-specific 
support and horizontal support are geared to strengthening institutional capacity in Eastern Partnership 
countries.

Given the long lead times of transport infrastructure projects, EPIC is initially scheduled to last up to six 
years, starting in 2022.

EaP countries can obtain EPIC support through the application process explained in Chapter 2.

10

EPIC at a glance 
 
 
Who is involved?

Stakeholders

Key EPIC stakeholders include:

• Beneficiary countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine;

•  Promoters:  Sub-sector  entities  (e.g.  roads  authorities)  responsible  for  preparing  and 

implementing projects;

• Donors: European Commission; possibly bilateral donor governments;

• International financial institutions: EIB, EBRD and World Bank;

• EU Delegations (EUDs); and

• the EaP Transport Panel.

Beneficiary countries 

Within the beneficiary countries, EPIC’s main points of contact are typically the ministries of transport/
infrastructure. Ministries of transport/infrastructure are in charge of setting the strategic orientations 
for the transport sector as a whole, hold the sectoral lead in selecting priority projects and maintain 
the sectoral relationship with the EU and notably the Eastern Partnership (EaP) Transport Panel. They 
are, therefore, well placed to act as the central entry point to EPIC and be in charge of the coordination 
of efforts amongst relevant transport stakeholders, notably in the selection of projects to be proposed 
for EPIC support and the preparation and submission of EPIC support applications.

Within each beneficiary country, other relevant actors regarding major transport investment projects are 
notably finance ministries, national investment coordination bodies, transport sub-sector authorities, 
public companies, Programme Management Units (PMUs) and Project Implementation Units (PIUs) and 
possibly private sector entities.

Together with the sectoral line ministries, the role of the ministries of finance and — to the extent that 
they exist — national investment coordination bodies is to decide on national priorities for transport 
investments and make the corresponding financing and borrowing capacity available commensurately. 
Although preliminary analyses and studies are useful inputs for the priority-setting process, there is no 
point committing resources in detailed preparation for projects unless financing capacity is clearly available 
in the foreseeable future. Hence, it is essential to consult the ministries of finance and (possibly) national 
investment coordination bodies when selecting projects to be proposed for EPIC support. In principle, 
EPIC can provide support for countries in the process of prioritising transport investment opportunities.

11

CHAPTER I  
 
 
 
 
 
Promoters

Sub-sector authorities (e.g. roads authorities), public companies (e.g. railway companies), PMUs/PIUs and 
possibly private-sector entities (e.g. logistics centre owners/operators) act as promoters of infrastructure 
investment projects, with primary responsibility for preparing and implementing projects.

As they are usually the legal owners of the assets to be created, it is essential for these bodies to maintain 
a sense of ownership of the entire process of project preparation. At the technical level, these bodies are 
also the main interlocutors with the EPIC Advisory Team. EPIC fosters a sense of ownership on the part 
of promoters through regular and appropriate coordination, communication and coaching.

Donors

To date, the entire grant funding for EPIC comes from the European Commission (DG NEAR) through the NIP.

International financial institutions

The international financial institutions currently represented in the EPIC Coordination Committee are 
the EIB (managing EPIC), the EBRD and the World Bank. At a later stage, other international or national 
financial institutions may be accepted to participate therein. For the international financial institutions, 
EPIC creates a forum for exchange regarding not only co-financing opportunities but also project-related 
lending requirements and standards. EPIC aims to ensure that the projects it supports are prepared 
so as to meet the requirements of those institutions considering financing the related investments. 
All participating international financial institutions can contribute through Advisory Support and the 
facilitation of Technical Assistance to support priority connectivity investments in the EaP region.

Under EPIC, the above-mentioned institutions can act as lead international financial institution or  
co-financing international financial institution. The lead international financial institution is the financial 
institution designated by agreement of all the co-financiers of the project and the project promoter, to 
coordinate their actions in respect of the project. The endorsement of an EPIC support application by the 
lead international financial institution enhances that application’s credibility from the EPIC Coordination 
Committee’s perspective.

The European Investment Bank (EIB)9, owned by and representing the interests of EU Member States, 
has a track record of experience in all transport sub-sectors.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)10, mandated to foster the transition 

9  www.eib.org/en
10  www.ebrd.com

12

EPIC at a glancetowards open market-oriented economies and to promote private and entrepreneurial initiatives, covers 
all transport sub-sectors.

The World Bank 11 offers support to developing countries through lending, policy advice, and technical 
support with research and analysis. It also covers all transport sub-sectors. The World Bank supported 
the European Commission in preparation of the Indicative TEN-T Investment Action Plan.

The EaP Transport Panel

The EaP Transport Panel was established on 23 September 2011 as a framework for exchanging information 
and best practice between the EaP countries and EU Member States. Its goal is to strengthen transport 
connections both between EaP countries and the European Union and among EaP countries. It addresses 
reforms underpinning regulatory convergence across transport modes. EPIC regularly exchanges 
information with the EaP Transport Panel regarding the progress of their respective work so as to keep 
efforts aligned.

11  www.worldbank.org

13

CHAPTER I Governance

Who takes the decisions?

The overall functioning and governance structure of EPIC is depicted in the figure below:

EPIC COORDINATION COMMITTEE

•  Articulation with policy level  
(e.g. EaP Transport Panel)
•  Strategic orientations/eligibility 
(alignment with EaP TEN-T investment plan) 
•  Review/approval of Technical Assistance 
and Advisory Services applications
•  Coordination of donors/financiers

Technical Assistance 
service providers 
(contracted)

t
n
e
m
e
g
a
n
a
m
e
c
n
a
t
s
i
s
s
A

l
a
c
i

n
h
c
e
T

Technical Assistance, 
studies (pre-feasibility, 
feasibility, etc.),  
capacity building

Secretariat

•  Screening of applications
•  Preparation of Coordination 
Committee meetings
•  Minutes of Coordination 
Committee meetings
•  Progress reporting

Approval of  
EPIC Support 
Applications

Advisory Support/Technical Assistance portfolio

Reporting on  
Advisory Support

Submit EPIC Support Applications

EPIC Advisory Team

International financial 
institution advisory 
teams

Submit project 
documentations once ready

High-level advice, 
project identification, 
support to prepare ESAF, 
Technical Assistance 
scoping and 
supervision, 
capacity 
building

EaP countries

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Georgia

Moldova

Ukraine

EUD*

EUD*

EUD*

EUD*

EUD*

* EUD: European Union Delegation.

14

EPIC at a glance 
 
EPIC’s main decision-making body is the EPIC Coordination Committee, in which each of the 
following member organisations is represented by one person:

•  the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Neighbourhood Policy 

and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR; chair);

•  the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE);

•  the EIB;

•  the EBRD; and

•  the World Bank.

The key tasks of the EPIC Coordination Committee are to:

• select applications to receive EPIC Advisory Support and Technical Assistance;

•  provide guidance to the EIB and to any other party participating in the EPIC Framework on the 
orientations set by the EU Neighbourhood Policy, the Economic and Investment Plan for the Eastern 
Partnership, the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) for the EaP region and the Eastern 
Partnership Transport Panel;

• set and from time to time review eligibility and selection criteria for EPIC support;

• approve the EPIC Vademecum and any modifications thereof;

• review progress on execution of the actions implemented under the EPIC Framework;

• be responsible for high-level reporting to and liaison with the Eastern Partnership Transport Panel.

The EPIC Coordination Committee usually meets every six months. It is supported operationally 
by a secretariat, whose role is to prepare Coordination Committee meetings (invitations, agenda, 
supporting documents), report on progress, compile the work programme for the next period, and 
minute Coordination Committee meetings.

Information about approved EPIC actions and their status is posted on the EPIC website12.

12  https://www.eib.org/en/products/advisory-services/epic/index 

15

CHAPTER I  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
What to support?

Eligibility requirements

EPIC has been set up to provide Advisory Support and Technical Assistance mainly for projects related 
to TEN-T, the Economic and Investment Plan for the Eastern Partnership (EIP) and the Indicative TEN-T 
Investment Action Plan, or other policy objectives that the EPIC Coordination Committee may from time 
to time decide. This implies two gateway conditions for projects to receive EPIC support:

• they must be located in at least one EaP country; and

•  they must be related to the TEN-T, the EIP, the Indicative TEN-T Investment Action Plan or another 
endorsed policy objective.

Further gateway conditions are that applications are supported by:

•  the ministry of transport/infrastructure or equivalent and the ministry of finance of the country concerned;

•  a mandated sub-sector entity in charge of preparing, implementing and operating the type of infrastructure 
concerned with a reasonable track record (the promoter);

•  the European Union Delegation in the country concerned; and

•  the international financial institution(s) expected to contribute to the financing plan for investment  
in the project.

Other criteria used to prioritise and select applications are as follows:

• level of priority in the TEN-T, the EIP and the Indicative TEN-T Investment Action Plan;

• project priority in national strategy or masterplan;

• project priority in regional strategy/plan;

• facilitation of border-crossing transport;

•  coherence with other EU and internationally recognised policy goals (e.g. road safety, climate change 
mitigation and adaptation, social and environmental sustainability, gender equality, harmonisation of 
sector standards with those of the European Union, and other goals that may become relevant);

•  additionality of the proposal, namely the outcomes that would not be achievable without EPIC support 
(e.g. optimised project design, reduced cost, enhanced social and environmental performance, accelerated 
project implementation, capacity strengthening, and promotion of appropriate innovative features);

•  complementarity of the EPIC support (requested support is the only/most appropriate support available 
and applied for; if there is other external project support, it must be complementary);

• likelihood of a viable/buildable project emerging in due course; and

• fiscal space of the beneficiary country to finance the investment.

16

EPIC at a glance 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
What kind of support?

EPIC support can cover the following aspects:

•  Support for project preparation: e.g. pre-feasibility studies, feasibility studies, safety audits, 
environmental and social impact assessment, preliminary design documents.

•  Provision of strategic orientation and support for prioritising projects coherent with the strategic 
framework for EaP countries under the TEN-T and the TEN-T Investment Action Plan and in line with 
the EIP.

•  General methodological guidance: e.g. on cost–benefit analysis, environmental and social matters, 
road safety and climate change adaptation, taking into account the applicable requirements of the 
European Union and the international financial institutions.

•  Support for project implementation through on-the-job advice at arm’s length regarding selected 
issues, such as procurement strategies and processes, Terms of Reference and tender documents, as 
well as designing and establishing PIUs13.

•  Capacity strengthening and knowledge transfer through a hands-on approach with promoters, 
dedicated training events, and working papers (e.g. on gap analysis, cost–benefit analysis, and EU 
standards, regulation and policies).

• Communication, visibility on achievements, and citizens’ awareness raising.

Support under EPIC can essentially come in two forms:

•  Advisory Support: Under EPIC, Advisory Support is the expert advice, guidance and coaching provided 
directly by the EPIC Advisory Team, or advisory teams of other international financial institutions, 
to eligible beneficiaries/promoters on a not-for-profit basis, in good faith, and with reasonable care 
and due diligence. The EPIC Advisory Team draws on the experience and practices of JASPERS, the 
European Commission and the EIB. Advisory Support can also be provided by other international 
financial institutions’ technical teams, if leading the project.

•  Technical Assistance: In the context of EPIC, Technical Assistance is the technical expert support 
sourced from commercially operating consultancy companies normally contracted by the EIB or other 
international financial institutions. It can be used to undertake analyses and studies underpinning 
the project development documentation.

It is important to note that these two types of support are highly complementary and — based on experience 
— yield the best results if used together. This is because the quality of work delivered by Technical Assistance 
consultants depends significantly on how they are initially instructed and continuously guided.

The EPIC Advisory Team stands beside beneficiaries and promoters to help define the Terms of Reference of 
Technical Assistance consultancy assignments and review consultants’ outputs to ensure the end results are of 
high quality and in line with international best practice and EU/international financial institution requirements.

Where the lead international financial institution prefers to provide its own Advisory Support for an EPIC 
Technical Assistance assignment, and the beneficiary agrees to that, it can do so without drawing on support 
from the EPIC Advisory Team.

13   NB: During the project implementation phase, it is generally expected that detailed design studies, consultancy support for PIUs, and construction 
supervision Technical Assistance is financed from promoters’ own funds, grants from external sources other than EPIC or proceeds from 
international financial institution loans, and directly procured by the promoters themselves. 

17

CHAPTER I  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CHAPTER II

Accessing EPIC support 

The process of allocating Advisory Support and Technical Assistance 
resources under EPIC to specific actions and projects is application-
based.

Usually upon a call for proposals, EaP countries can submit applications to the EPIC Coordination 
Committee for a decision in its next session.

Calls for proposals are launched as and when financing becomes available, published on the EPIC website14 
and notified to EPIC’s main point of contact in each beneficiary country and respective EU Delegations.

The template of the EPIC Support Application Form (ESAF) is available on the EPIC website. 
Key information to present in the ESAF includes:

•  Description of the investment project to which the application relates and its background.

• Justification for the requested EPIC support.

• Analysis of the status of project preparation and elements missing for investment maturity.

• Description of the support sought from EPIC, including an estimate of Technical Assistance cost.

• Description of the institutional framework for project development.

Supporting documents, including statements of support or intent from the ministry of finance (specifying 
the type of support envisaged), underpin the application’s credibility and chances of succeeding. The 
checklist used by the EPIC Coordination Committee to evaluate applications is annexed to the ESAF 
template.

As explained above, the body in charge of submitting ESAFs is the ministry of transport/infrastructure 
or equivalent. This ensures good coordination of EPIC applications in each EaP country.

For reasons of technical competence and responsibility, as well as to foster a sense of ownership, the 
promoter is expected to prepare the technical parts of the ESAF, in close coordination with the responsible 
unit in the ministry of transport/infrastructure or equivalent.

The EPIC Advisory Team and/or international financial institution advisory teams are available 
to assist national authorities with two aspects of preparing an EPIC support application:

•  Identifying promising candidate projects based on the eligibility criteria and considering the views 
of relevant players, including international financial institutions, the ministry of finance and the 
European Union Delegation; and

•  Preparing the ESAF for selected priority projects: a core task in this process is assessing the gaps in 
existing project documentation and the scope of Technical Assistance that would be necessary to 
close these gaps, considering the benchmark of best international practice and the requirements 
of the European Commission and relevant international financial institutions.

14   https://www.eib.org/en/products/advisory-services/epic/index 

19

CHAPTER II 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Before submission of an ESAF, the ministry of transport/infrastructure or equivalent consults 
the following entities on an advanced draft:

•  European Union Delegation;

•  lead international financial institution; and

•  co-financing international financial institution(s).

Call for proposals by  
EPIC Coordination Committee

T
i
m
e
l
i

n
e

Preparation of ESAF by the promoter  
and the responsible unit in the ministry  
of transport/infrastructure or equivalent

21 days

Consultation on draft ESAF with  
European Union Delegation,  
lead and co-financing international  
financial institution(s)

Submission of ESAF  
to the EPIC Coordination Committee 
secretariat

2 months

Screening of ESAF by 
 the EPIC CC secretariat and review  
by the EPIC Coordination Committee

EPIC Coordination Committee  
decision on ESAF

21 days

Feedback about the EPIC  
Coordination Committee’s decision on 
the application to the beneficiary

20

Accessing EPIC support  
 
 
Once the final version of the ESAF, including supporting documents, is ready, the responsible unit of the 
ministry of transport/infrastructure or equivalent undertakes a final quality check before submitting it 
by email to the EPIC Coordination Committee secretariat (epic@eib.org). Deadlines for submission are 
communicated, together with the call for proposals, on the EPIC website.

Upon receipt of the ESAF, the EPIC Coordination Committee secretariat, supported by the EPIC Advisory 
Team, scrutinises the submission for completeness, soundness and accuracy. It prepares a short summary 
note with a recommendation to the EPIC Coordination Committee. Applications with potential to 
succeed but not yet mature enough (e.g. incomplete, poor presentation) for an EPIC Coordination 
Committee decision are screened out by the secretariat and returned to the applicant with suggestions 
for improvement. Once enhanced, these applications may be resubmitted through the written procedure 
outlined at the end of this chapter.

The EPIC Coordination Committee secretariat sends all ESAFs received (including those screened out) 
and the summary notes to EPIC Coordination Committee members ahead of the meeting.

Decisions on EPIC support allocations are taken by consensus of EPIC Coordination Committee members, 
based on applications submitted and the extent of available financing. The EPIC Coordination Committee 
may accept for resubmission, via written procedure, applications that have been screened out but hold 
potential for improvement. Applicants are informed of the outcome following approval of the minutes 
by EPIC Coordination Committee members.

If an application is rejected, the reasons for rejection are also communicated to the applicant. If an 
application is rejected due to incoherence, incompleteness or lack of funds, it can be resubmitted at a 
later stage, when it has been enhanced to the extent necessary or when funding becomes available. 
If an application is rejected for non-eligibility, it can only be resubmitted if amendments to it or future 
changes to eligibility rules make it eligible.

Calls for proposals are normally launched just after an EPIC Coordination Committee meeting and the 
submission deadline is set four months after the launch of the call, leaving time for the screening of 
applications by the EPIC Coordination Committee secretariat and their review by the EPIC Coordination 
Committee before its next meeting.

Written procedure

In some situations, an ESAF may only be fully ready for submission shortly after the applicable deadline. So 
that consideration of such ESAFs need not be deferred until the next EPIC Coordination Committee meeting, 
it is possible to submit an advanced draft ESAF to the EPIC Coordination Committee for information 
and discussion, to be followed by submission of the complete ESAF within one month following the 
EPIC Coordination Committee meeting. After receiving the final ESAF from the beneficiary within this 
time period, the EPIC Coordination Committee secretariat has up to one month to screen the ESAF and 
submit it to EPIC Coordination Committee members for tacit approval (within one further month). The 
EPIC Coordination Committee only authorises use of the written procedure for ESAFs with a reasonable 
chance of being approved and to the extent that there is sufficient residual Technical Assistance budget 
to cover the cost. Generally, written procedure is the exception, not the rule.

21

CHAPTER IICHAPTER III

Implementing EPIC support

Assignment of a Technical Assistance consultant 

Monitoring of a Technical Assistance consultancy assignment 

Monitoring of the Technical Assistance and Advisory Support portfolio 

Reporting on implementation 

Amendments to the ESAF 

Cancellation of EPIC support 

Visibility and communication 

23

24

25

25

25

25

26

Assignment of a Technical Assistance consultant

After the EPIC Coordination Committee has approved an application 
for EPIC support, the implementation of that support may start.

This chapter aims to overview the implementation processes. The ESAF already includes a relatively 
detailed description of the EPIC Technical Assistance support envisaged and related budget. However, 
the scope of Technical Assistance must be developed further towards a full set of Terms of Reference 
for each consultancy assignment.

Under EPIC, the preparation of Terms of Reference for Technical Assistance is a collaborative 
process involving:

•  the promoter (lead role, to the extent feasible, to ensure a sense of ownership);

•  the EPIC Advisory Team or the lead international financial institution’s technical team (drafting 
support and review);

•  EPIC Technical Assistance consultants for more complex Terms of Reference; and

•  the lead and co-financing international financial institutions (rapid review to ensure consistency 
with their requirements).

The EPIC Advisory Team or the lead international financial institution’s technical team is responsible for 
undertaking final quality assurance of the Terms of Reference, following which it sends them in PDF 
format to the promoter.

The promoter submits the final Terms of Reference by email to the EPIC Coordination Committee secretariat 
(epic@eib.org), requesting the allocation of a consultant to the Technical Assistance assignment.

In parallel to the preparation of the Technical Assistance Terms of Reference, the lead international 
financial institution may want to put in place a Technical Assistance cooperation agreement related to 
the Technical Assistance assignment with the promoter and/or the beneficiary country.

To ensure an efficient and swift mobilisation of competent consultants, the EIB (through its Consultancy 
Procurement and Contracts Management Division) procures Technical Assistance Single Framework 
Contracts, from which individual Technical Assistance assignments can be sourced. On that basis, 
individual Technical Assistance operations can be assigned rapidly, upon submission of agreed Terms 
of Reference to the EPIC Coordination Committee secretariat. Other international financial institutions 
may implement similar arrangements for the EPIC Technical Assistance grants awarded to them.

During the procurement process, the consultants will develop a methodology to deliver the Technical 
Assistance, including a team and schedule, in accordance with the Terms of Reference. Upon approval 
of the methodology by the EPIC Advisory Team or the lead international financial institution’s technical 
team, the Technical Assistance assignment is activated.

23

CHAPTER III 
 
 
 
Monitoring of a Technical Assistance consultancy 
assignment

For individual Technical Assistance assignments, an assignment Steering Committee may be 
formed for consultative purposes, including representatives from the following parties, as 
relevant and representing their field of competence:

•  the promoter as chair, to ensure a sense of ownership;

•  the ministry of transport/infrastructure;

•  other public bodies relevant to the discussion topics (e.g. ministry of finance, competent authority 
for the environment);

•  lead and co-financing international financial institutions;

•  European Union Delegations;

•  members of the EPIC Advisory Team (or the lead international financial institution’s technical team) 
as observer, if applicable;

•  Technical Assistance consultants to present the results of their work.

The Technical Assistance assignment Steering Committee is consulted at the time of key milestones 
during the Technical Assistance assignment to enable the various parties to share opinions and discuss 
the assignment’s direction. The first consultation usually happens following the appointment of 
consultants. Targeted outcomes are submitted sufficiently ahead of each consultation to allow for review 
and commenting by the parties.

The EPIC Advisory Team (or lead international financial institution) actively supervises the Technical 
Assistance consultants by reviewing and commenting on outcomes and by participating in assignment 
Steering Committee consultations. It collects, filters and consolidates a coherent set of comments 
regarding Technical Assistance outcomes to be shared with other parties represented in assignment 
Steering Committee consultations and sent to the Technical Assistance consultants for implementation.

The owner of the final output of the Technical Assistance assignment (e.g. studies, documentation and 
associated materials) is the promoter. The lead and co-financing international financial institutions and 
the European Commission can access and use the final outputs for due diligence purposes.

The activities of a Technical Assistance assignment are considered complete when the EIB (or other 
contracting authority) has accepted approval of all relevant outputs by the EPIC Advisory Team (or the 
lead international financial institution’s technical team), taking into account the opinions of the promoter 
and other international financial institutions involved.

If the promoter refuses to approve the outputs because it disagrees with the results, but does not question 
the quality of the outputs, the Technical Assistance activities are deemed complete.

If Technical Assistance assignment activities are completed for an amount smaller than the budget, the 
residual budget is freed for new assignments for which any eligible beneficiary may apply. The same 
applies where a Technical Assistance assignment is cancelled. When the implementation of a Technical 
Assistance assignment has started but its completion is not possible or desirable (e.g. due to technical 
or environmental issues revealed by a survey), the Technical Assistance assignment may be terminated. 
Cancellation or termination of a Technical Assistance assignment are discussed and agreed during EPIC 
Coordination Committee meetings.

24

Implementing EPIC support 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Monitoring of the Technical Assistance and Advisory 
Support portfolio

Operational monitoring

The EPIC Coordination Committee secretariat monitors the progress of the operational implementation 
of the Advisory Support and Technical Assistance portfolio by analysing progress reports, collecting 
feedback from stakeholders and carrying out monitoring missions. The purpose of these monitoring 
activities is to enable the secretariat to inform the EPIC Coordination Committee of the overall progress of 
the EPIC facility and its impact on implementing the Indicative TEN-T Investment Action Plan. International 
financial institutions managing their own Technical Assistance funds related to EPIC need to supply the EPIC 
Coordination Committee secretariat with appropriate inputs for this monitoring function. Regular feedback 
to the EPIC Coordination Committee enables the committee to take appropriate decisions on the facility’s 
strategic orientation, including on topping up the Technical Assistance budget if warranted by progress.

Reporting on implementation

Information on approved EPIC actions and their status is continuously posted on EPIC’s website. 
International financial institutions will thus coordinate on progress reporting for Technical Assistance 
assignments.

Amendments to the ESAF

During the implementation of an action, certain data and parameters regarding the Advisory Support, 
the Technical Assistance or the project might change. Where these changes are substantial, the ESAF 
needs to be amended by the beneficiary and re-approved by the EPIC Coordination Committee before 
any adjustment is implemented.

Cancellation of EPIC support

Cancellation of approved EPIC support is the last resort, used only when all other measures 
have failed to yield the necessary adjustment in performance. Cancellation may be considered 
when any of the following indicative events occur:

•  preparation of the Terms of Reference has not started within one year of Technical Assistance 
approval by the EPIC Coordination Committee;

•  implementation of the assignment has not started within two years of approval by the EPIC 
Coordination Committee; and/or

•  the assignment has not been completed by the end date indicated in the ESAF, or within four years 
of ESAF approval by the EPIC Coordination Committee.

There may be a legitimate reason for delays. The aforementioned criteria serve as a trigger for further 
investigation. If the EPIC Coordination Committee decides to cancel an EPIC Technical Assistance 
assignment, any residual funds are reallocated to subsequent EPIC calls for proposals.

25

CHAPTER III 
 
 
Visibility and communication

Ensuring proper communication and visibility for EPIC activities is in 
all stakeholders’ interests.

EPIC-supported projects have a direct positive impact on people’s welfare and living standards in Eastern 
Partnership countries and, therefore, offer excellent opportunities to raise the profile of the beneficiaries, 
the European Union and the international financial institutions involved. Proper communication and 
visibility regarding the facility and its activities are ensured.

The EIB — with help from a service provider — will develop and implement a regional communication 
plan for EPIC at the start of the implementation period of the facility, in line with the DG NEAR–EIB 
Contribution Agreement and the Communication and Visibility Requirements for EU external actions15, 
and in consultation with the European Commission, the European Union Delegations in the beneficiary 
countries and other stakeholders.

Beneficiaries, promoters and service providers are expected to take appropriate measures to publicise 
that projects have benefited from EPIC support. Information given to the press and all related publicity 
material, official notices, reports and publications shall acknowledge that EPIC activities are “Funded by the 
European Union” and shall display in an appropriate way the European Union emblem and the EIB logo.

Promoters are also expected to ensure European Union, EIB and other international financial institutions’ 
visibility, through outdoor promotion (e.g. display project boards, billboards, and commemorative 
plaques), as appropriate.

Where high-level visits are planned, beneficiaries, promoters and other stakeholders shall inform one 
another and consider coordinating these visits and agreeing on joint messages.

For press conferences, donor conferences and public debates specifically organised in relation to EPIC, 
beneficiaries, promoters and other stakeholders shall invite the European Union Delegation, the EIB and 
other international financial institutions (as applicable) to participate.

Reports or outputs produced by beneficiaries, promoters and other stakeholders with support 
from EPIC shall include the following content:

•  “This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union, in the 
framework of the Neighbourhood Investment Platform.”

•  “Disclaimer: The authors take full responsibility for the contents of this report. The views expressed 
in this document are not necessarily those of the European Union or the European Investment Bank. 
The European Union, the European Investment Bank, their members, governing bodies, employees 
or agents, accept no liability whatsoever for any loss or damage arising from the interpretation or 
use of the information, or reliance upon views contained herein, or from the use by third parties 
of results or methods presented in this report.”

15   https://ec.europa.eu/international-partnerships/comm-visibility-requirements_en

26

Implementing EPIC support 
 
Abbreviations and acronyms

DG MOVE   Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport

DG NEAR   Directorate-General for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations

EaP 

Eastern Partnership

EBRD 

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

EIB 

European Investment Bank

ENP 

European Neighbourhood Policy

EPIC 

Eastern Partnership Investment in Connectivity

EU 

European Union

EUD 

European Union Delegation

JASPERS 

Joint Assistance to Support Projects in European Regions

NIP 

PIU 

Neighbourhood Investment Platform 

Project Implementation Unit

PMU 

Project Management Unit

TEN-T 

Trans-European Transport Network

WBIF 

Western Balkans Investment Framework

27

Glossary

Advisory Support: In the context of EPIC, Advisory Support is the expert advice, guidance and coaching 
provided directly by the EPIC Advisory Team and/or international financial institution advisory teams to 
eligible beneficiaries and promoters on a not-for-profit basis, in good faith and with reasonable care and 
due diligence (diligentia quam in suis), drawing on the experience and business practices of JASPERS, 
the European Commission and the EIB. Advisory Support can also come from the EBRD or World Bank 
if they are leading a project.

Beneficiary countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

EPIC Advisory Team: A team of technical experts (e.g. engineers, economists, environmental specialists) 
sourced from JASPERS to provide Advisory Support under EPIC.

EPIC Support Application Form (ESAF): A standardised template that beneficiaries shall use to apply 
for EPIC Advisory Support and Technical Assistance. Upon approval by the EPIC Coordination Committee, 
the ESAF becomes part of the contractual framework.

International financial institution: A multilateral or bilateral financial institution that supports a given 
project and provides a loan once the project is mature. The following international financial institutions 
are associated with EPIC: EIB, EBRD and World Bank.

Neighbourhood Investment Platform (NIP): Officially launched in 2008 as the Neighbourhood 
Investment Facility, the NIP — as it is now termed — aims to mobilise additional funding to finance 
capital-intensive infrastructure projects in the transport and other sectors in EU partner countries covered 
by the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP).

Promoter: The transport sub-sector body in charge of developing, implementing and — usually — 
owning and operating the project.

Technical Assistance: In the context of EPIC, Technical Assistance is the technical expert support sourced 
from commercially operating consultancy companies. It can be used to undertake analyses and studies 
underpinning the project development documentation.

28

Contacts

EPIC Coordination Committee Secretariat 
Name: Markus Pfeffer
Email: epic@eib.org

DG NEAR
Name: Michaela Hauf
Email: Michaela.HAUF@ec.europa.eu

DG MOVE
Name: Kristoffer Refberg
Email: Kristoffer.REFBERG@ec.europa.eu

EUD Armenia 
Name: Andrea Baggioli
Email: Andrea.BAGGIOLI@eeas.europa.eu

EUD Azerbaijan 
Name: Ulviya Abdullayeva
Email: Ulviya.ABDULLAYEVA@eeas.europa.eu

EUD Georgia 
Name: Alexandre Darras
Email: Alexandre.DARRAS@eeas.europa.eu

EUD Moldova 
Name: Ion Guzun
Email: ion.guzun@eeas.europa.eu 

EUD Ukraine 
Name: Agnieszka Skiba
Email: Agnieszka.SKIBA@eeas.europa.eu

EIB
Name: Rafal Rybacki
Email: r.rybacki@eib.org

EBRD
Name: George Holroyd
Email: holroydg@ebrd.com

World Bank
Name: Gregoire F. Gauthier
Email: ggauthier@worldbank.org

Guide to the Facility for Eastern Partnership 
Investment in Connectivity  (EPIC)

© European Investment Bank, 05/2022   EN

ISBN 978-92-861-4911-5