LIFE

The LIFE program is aimed at restoring and improving the quality of environmental components, including air, water and soil, as well as preserving biodiversity and overcoming the degradation of natural ecosystems.

• Program directions:
• "Nature and biodiversity";
• "Circular economy and quality of life";
• "Climate change mitigation and adaptation";
• "Transition to clean energy".

The LIFE program supports grants on a competitive basis for the following types of projects:

• standard projects (SAP);
• technical assistance projects (SNAP);
• strategic complex projects (SIP);
• technical assistance (TA) projects;
• other actions (OA-CSA).
  

The LIFE program is aimed at restoring and improving the quality of environmental components, including air, water and soil, as well as preserving biodiversity and overcoming the degradation of natural ecosystems.

The procedure for submitting projects to the competition takes place in one or two stages. The deadline for submission of tender documents depends on the type of project.

Grant assistance is provided on the basis of co-financing (up to 95% depending on the type of project), on a competitive basis in the amount from €0.7 to €20 million.

All LIFE call notices are published on the CINEA website as well as the European Commission's funding and tenders portal.

All documents regulating the implementation of the LIFE program are available on the funding and tenders portal of the European Commission.

LIFE program regulation (EU) 2021/783

LIFE multi-year work program for 2021-2024

Priority topics of competitions

Financial regulation

Applications can only be submitted electronically through the funding and tenders portal.

Information on participation, proposal templates, evaluations and project reporting can be found on the Funding and Tenders Portal.

Applications submitted as part of LIFE competitions are evaluated by external experts according to established criteria.

SAP (Standard Action Projects) – projects of standard actions

The projects are aimed at:

• development, demonstration and promotion of innovative technical solutions, methods and approaches;
• creation of a knowledge base and application of best practices;
• maintaining the development, implementation, monitoring and compliance with relevant EU legislation and policy;
• implementation of successful technical and policy-related solutions for the implementation and adaptation of relevant EU legislation and policies.

Grant size: from €0.7 to €6 million.

Co-financing: up to 60% of the total costs of the project.

Implementation period: 3-5 years (maximum 10 years).

SNAP (Strategic Nature Projects) – strategic nature projects

The projects are aimed at:

• supporting the achievement of the EU's goals for nature protection and biodiversity;
• implementation of strategies, directives, plans adopted at international, national, regional or interregional levels by nature and biodiversity protection bodies;
• inclusion of relevant nature and biodiversity conservation objectives in other policies and funding programs.

Co-financing: up to 60% of the total costs of the project.

Implementation period: 6-10 years (maximum 14 years).

SIP (Strategic Integrated Projects) – strategic integrated projects

The projects are aimed at supporting the implementation of environmental and climate strategies or action plans on a national and regional scale.

Circular economy and quality of life projects:

• circular economy: national or regional action plans, strategies, road maps, etc.;
• waste management plans and waste prevention programs;
• river basin management plans; flood risk management plans; implementation of maritime strategy;
• air quality plans according to ambient air quality.

Climate change mitigation and adaptation projects:

• national energy and climate plans;
• national energy efficiency action plans;
• national or regional adaptation strategies or action plans;
• action plans in cities or communities, the transition to a climate-neutral and/or climate-resilient society;
• national, regional or sectoral strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or economic roadmaps promoting climate neutrality.

The size of the grant: from €10 to €20 million.

Co-financing: up to 60% of the total costs of the project.

Implementation period: 6-10 years (maximum 14 years).

TA-PP (Technical Assistance Projects) – technical assistance projects

The specified projects support the development of capacity for participation in SAP projects, preparation of SNAP and SIP projects, preparation for access to other EU financial instruments or other measures necessary to increase or replicate the results of other projects financed by the LIFE Program, predecessor programs or other EU programs , in order to achieve the goals of the LIFE Program. Such projects can also be aimed at building the potential related to the activities of the authorities of the member states for effective participation in the LIFE Program.

Co-financing: up to 60% of the total costs of the project.

OA - CSA (LIFE Other Action Grants) - other actions

These projects are aimed at the "Transition to clean energy" through a comprehensive restructuring of all sectors of the economy with the aim of ending the use of fossil fuels and a full transition to carbon-free technologies and frugal energy consumption, and are focused on overcoming market barriers to the transition to clean energy.

The implementation of such projects involves the involvement of many interested parties and transnational consortia (minimum of 3 partners from 3 different countries, which are entitled to most of the funding streams).

Co-financing: up to 95% of the total costs of the project.

Applicants (participants) of projects can be:

• legal entities of any form of ownership (self-government bodies, central and territorial OVV, institutions of state, communal or private ownership, profitable or non-profit, public organizations);
• registered in one of the eligible countries, for example:

EU member states (including overseas countries and territories);non-EU countries;

• listed countries of the European Economic Area (EEA) and countries associated with the LIFE Program, or countries that are negotiating an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before the signing of the grant (participating countries of the LIFE Program).

A project application can be submitted by a single applicant or by a consortium of participants (in certain types of projects, the application from a consortium of a certain number of participants, sometimes from different EU countries and countries associated with the LIFE Program, is a requirement).

Partners in project implementation can be:

• central and territorial bodies of executive power;
• state enterprises;
• private enterprises and institutions;
• public organizations and associations;
• international organizations.

To promote and attract the latest technologies when looking for partners, in particular in the EU countries, you can use the global European network of enterprises (Enterprise Europe Network), which includes 70 countries.

You can also search for a partner or leave an application for a partner search in the Single Electronic Data Interchange Area (SEDIA).