LIFE Programme

General information

i) Nature and biodiversity – The environment sub-programme funds nature conservation projects in particular in the areas of biodiversity, habitats and species. It provides action grants for best practice, pilot and demonstration projects that contribute to the implementation of the EU’s directives on birds and habitats, the EU’s biodiversity strategy to 2020, and the development, implementation and management of the Natura 2000 network. Projects receive a co-funding of up to 60%. The co-financing rate can be up to 75% if at least half of the total estimated project costs are used for actions to improve the conservation status of priority habitats or species listed in the EU’s birds and habitats directives.

LINK: https://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/section/life/2020-life-call-proposals-traditional-projects-nature-and-biodiversity

ii) Environment and resource efficiency– LIFE co-finances projects in the environmental sector in particular in the areas of air, chemicals, green and circular economy, industrial accidents, marine and coastal management, noise, soil, waste, water, and the urban environment.The programme provides action grants for pilot and demonstration projects to develop, test and demonstrate policy or management approaches. It also covers the development and demonstration of innovative technologies, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of EU environmental policy and law, as well as best practices and solutions. The European Commission is particularly looking for technologies and solutions that are ready to be implemented in close-to-market conditions, at industrial or commercial scale, during the project duration. Projects receive a co-funding of up to 55%.

LINK: https://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/section/life/2020-life-call-proposals-traditional-projects-environment-and-resource-efficiency

iii) Environmental governance and information– The programme supports projects in the areas of awareness raising, environmental training and capacity building, legislative compliance and enforcement, knowledge development and public and stakeholder participation.It co-finances action grants for information, awareness and dissemination projects that aim to promote awareness raising on environmental matters. This includes cooperation platforms and knowledge sharing on sustainable environmental solutions and practice. Projects receive a co-funding of up to 55%.

LINK: https://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/section/life/2020-life-call-proposals-traditional-projects-environmental-governance-information

Details on priorities are provided under “Further information” (see below)

Deadline

– the 16^th of July 2020, 16:00 CET, for Nature and biodiversity and Environmental governance and information

– the 14^th of July 2020 for Environment and resource efficiency.

FULL proposals: February 2021 for Nature and Biodiversity, Environment and resource efficiency and Environmental governance and information

Project duration

Financial allocation

There is no fixed minimum size for project budgets (e.g. small projects €500.000; large projects over €5mil).

LIFE projects shall take place in the territory of the European Union Member States, but LIFE Programme may also finance activities outside the EU and in overseas countries and territories (OCTs), in specific situations.

At least 25% of the total eligible budget of a LIFE Nature and Biodiversity projects must concern “concrete conservation” actions.

Partnership

There is no pre-defined number of associated beneficiaries to be involved in a LIFE proposal. A proposal that is submitted without any participant other than the coordinating beneficiary itself is eligible.

The coordinating beneficiary must show its legal status, confirming legal registration in the EU. In addition to the coordinating beneficiary, a LIFE proposal may also involve one or more associated beneficiaries and/or one or more project co-financiers. The associated beneficiary/ies must always contribute technically and financially to the Proposal. A project co-financier only contributes to the project with financial resources, has no technical responsibilities, and cannot benefit from the EU financial contribution.

Exceptionally an associated beneficiary may be legally registered outside the European Union if the actions outside the EU it is responsible for are (the coordinating beneficiary of the project in any case be based in the EU) necessary to achieve EU environmental objectives and to ensure the effectiveness of interventions carried out in the Member State territories to which the Treaties apply.

For private beneficiaries, the Contracting Authority may accept that affiliated entities to a beneficiary participate in a project, as long as all conditions listed in the Model Grant Agreement and its Annex X (Financial and Administrative Guidelines) are fulfilled.

Further information:

i.           Nature and biodiversity – project sectors:

·       Nature (activities for the implementation of the Birds and/or Habitats Directives);

·       Biodiversity (activities for the implementation of the Union Biodiversity Strategy to 2020).

Further details on the priorities and project topics could be find in pp. 23-27 of the “LIFE 2020 Nature and Biodiversity application guide”.

ii.         Environment and resource efficiency – project sectors:

·       Water, including the marine environment;

·       Waste;

·       Resource Efficiency, including soil and forests, and green and circular economy;

·       Environment and Health, including chemicals and noise;

·       Air quality and emissions, including urban environment.

Details on the priorities and project topics could be find in pp. 22-33 of the “LIFE 2020 Environment and Resources Efficiency application guide”.

iii.        Environmental governance and information- project sectors:

·       Information, communication and awareness raising campaigns;

·       Activities in support of effective control process as well as measures to promote compliance.

Details on the priorities and project topics could be find in pp. 22-28 of the “LIFE 2020 GIE Application guide”.

General information

It provides action grants for best practice, pilot and demonstration projects that contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the implementation and development of EU policy and law, best practices and solutions. The European Commission is particularly looking for technologies and solutions that are ready to be implemented in close-to-market conditions, at industrial or commercial scale, during the project duration.

The sub-programme also promotes knowledge sharing and integrated approaches, such as for climate change mitigation strategies and action plans at local, regional or national level.

1. Climate change mitigation – The climate action sub-programme supports projects in the areas of renewable energies, energy efficiency, farming, land use, and peatland management.

It provides action grants for best practice, pilot and demonstration projects that contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the implementation and development of EU policy and law, best practices and solutions. The European Commission is particularly looking for technologies and solutions that are ready to be implemented in close-to-market conditions, at industrial or commercial scale, during the project duration.

The sub-programme also promotes knowledge sharing and integrated approaches, such as for climate change mitigation strategies and action plans at local, regional or national level.

2. Climate change adaptation – The LIFE programme co-finances projects in the areas of resilience to water scarcity, droughts, forest fires or floods, adaptive technologies for economic sectors, and safeguarding natural resources.

It provides action grants for best practice, pilot and demonstration projects that contribute to increased resilience to climate change. The European Commission is particularly looking for technologies and solutions that are ready to be implemented in close-to-market conditions, at industrial or commercial scale, during the project duration.

The climate sub-programme also promotes the development and implementation of EU policy on climate change adaptation, best practices and solutions for climate change adaptation, including ecosystem-based approaches and knowledge sharing;

3. Climate governance and information – The programme funds projects in the areas of awareness raising, training and capacity building, law compliance and enforcement, knowledge development and stakeholder participation. LIFE provides action grants for information, awareness and dissemination projects on climate matters. This includes public and stakeholder support for EU policy-making, supporting communication, management and dissemination of information to facilitate knowledge sharing and cooperation platforms, promoting and contributing to more effective compliance with and enforcement of EU climate law, providing training and fostering the development and dissemination of best practices and policy approaches.

LINK: https://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/section/life/2020-life-call-proposals-traditional-projects-climate-action

Deadline

Project duration

Financial allocation

LIFE projects shall take place in the territory of the European Union Member States, but LIFE Programme may also finance activities outside the EU and in overseas countries and territories (OCTs), in specific situations.

Partnership

There is no pre-defined number of associated beneficiaries to be involved in a LIFE proposal. A proposal that is submitted without any participant other than the coordinating beneficiary itself is eligible.

The coordinating beneficiary must show its legal status, confirming legal registration in the EU. In addition to the coordinating beneficiary, a LIFE proposal may also involve one or more associated beneficiaries and/or one or more project co-financiers. The associated beneficiary/ies must always contribute technically and financially to the Proposal. A project co-financier only contributes to the project with financial resources, has no technical responsibilities, and cannot benefit from the EU financial contribution.

Exceptionally an associated beneficiary may be legally registered outside the European Union if the actions outside the EU it is responsible for are (the coordinating beneficiary of the project in any case be based in the EU) necessary to achieve EU environmental objectives and to ensure the effectiveness of interventions carried out in the Member State territories to which the Treaties apply.

For private beneficiaries, the Contracting Authority may accept that affiliated entities to a beneficiary participate in a project, as long as all conditions listed in the Model Grant Agreement and its Annex X (Financial and Administrative Guidelines) are fulfilled.

Further information:

General information

Under the sub-programme for environment, these large-scale projects implement plans, strategies or roadmaps in the areas of nature (including Natura 2000 network management), water, waste, and air.
For more information please read this presentation and check examples of ongoing projects in this leaflet and in our project database (choose as strand “Integrated Projects for Environment”).

IPs are designed toimplement certain plans and strategies at a large territorial scale with full engagement of all the concerned stkeholders to aim at mobilizing significant additional sources of funding to further support the implementation of the EU environmental/climate policy framework.

IPs should target the full implementation of the following strategic:

– environmental plans/strategies

–  climate plans/strategies

LINK: https://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/section/life/2020-call-proposals-integrated-projects

Deadline

Project duration

Financial allocation

·   The applicant is required to mobilise at least one complementary fund at the time of full proposal submission.

·   The amount of complementary funds (those going beyond the 40% cofinancing) as well as their likelihood and functional link to the plan shows the project maturity.

·   Complementary funds and actions should target the areas of the plan or strategy that the IP is not able to address

Partnership

In contrast to other funding programmes LIFE projects are very flexible in terms of how they are set up. You can decide if you want to run a project on your own, or if you prefer to join forces with partners from your own or another country. However, in the case of integrated projects, the applicants should include in the partnership the authority in charge of the implementation of the plan or strategy targeted by the project, preferably as project leader.

If you apply without any partners or are the project leader among several partners, you will be referred to as coordinating beneficiary. Other partners who contribute but do not lead a project are associated beneficiaries. Associated beneficiaries must be responsible for one or more project actions and must contribute financially to the project.

If you are based outside the EU, you can contribute to a project as associated beneficiary by undertaking actions that are necessary for achieving the environmental or climate goals of the EU. UK applicants and beneficiaries remain eligible to receive LIFE funds for the entire duration of grants under the 2014-2020 LIFE programme, including after the end of the transition period. This applies to existing grants, ongoing procedures and calls for proposals published in 2020 even if the grant is signed after 31 December 2020.

Further information:

·       Provide feedback on the ideas for IPs (all year round)

·       Respond to general questions on IPs (all year round)

·       Respond to specific questions related to IP Application and Evaluation Guides, application forms, concerned provisions of the Multiannual Work Programme (during open calls, typically between April – September and November – February)

·       Facilitate networking with successful running IPs (all year round)

·       Schedule meetings with us in person in Brussels, respond by e-mail, phone or

videoconference

Differencies between the LIFE Traditional Projects and IPs can be found in the following presentation: https://ec.europa.eu/easme/sites/easme-site/files/life_ip_presentation_final.pdf