Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE) – Circular Economy and Quality of Life

Eligible Activities

The topics under this call for proposals concern LIFE Standard Action Projects (SAPs). SAPs represent the ‘traditional LIFE projects’ aimed to:

• develop, demonstrate and promote innovative techniques, methods and approaches ‘Innovative techniques, methods and approaches’ means solutions which are new when compared to the state of the art at Member State and sector level and which are implemented at an operational scale and under conditions that allow the achievement of the impacts set out in the award criterion ’Impact’ first paragraph (see below).
• contribute to the knowledge base and to the application of best practice ‘Best practice’ means solutions, techniques, methods and approaches which are appropriate, cost-effective and state of the art (at Member State and sector level), and which are implemented at an operational scale and under conditions that allow the achievement of the impacts set out in the award criterion ’Impact’ first paragraph (see below).
• support the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of the EU legislation and policy, including by improving governance at all levels, in particular through enhancing capacities of public and private actors and the involvement of civil society
• catalyse the large-scale deployment of successful technical and policy related solutions for implementing the EU legislation and policy by replicating results, integrating related objectives into other policies and into public and private sector practices, mobilising investment and improving access to finance.

Beneficiaries

In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:

• be legal entities (public or private bodies)
• be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:

1. EU Member States, including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)
2. Non-EU countries: listed EEA countries and countries associated to the LIFE Programme (participating countries) or countries which are in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before grant signature

•  The coordinator must be established in an eligible country

Type of aid and economic conditions

Indicative range of project budgets: EUR 2-10 Mln

Maximum 60% funding rate

Requirements

Proposals must relate to activities taking place in the eligible countries (see above). Activities outside the eligible countries must be necessary to achieve EU (or Non-EU eligible countries) environmental and climate objectives and ensure the effectiveness of interventions carried out within the eligible countries.

Applicants must have stable and sufficient resources to successfully implement the projects and contribute their share. Organisations participating in several projects must have sufficient capacity to implement all these projects.

Applicants must have the know-how, qualifications and resources to successfully implement the projects and contribute their share (including sufficient experience in projects of comparable size and nature).

Project duration: between 24 and 120 months indicatively (extensions are possible, if duly justified and through an amendment).

Applicable regulations

Work Programme 2021-2024: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/life/wp-call/2021-2024/wp_life-2021-2024_en.pdf

Regulation LIFE Programme: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0783&from=EN

Route for processing

All proposals must be submitted directly online via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System. Paper applications are NOT accepted.

Submission is a 2-step process:

• Create a user account and register your organisation

To use the Submission System (the only way to apply), all participants need to create an EU Login user account.

Once you have an EU Login account, you can register your organisation in the Participant Register. When your registration is finalised, you will receive a 9-digit participant identification code (PIC).

• Submit the proposal

Access the Electronic Submission System via the Topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section (or, for calls sent by invitation to submit a proposal, through the link provided in the invitation letter).

Submit your proposal in 4 parts, as follows:

• Part A includes administrative information about the applicant organisations (future coordinator, beneficiaries, affiliated entities and associated partners) and the summarised budget for the proposal. Fill it in directly online.
• Part B (description of the action) covers the technical content of the proposal. Download the mandatory word template from the Submission System, fill it in and upload it as a PDF file.
• Part C containing additional project data. To be filled in directly online.
• Annexes. Upload them as PDF file (single or multiple depending on the slots). Excel upload is sometimes possible, depending on the file type.

The proposal must keep to the page limits; excess pages will be disregarded.

Documents must be uploaded to the right category in the Submission System otherwise the proposal might be considered incomplete and thus inadmissible.

The proposal must be submitted before the call deadline. After this deadline, the system is closed and proposals can no longer be submitted.

Once the proposal is submitted, you will receive a confirmation e-mail (with date and time of your application). If you do not receive this confirmation e-mail, it means your proposal has NOT been submitted. If you believe this is due to a fault in the Submission System, you should immediately file a complaint via the IT Helpdesk webform, explaining the circumstances and attaching a copy of the proposal (and, if possible, screenshots to show what happened).

Details on processes and procedures are described in the Online Manual. The Online Manual also contains the links to FAQs and detailed instructions regarding the Portal Electronic Exchange System.

Mandatory annexes and supporting documents (to be uploaded):

• Detailed budget table (mandatory excel template available in the Submission System)
• Participant information.

 Optional annexes:

• Letters of support
• Cofinancing declarations
• Maps
• Description of sites
• Description of species and habitats (N/A)
• Activity Annual report (N/A)
• Other annexes (for example: Lifecycle analysis, Business plans etc