On this page we have gathered all information on the new LIFE programme. Our 2023 LIFE Handbook helps you to write a successful application, elaborates on all criteria and improves your chances of getting funding!
This handbook tells you everything about the LIFE Programme. It is written by our funding experts who have helped hundreds of researchers and businesses with funding proposals. On this page you will learn about:
The LIFE Programme is the EU’s funding instrument for the Environment and Climate. It began in 1992, has co-financed thousands of projects in the field and turns 30 this year!
As one of the most important European funding instruments for our planet, it is the only one that is dedicated solely to Climate and Environment. It is managed by CINEA and on behalf of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment, for Climate Action and for Energy.
The latest LIFE Programme for the period 2021-2027 has a total budget of €5.4 billion.
The LIFE Programme aims to help the EU to reach its European Climate and Environment ambitions:
The LIFE Programme is structured in two fields and four sub-programmes:
There are low barriers to eligibility in this programme. In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
The transition from an eligible consortium to a winning consortium is highly dependent on which call you are targeting, how well you match it, the amount of funding you are asking for, and your project itself!
Standard Action Projects (SAPs) for circular economy and quality of life, nature and biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation sub-programmes:
Other Action Grants (OAGs) including PPLs:
Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) and Strategic Nature Projects (SNAPs):
Technical Assistance preparation for SIPs and SNAPs:
Specific Operating Grant Agreements (SGA OG) for non-profit making entities:
The most popular action. ‘Traditional’ LIFE projects aimed to:
Co-financing rate of 60% maximum except:
The SNAPs focus on:
Co-financing rate of 60% maximum:
Circular Economy and Quality of Life:
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation:
Projects that support the development of capacity for participation in standard action projects, the preparation of strategic nature projects and strategic integrated projects, the preparation for accessing other Union financial instruments or other measures necessary for preparing the upscaling or replication of results from other projects funded by the LIFE Programme, its predecessor programmes or other Union programmes, with a view to pursuing the LIFE programme objectives set out in Article 3; such projects can also include capacity-building related to the activities of Member States’ authorities for effective participation in the LIFE Programme.
TA-PP: support to the participation in standard action projects and preparation of SNAPs and SIPs (TA-PP)
Co-financing rate of maximum 60%, maximum LIFE contribution of €70.000
Actions needed for the purpose of achieving the general objective of the LIFE Programme, including coordination and support actions aimed at capacity-building, at dissemination of information and of knowledge, and at awareness-raising to support the transition to renewable energy and increased energy efficiency.
Action grants benefitting the organisations mentioned in Annex I of the LIFE Regulation:
Co-financing rate of 95% maximum
Grants that support the functioning of non-profit making entities which are involved in the development, implementation and enforcement of Union legislation and policy, and which are primarily active in the area of the environment or climate action, including energy transition, in line with the objectives of the LIFE Programme.
LIFE-2022-SAP-NAT-GOV
Nature Governance
Total budget: €3M
Project budget: €1-2M
LIFE-2022-SAP-NAT-NATURE
Nature and Biodiversity
Total budget: €132.7M
Project budget: €2-13M
LIFE-2022-SAP-ENV-ENVIRONMENT
Circular Economy, resources from Waste, Air, Water, Soil, Noise, Chemicals, Bauhaus
Total budget: €92.3M
Project budget: €2-10M
LIFE-2021-SAP-ENV-GOV
Environment governance
Total budget: €6M
Project budget: €0.7-2M
LIFE-2021-SAP-CLIMA-CCM
Climate Change Mitigation
Total budget: €29M
Project budget: €1-5M
LIFE-2021-SAP-CLIMA-CCA
Climate Change Adaptation
Total budget: €29M
Project budget: €1-5M
LIFE-2021-SAP-CLIMA-GOV
Climate Governance and Information
Total budget: €7.9M
Project budget: €0.7-2M
LIFE-2022-STRAT-NAT-SNAP-two-stage
Strategic Nature Projects
1st Stage Deadline: 8 September 2022
2nd Stage Deadline: 30 March 2023
Stages: Two-stage
Total budget: €145M
Project budget: €15-50M
Funding Rate: 60%
Project length: 60-120 months
LIFE-2022-STRAT-ENV-SIP-two-stage
Strategic Integrated Projects – Environment
1st Stage Deadline: 8 September 2022
2nd Stage Deadline: 30 March 2023
Stages: Two-stage
Total budget: €52.8M
Project budget: €10-30M
Funding Rate: 60%
Project length: 60-120 months
LIFE-2022-STRAT-CLIMA-SIP-two-stage
Strategic Integrated Projects – Climate Action
1st Stage Deadline: 8 September 2022
2nd Stage Deadline: 30 March 2023
Stages: Two-stage
Total budget: €30M
Project budget: €10-30M
Funding Rate: 60%
Project length: 60-120 months
Technical Assistance Projects may include the following activities: preparation of Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) Strategic Nature and Projects (SNAPs) (TA-PP).
LIFE-2022-TA-PP-ENV-SIP
Technical Assistance preparation of ENV SIPs
Deadline: 8 September 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €209.388
Project budget: €70.000
Funding Rate: 60%
LIFE-2022-TA-PP-CLIMA-SIP
Technical Assistance preparation of CLIMA SIPs
Deadline: 8 September 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €300.000
Project budget: €70.000
Funding Rate: 60%
LIFE-2022-TA-PP-NAT-SNAP
Nature and Biodiversity
Deadline: 8 September 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €368.780
Project budget: €70.000
Funding Rate: 60%
LIFE-2022-CET-BUILDSKILLS
BUILD UP Skills – Strategies and training interventions enabling a decarbonised building stock
Deadline: 16 November 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €6M
Project budget: €0.4M
Funding Rate: 95%
LIFE-2022-CET-DEEPRENO
Towards a zero-emission building stock: strengthening the enabling framework for deep renovation
Deadline: 16 November 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €6M
Project budget: €1.75M
Funding Rate: 95%
LIFE-2022-CET-COMPLIANCE
New ecodesign and energy labelling compliance support facility for suppliers and retailers
Deadline: 16 November 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €2.5M
Project budget: €2.5M
Funding Rate: 95%
LIFE-2022-CET-EE1st
Making the “Energy efficiency first” principle more operational
Deadline: 16 November 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €3.5M
Project budget: €1.5M
Funding Rate: 95%
LIFE-2022-CET-FINROUND
National Finance Roundtables for sustainable energy investments
Deadline: 16 November 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €4M
Project budget: €0.7M
Funding Rate: 95%
LIFE-2022-CET-BUSINESS
Supporting the clean energy transition of the business sector
Deadline: 16 November 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €6M
Project budget: €1.5M
Funding Rate: 95%
LIFE-2022-CET-BUILDPERFORM
Energy performance and Smart Readiness of buildings – making the instruments work
Deadline: 16 November 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €7M
Project budget: €2M
Funding Rate: 95%
LIFE-2022-CET-ENERCOM
Developing support mechanisms for energy communities
Deadline: 16 November 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €6.5M
Project budget: €1.5M
Funding Rate: 95%
LIFE-2022-CET-HEATPUMPS
Accelerating deployment and affordability of heat pumps through collective purchase actions and procurement
Deadline: 16 November 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €6M
Project budget: €2M
Funding Rate: 95%
LIFE-2022-CET-INNOFIN
Innovative financing schemes for sustainable energy investments
Deadline: 16 November 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €4M
Project budget: €1.5M
Funding Rate: 95%
LIFE-2022-CET-HOMERENO
Integrated Home Renovation Services
Deadline: 16 November 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget Scope A: €5.5M
Total budget Scope B: €2.5M
Project budget: €1.5M
Funding Rate: 95%
LIFE-2022-CET-POLICY
Towards an effective implementation of key legislation in the field of sustainable energy
Deadline: 16 November 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €2M
Project budget: €2M
Funding Rate: 95%
LIFE-2022-CET-ENERPOV
Addressing building related interventions in vulnerable districts
Deadline: 16 November 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €6M
Project budget: €1.75M
Funding Rate: 95%
LIFE-2022-CET-RENOPUB
Setting up facilitation structures to accelerate the renovation wave in the public sector
Deadline: 16 November 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €6M
Project budget: €1-1.5M
Funding Rate: 95%
LIFE-2022-CET-PDA
Project Development Assistance for sustainable energy investments
Deadline: 16 November 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget Scope A: €0.15-1.5M
Total budget Scope B: €2M
Total project Scope A: €0.5-1.5M
Total project Scope B: €2M
Funding Rate: 95%
LIFE-2022-CET-DH
Integration of low-grade renewable energy or waste heat in high temperature district heating
Deadline: 16 November 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €6M
Project budget: €1.5M
Funding Rate: 95%
LIFE-2022-CET-LOCAL
Technical support to clean energy transition plans and strategies in municipalities and regions
Deadline: 16 November 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €7M
Project budget: €1.5M
Funding Rate: 95%
LIFE-2022-CET-MAINSTREAM
Mainstreaming sustainable energy investments in the financial sector
Deadline: 16 November 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €3M
Project budget: €1.5M
Funding Rate: 95%
These three calls belong to the Other Action Grants (OAGs) addressing ad hoc Legislative and Policy Priorities (PLP). The total available budget is €3.2M.
LIFE-2022-PLP-Environment
Circular Economy and Quality of Life
Deadline: 7 September 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €1.3M
Project budget: €800.000
Funding Rate: 90%
Funding length: 36-48 months
LIFE-2022-PLP-ENER
Supporting Clean Energy Transition
Deadline: 7 September 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €900.000
Project budget: €900.000
Funding Rate: 90%
Funding length: 36 months
LIFE-2022-PLP-NATURA
Nature and Biodiversity
Deadline: 7 September 2022
Stages: Single-stage
Total budget: €1M
Project budget: €1M
Funding Rate: 90%
Funding length: 36-48 months
Let’s take your proposal to the next level! Get in touch with one of our experts. We are ready to help you out with every question. Our experts are ready to assist you with:
We also held a live webinar focussed on SAPs, if you would like to receive the recording and presentation, please contact us.
Let’s take your proposal to the next level! Get in touch with one of our experts. We are ready to help you out with every question. Our experts are ready to assist you with: