L’Instrument Financier pour l’Environnement, or as it is better known, LIFE, was established in 1992 and remains the EU’s foremost funding programme dedicated exclusively towards environment, nature conservation and climate action. Currently, LIFE is organised by CINEA (the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency).
For the funding programme framework of 2021-2027, LIFE was approved for a total budget of €5.43 billion, with €611 million being allocated to the budget for the year 2023.
31 new calls under the LIFE programme have recently been opened, with deadlines of each varying between September and November of 2023. These calls are primarily split across four sub-programmes, each with a respective focus area as follows:
- Nature and Biodiversity
- Circular Economy and Quality of Life
- Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
- Clean Energy Transition
A number of different types of grants are available under LIFE, cutting across each of the four domains.
Standard Action Projects (SAPs) are the most common types of grants available, funding a wide variety of projects that address the priority areas of the four sub-programmes as well as specific EU policies stipulated in the work programme.
Strategic Nature Projects (SNaPs) and Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) support projects that implement specific regional or national environmental strategies or action plans developed by Member States. Other types of funds are also available, including grants for Projects for addressing ad hoc Legislative and Policy priorities (PLPs).
It is worth noting that the LIFE programme also offers grants for Technical Assistance for Preparation of Proposals (TA-PP) which offers applicants up to €70,000 in funding for seeking external assistance or consultation in the writing of a SNAP or SIP proposal. Here at AcrossLimits we can offer such support. You can read more about the services we offer here.
Navigating the vast ocean of European opportunities is a challenge, and finding the right funding call for your project is just the first step of the journey. The bigger challenge is crafting the perfect proposal that will meet all the requirements of the call and sufficiently address the expectations of the evaluators to get your project funded. When applying for EU grants, experience matters.
Here at AcrossLimits we have over 22 years of experience in funding procurement, with participation in over 80 successful EU projects to date. We have a dedicated team of experts from a broad range of sectors that can guide proposal writing and help you apply for EU funds. Furthermore, we are well-connected with industry, academia and public authorities across Europe and beyond, making sure that we can bring together the perfect consortium for your project.
If you would like to learn more about how we can help you make your project idea a reality, contact us at: [email protected].
Alexander Camilleri
Head of EU Funding & Proposal Development at AcrossLimits
