Climate Change Adaptation

LIFE-2026 is a call under the EU LIFE Programme for Standard Action Projects on Climate Change Adaptation, opening 21 April 2026 and closing 22 September 2026 (17:00 CET). The topic has an indicative budget of €28,000,000 with typical project sizes of €1–€5 millionand a maximum co-funding rate of 60% of eligible costs. Eligible applicants are legal entities established in eligible countries (EU Member States, associated countries and certain third countries where participation is essential) submitting a single-stage electronic proposal via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the required templates and annexes. Projects must demonstrate clear intervention logic to strengthen adaptive capacity and resilience, include monitoring and dissemination, meet Part B page limits, and pass award criteria (Relevance, Impact, Quality, Resources) with minimum thresholds and an overall weighted pass score.

What the call funds

Purpose and scope (high level)

Standard Action Projects (LIFE-PJG) supporting implementation of the EU Adaptation Strategy and the European Climate Law. Projects must demonstrate concrete adaptation outcomes (reinforced adaptive capacity, strengthened resilience, reduced vulnerability) delivered by project end. Typical intervention areas include: adaptation planning and policy support; climate risk assessment tools and decision support; nature-based solutions for urban, rural and coastal areas; climate-proofing infrastructure and buildings; agriculture and forestry adaptation; water management; health and preparedness for compound/cascading risks; plus finance/insurance solutions.

Deadline:22 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time.

Who can apply:Legal entities (public or private) established in eligible countries: EU Member States (including OCTs), third countries associated to the LIFE programme, international organisations. Natural persons are not eligible; some third-country entities may participate only if essential.

Budget and funding rules

Total indicative 2026 budget for the LIFE-2026-SAP-CLIMA call is €60,000,000 allocated across three topics. Projects are funded as budget-based grants (actual costs with unit costs/flat rates possible); maximum funding rate for Standard Action Projects is up to 60% of eligible costs. Grants reimburse eligible direct and indirect costs defined in the LIFE Model Grant Agreement; land purchase and financial support to third parties have specific conditions.

Eligibility and practical notes

1. 1Consortia: projects can be single- or multi-beneficiary; coordinator must be in an eligible country
2. 2Admissibility: follow Portal templates, page limits and annex requirements; Part B limited to the page limit in the call document
3. 3Project size: indicative project budget ranges in the call are typically €1–€5 millionfor SAPs (GOV topic smaller: 0.7–€2 million); see call document for exact guidance
4. 4Funding rate: up to 60% of eligible costs for SAPs; higher rates may apply in specific Nature sub-streams where call conditions allow
5. 5Submission: single-stage via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; see official application templates and Annexes in the Submission System

Proposals must address only one topic and include mandatory annexes (detailed budget table, participant information, etc.). Evaluation uses LIFE award criteria (Relevance, Impact, Quality, Resources), with minimum thresholds and possible bonus points for synergies, outermost regions, up-scaling of EU-funded results, catalytic potential and transnational cooperation.

Where to apply:Submit electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal (Start submission on the topic page). Full call documentation, Application Forms (Part A and Part B) and annex templates are available on the Portal EU Funding & Tenders Portal — LIFE-2026-SAP-CLIMA-CCA. ¹

Timetable (indicative)

1. 1Opening: 21 April 2026
2. 2Submission deadline: 22 September 2026 (17:00 Brussels time)
3. 3Evaluation outcome: circa March 2027
4. 4Grant signature: expected May–June 2027

Read the Call Document, the LIFE Model Grant Agreement and the Portal Online Manual carefully for eligibility, admissibility, financial capacity checks, required annexes, and reporting/payment arrangements. The call document contains detailed rules on eligible costs, procurement, subcontracting, land purchase, volunteers and other specific items.

Footnotes

1. 1Call document, application templates and all supporting reference documents are published on the Funding & Tenders Portal topic page and must be used for submission: LIFE call topic page.

Summary and purpose

This is the LIFE 2026 Standard Action Projects (SAP) call strand for Climate Change Adaptation LIFE-2026. The call opens 21 April 2026 and closes 22 September 2026 (17:00 Brussels time). It targets projects that increase adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change across EU territories in line with the EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change, the Paris Agreement and the European Climate Law. Projects are expected to deliver measurable results by the end of the project and to include demonstration of solutions at operational scale. Submission is electronic via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Funding & Tenders Portal ¹.

Key dates and budgets

Opening date:21 April 2026. Deadline: 22 September 2026 (17:00 Brussels time). Indicative evaluation result notification: March 2027. Grant agreement signature: May/June 2027. Total indicative 2026 topic budgets: Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) €28,000,000; Climate Change Mitigation (CCM) €28,000,000; Climate Governance and Information (GOV) €4,000,000. Indicative project budget ranges: for CCA and CCM typically €1–€5 millionper project; for GOV typically €0.7–€2 millionper project.

Scope, objectives and eligible activities

Objective:projects must contribute to the long-term EU adaptation vision (a fully climate-resilient EU by 2050) by reinforcing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability. Scope and Areas of intervention include (non-exhaustive list): support to implementation or revision of national, regional or local adaptation strategies and plans; implementation and demonstration of state-of-the-art climate risk assessment tools and selection of cost-effective adaptation measures; development and implementation of nature-based solutions for rural, urban and coastal areas; climate-proofing and resilience of infrastructure and buildings (including standardisation and climate-proofing guidance uptake); adaptation solutions for agriculture and forestry (including carbon farming synergies and CRCF certification methodologies); water management (retention, drought and flood management); climate adaptation and health (Heat Health Action Plans, resilient health systems and early warning); preparedness for compound and cascading risks; and financial instruments, innovative insurance solutions and public-private collaboration on loss data.

Eligible applicant types and participants

Eligible applicants:public and private legal entities established in eligible countries (EU Member States, overseas countries and territories linked to the EU, and third countries associated to the LIFE Programme). This includes national/regional/local authorities, public bodies, universities, research organisations, research institutes, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), non-profit bodies, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, international organisations and legal entities created under Union law. Natural persons are NOT eligible except for self-employed natural persons (sole traders) where allowed and as specified in the call. Affiliated entities (entities linked to beneficiaries) may participate if declared and included in the budget. Associated partners, subcontractors and third parties giving in-kind contributions are permitted roles. International organisations and pillar-assessed participants have special rules as detailed in the Call and LIFE Model Grant Agreement.

Not eligible:Natural persons (except self-employed sole traders if specifically applicable); EU bodies (with the exception of certain EU bodies where allowed); entities subject to EU restrictive measures or conditionality measures when they block participation.

Funding type, form and co-funding

Primary funding mechanism:EU action grant (LIFE Project Grants, LIFE-PJG) under a budget-based mixed actual-cost grant model. Funding rate: maximum 60% of eligible costs for Standard Action Projects (SAP). Note: higher funding rates (e.g. 67% or 75%) may be available in specific Nature & Biodiversity circumstances where the call document explicitly allows it. Financial support to third parties is not generally allowed in this call unless explicitly authorised in the call conditions; if authorised, strict rules apply and maximum amounts per recipient will be set in the call. Grants are budget-based and reimburse eligible actual costs with possible unit-cost and flat-rate elements as defined in the LIFE general MGA and Annexes. The grant will not produce profit; any project income must be declared and the final grant may be reduced accordingly.

Consortium requirement and application model

This is a single-stage open call with electronic submission through the Funding & Tenders Portal. Projects may be single-beneficiary or multi‑beneficiary consortia depending on the planned activities; LIFE SAPs are typically consortium-friendly and require demonstration, stakeholder involvement and potential transnational cooperation where justified. A coordinator must be appointed and all beneficiaries must be legal entities. The call document and application templates set out mandatory Annexes and the possibility to include affiliated entities and associated partners. A consortium agreement is normally expected between beneficiaries (subject to call conditions).

Geographic eligibility and target territories

Beneficiary geographic eligibility:entities established in EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories), in countries associated to the LIFE Programme (listed in the call document) and, in exceptional cases, legal entities in non-associated third countries where their participation is essential for the action’s objectives and effectiveness. Projects must principally implement activities in eligible countries; activities outside eligible countries are allowed only when necessary to achieve EU environmental and climate objectives (e.g. migratory species, transboundary water basins). The call specifically flags attention to EU outermost regions and islands and provides examples: Canary Islands, La Réunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Madeira, French Guiana, Azores, Mayotte, Saint Martin; projects in such regions may receive bonus scoring where relevant.

Target sectors and technology areas

Primary thematic sectors:climate change adaptation and resilience across built environment, natural resources, agriculture and forestry, water management, human health, disaster risk management, coastal and marine resilience, nature-based solutions, infrastructure and buildings, urban resilience (blue-green infrastructure), and climate insurance/financial instruments. Technology/approach areas: state-of-the-art climate risk assessment tools and decision-support tools, nature-based solutions, water retention and flood/drought management approaches, soil and land management, carbon farming monitoring/certification support (CRCF alignment), resilient health surveillance and early-warning systems, climate-proofing of standards and infrastructure, and digitalisation and data systems for monitoring/loss data.

Expected project maturity and activities

Expected TRL range:projects are expected to operate in TRL 5–9 (development to demonstration/commercial scale) and to include demonstrative pilots, replication and upscaling pathways. Activities should include operational-scale demonstration, monitoring and robust impact evaluation, stakeholder engagement, policy uptake, and sustainability/exploitation planning. Projects may be close-to-market and must provide market-readiness information where relevant (production capacity, market analysis).

Budget guidance and project financials

Indicative topic budgets for 2026:CCA €28,000,000; CCM €28,000,000; GOV €4,000,000. Indicative project size ranges: €1–€5 millionfor CCA and CCM; €0.7–€2 millionfor GOV. Funding rate: maximum 60% of eligible costs. Eligible cost categories include personnel, subcontracting, purchases (travel and subsistence, equipment, other goods/services), direct costs, land purchases if allowed and justified, and indirect costs at the LIFE flat-rate (standard 7% of eligible direct costs unless specified otherwise in the call). Personnel costs follow LIFE rules (daily rate calculation, time records, unit costs for SME owners or volunteers where applicable). Equipment costs are generally treated as depreciation of assets used for the action (unless special call option allows full capitalised cost for listed equipment). Value added tax (VAT) non-deductible can be eligible except where national rules or public authority status make it ineligible. Financial support to third parties is explicitly restricted compared to prior calls and is no longer automatically allowed without explicit call conditions.

Application process, admissibility and templates

Submission is electronic only via the Funding & Tenders Portal submission system. The application is comprised of Part A (administrative on-line forms), Part B (technical description — submitted as the provided PDF template) and Part C (KPIs). Mandatory Annexes include: detailed budget table (LIFE template), participant information form (LIFE template), and other mandatory or optional annexes per call (letters of support, maps, description of sites, lifecycle analyses, business plans). Part B page limit: maximum 120 pages. Use the specific standard application form templates available in the Submission System; failure to use the correct template, exceeding page limits or incorrect formatting may render proposals inadmissible. The call document, standard application form, detailed budget table and participant information templates are referenced in the Submission System and Reference Documents.

Submission steps (high level):1. Register organisation(s) in the Participant Register and appoint LEAR(s). 2. Prepare Part A online (administrative data and summarised budget). 3. Download the Part B template from the Submission System, complete the technical description and annexes (use mandatory LIFE annex templates: detailed budget table and participant information). 4. Upload Part B PDF and annexes, fill Part C (KPIs) and validate submission. 5. Submit before the deadline via the Portal. Add National Contact Points and request Letters of Support as needed.

Evaluation, award criteria and thresholds

One-stage evaluation by external experts and an evaluation committee. Admissibility and eligibility checks precede evaluation. Award criteria (each scored 0–20): Relevance, Impact, Quality, Resources. Individual criterion thresholds: minimum 10/20 per criterion; overall weighted pass score: 55/90 (after weighting). Weighting: Relevance x1, Impact x1.5, Quality x1, Resources x1. Bonus points (each up to 2 points) can be awarded for exceptional cross-subprogramme synergies, projects in outermost regions, substantial build-on/scale-up of EU-funded projects, exceptional catalytic potential and essential transnational cooperation. Ranking is performed per topic; ties are broken by Impact, then Relevance, Quality, Resources. Successful projects are invited to grant preparation; invitation is not a final commitment until legal and financial checks are complete (legal entity validation, financial capacity checks, exclusion checks).

Evaluation timeline and compliance checks

Indicative timetable:calls open 21 April 2026; submission deadline 22 September 2026; evaluation results March 2027; grant agreement signature May/June 2027. Grant preparation includes checks on legal entity validation, financial capacity (including submission of accounts/audit report where required), exclusion checks and may request prefinancing guarantees where appropriate. Public bodies and international organisations are usually exempt from financial capacity checks. Where financial capacity is insufficient, the granting authority may request additional safeguards (prefinancing guarantees, staged prefinancing, joint and several liability, or replacement of coordinator).

Project implementation, reporting and controls

Grant form:budget-based mixed actual cost with possible unit-cost and flat-rate elements; prefinancing normally paid after entry into force (typically 30% of the maximum grant, subject to financial guarantees and call conditions). Reporting: continuous reporting via the Portal (deliverables, milestones, LPIs), periodic reports (technical and financial statements) as per Data Sheet and Portal reporting timetable. Certificates: Certificate on the Financial Statements (CFS) may be required for beneficiaries exceeding thresholds (e.g. requested EU contribution ≥ €500,000) unless exempted. Rights of checks, reviews, audits and investigations apply (granting authority, OLAF, EPPO, Court of Auditors). Record-keeping and document retention requirements apply (standard is five years after final payment except where different limits apply).

Eligibility, exclusions and ethics

Eligibility rules:legal entities established in eligible countries (EU, OCTs, and associated countries) and international organisations where applicable. Natural persons are not eligible except where specified. Exclusions: entities subject to EU restrictive measures, entities subject to exclusion grounds under EU Financial Regulation (bankruptcy, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, money laundering, terrorism-related crimes, social security or tax breaches, etc.). Ethics and values: projects must respect high ethical standards and EU values; actions involving classified information or special ethical issues must comply with specific rules and obtain prior approvals where required.

Scoring, success rates and co-funding

Scoring:maximum 100 points including bonus points (core 90 points from the four main criteria plus up to 10 bonus). Individual criteria thresholds apply (10/20 each before weighting; overall pass after weighting is 55 points). Success rates: the call document does not publish explicit success rates; success depends on ranking within the available topic budget. Reserve lists may be used; proposals that pass evaluation but are unfunded may receive a Seal of Excellence enabling alternative funding approaches. Co-funding: applicants must provide at least the non-EU share of the project budget (the project’s own or co-financing contribution). Co-funding is mandatory since LIFE grants typically cover a percentage only of the eligible costs (e.g. up to 60%).

Templates, annexes and application structure

Required documentation and templates (available in the Portal Submission System and Reference Documents): Application Form Part A (administrative, online), Application Form Part B (technical description template — PDF upload), Part C (KPIs online), Detailed Budget Table (LIFE Excel template), Participant Information form (LIFE Word template), Letters of Support (optional), Maps (optional), Description of sites (optional), other annexes as requested (lifecycle analysis, business plans). The Call Document and LIFE General Model Grant Agreement (LIFE MGA v1.0) and annotated grant agreement are reference documents and must be consulted. The Application Form Part B template requires a work package structure including mandatory WP for Project Management and a mandatory WP for Sustainability, replication and exploitation; for Nature & Biodiversity, a mandatory monitoring and evaluation WP is required. Part B page limit for proposals: 120 pages (Part B only).

1. 1Application structure and mandatory annexes: Part A online, Part B (PDF) using LIFE template, Part C online, Detailed Budget Table (mandatory), Participant Information (mandatory).
2. 2Work plan expectations: logical WP breakdown, WP1 for project management, explicit deliverables and milestones, sustainability/exploitation WP and monitoring/evaluation WP (where required).
3. 3Financial templates: Detailed budget table (LIFE Excel), personnel effort allocation and justifications, personnel cost calculation rules (daily rate, A.1–A.5 categories), subcontracting justification, depreciation rules for equipment, indirect cost flat-rate (typically 7%).
4. 4Evidence and record-keeping requirements: time sheets or equivalent time-recording for personnel, invoices and accounting records, bank statements, contracts and proof of payments, certificates (CFS) if thresholds reached.
5. 5Portal submission rules: use the templates inside the Submission System; do not modify template tags or delete instructions; follow font and layout rules; upload all mandatory annexes; ensure coherence between Part A summarised budget and the detailed budget table (online figures prevail in case of discrepancy).

Evaluation criteria details and scoring

Award criteria (detailed):Relevance (0–20) — relevance to LIFE sub-programme and topic, intervention logic, co-benefits and synergies; Impact (0–20) — ambition and credibility of environmental impacts during and after the project, sustainability of results, replication and catalytic potential; Quality (0–20) — clarity, feasibility and appropriateness of the work plan, stakeholder mobilisation, monitoring and reporting plan, communication and dissemination measures; Resources (0–20) — composition and expertise of the project team, budget appropriateness and transparency, environmental footprint measures and green procurement, value for money. Individual thresholds for each criterion: minimum 10/20. Weighted overall pass score: 55/90. Bonus scoring: up to five separate 2-point bonuses for inter-subprogramme synergies, outermost region implementation, building on other EU projects, exceptional catalytic potential, essential transnational cooperation.

What applicants must do to prepare a competitive proposal

Applicants should:read carefully the Call Document, LIFE MGA, Online Manual and Portal reference documents; consult LIFE project indicators (LPI) and ensure Part C KPIs are complete and coherent with Part B; include clear quantified baseline, targets and monitoring plan; describe the demonstration activities and their operational scale; show stakeholder engagement and policy uptake strategy; provide a realistic detailed budget using LIFE templates and justify major cost items; ensure financial and operational capacity (upload required accounting documents during grant preparation) and check public procurement rules for subcontracting or purchases; ensure compliance with ethics, data protection and national regulations; and consider synergies with other EU-funded projects, CRCF certification and Mission activities where relevant.

How to get help and partner search

Support resources:Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual and Helpdesk (IT support), LIFE FAQs and Reference Documents, National Contact Points (NCPs) for LIFE (country lists and factsheets available from CINEA), LIFE info days and CINEA webinars, Enterprise Europe Network and Partner Search on the Funding & Tenders Portal for finding consortium partners. Consider adding your NCP as a contact in the Participants step in the Portal (Project role: Contact person) to facilitate support.

Quick reference facts

Eligibility checklist for applicants

1. 1Legal entity registration in an eligible country (EU Member State, OCT, or a third country associated to LIFE).
2. 2Coordinator designated and all consortium participants registered in the Participant Register (LEAR appointment where required).
3. 3Application prepared using templates inside the Submission System: Part A (online), Part B (LIFE Part B template as PDF), Part C KPIs (online).
4. 4Mandatory annexes: detailed budget table (LIFE Excel), participant information (LIFE DOCX). Optional annexes: letters of support, maps, site descriptions, business plans, lifecycle analyses as relevant.
5. 5Part B within page limit (120 pages). Proper formatting and use of templates; do not delete tagged instructions in templates.
6. 6Evidence of financial and operational capacity to be provided during grant preparation (accounts, audit reports, declarations), unless public body or exempted by call thresholds.

Risks, common pitfalls and compliance

Common pitfalls include:incorrect template use or exceeding page limits leading to inadmissibility; inconsistent numbers between Part A summarised budget and the detailed budget table (online figures prevail); insufficient justification of subcontracting or excessive subcontracting without operational capacity; inadequate evidence of sustainability, replication and exploitation; failure to declare other EU funding leading to double funding issues; missing or inconsistent LPI entries in Part C; and not following procurement/national public procurement rules for purchases and subcontracts. Ensure ethics, data protection and security requirements are addressed and that all necessary permissions or host agreements are in place for pilot sites. Land purchase is possible only under strict conditions and requires robust justification and legal safeguards.

Practical next steps and useful links

1. 1Read the full Call Document and the Model Grant Agreement (LIFE MGA) published in the Portal Reference Documents.
2. 2Register and validate your organisation in the Participant Register (LEAR appointment) well before submission.
3. 3Download and use the official application templates in the Submission System (Part B template, detailed budget table, participant information template).
4. 4Engage with National Contact Points (NCPs) and use partner search tools on the Funding & Tenders Portal and other networks.
5. 5Prepare deliverables, project plan, budget and monitoring (LPIs) according to the call requirements and enter Part A/B/C via the Portal submission wizard.

Concluding summary

This LIFE-2026 Standard Action Projects call for Climate Change Adaptation funds operational demonstration and large-scale application projects that strengthen adaptive capacity, resilience and reduce vulnerability across EU territories. It supports a broad set of intervention areas: adaptation policy implementation, advanced climate risk assessment tools, nature-based solutions, climate-proofing infrastructure and buildings, agriculture and forestry adaptation, water management, health-related adaptation, preparedness for compound risks, and financial/insurance innovations. The call is open to public and private legal entities in eligible countries, uses a single-stage electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal, and offers a budget of €28 million for the CCA topic in 2026 with typical project sizes of €1–€5 millionand a maximum funding rate of 60%. Applicants must follow LIFE financial rules, use the mandatory templates, demonstrate operational capacity and impact, and prepare robust sustainability, replication and monitoring plans. Further documentation, templates and submission are handled exclusively through the Portal Funding & Tenders Portal.

Footnotes

1. 1Official call and templates are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. See the topic page for LIFE-2026 and the Call Document, Application Form templates, Detailed Budget Table, Participant Information and the LIFE Model Grant Agreement: Funding & Tenders Portal — LIFE calls page.

Funding Opportunity Overview

This call for proposals supports climate change adaptation projects under the LIFE Programme for the Environment and Climate Action. The Climate Change Adaptation strand LIFE-2026 aims to help the EU become a climate-resilient society by 2050, reinforcing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience, and reducing vulnerability to climate change impacts in line with the Paris Agreement and European Climate Law.

Call Reference:LIFE-2026 (Climate Change Adaptation strand of LIFE-2026-SAP-CLIMA)

Programme:Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE) 2021-2027

Key Dates and Deadlines

Funding Available

Total Budget for Climate Change Adaptation:€28,000,000

Indicative Project Budget Range:€1-€5 millionper project

Estimated Number of Projects to be Funded:Approximately 12 projects

Funding Rate:Maximum 60% of eligible costs for Standard Action Projects (SAPs)

Project Objectives and Scope

Projects under this call should help achieve the long-term vision of the EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change, ensuring that by 2050 the EU will be a climate-resilient society fully adapted to unavoidable climate change impacts. Projects must demonstrate a clear and convincing intervention logic detailing specific climate risks and vulnerabilities to be addressed, suitability of proposed adaptation options, implementation during the project duration, and approaches for monitoring and evaluating results.

Areas of Intervention

• Support for development of climate adaptation policies and revision of national, regional or local climate adaptation strategies and plans
• Implementation of state-of-the-art tools for climate risk assessment and selection of cost-effective adaptation measures
• Development and implementation of nature-based solutions for urban, rural and coastal areas
• Climate-proofing and resilience of infrastructure and buildings
• Adaptation solutions for agriculture, forestry and nature protected areas
• Water management and sustainable use across sectors
• Climate adaptation and health initiatives
• Preparedness for compound risks and cascading risks
• Financial instruments and innovative solutions for insurance and loss data management

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Applicants

Applicants must be legal entities (public or private bodies) established in eligible countries. Natural persons are not eligible, except self-employed persons (sole traders) where the company has no separate legal personality.

Eligible Countries:

• EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories)
• EEA countries and countries associated to the LIFE Programme
• Entities from other countries may exceptionally participate if their participation is essential for achieving project objectives

Coordinator Requirements:The coordinator must be established in an eligible country

All beneficiaries and affiliated entities must register in the Participant Register before submitting the proposal and will be validated by the Central Validation Service (REA Validation).

Exclusion Criteria

Applicants subject to EU exclusion decisions or in exclusion situations cannot participate. These include bankruptcy, winding up, breach of social security or tax obligations, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, links to criminal organisations, money laundering, terrorism-related crimes, child labour, human trafficking, significant deficiencies in complying with main obligations under EU contracts, irregularities, or creation under different jurisdiction to circumvent legal obligations.

Application Requirements

Submission Process

Proposals must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal before the call deadline. Paper submissions are not accepted. Applications must use the correct templates provided in the Submission System, not documents available on the Topic page.

Project Acronym Requirement:The project acronym must include the word LIFE

Submission Format:Single-stage submission with one-step evaluation

Required Documents

• Application Form Part A (administrative information, filled directly online)
• Application Form Part B (technical description, downloaded, completed and re-uploaded as PDF)
• Part C (project data and contribution to EU programme key performance indicators, filled online)
• Detailed budget table (mandatory annex)
• Participant information (mandatory annex)
• Letters of support (optional annex)
• Maps (optional annex)
• Description of sites (optional annex)
• Other annexes as needed (e.g. lifecycle analysis, business plans)

Page Limit:Maximum 120 pages for Part B. Evaluators will not consider additional pages. Minimum font size Arial 10 points, page margins at least 15mm.

Evaluation and Award Criteria

Evaluation Process

An evaluation committee assisted by independent outside experts will assess all applications. Proposals are first checked for admissibility and eligibility. Admissible and eligible proposals are then evaluated against operational capacity and award criteria, then ranked according to scores. ¹

Award Criteria and Scoring

Overall Threshold:55 points (after weighting) required to pass. Maximum achievable score is 100 points including bonus points.

Bonus Points Available

• Exceptional synergies and significant co-benefits between LIFE sub-programmes (2 points)
• Primary implementation in Outermost Regions or other areas with specific needs and vulnerabilities (2 points)
• Substantial building on or up-scaling of results from other EU-funded projects (2 points)
• Exceptional catalytic potential (2 points)
• Transnational cooperation among eligible countries essential for achieving project objectives (2 points)

Relevance Criterion (0-20 points)

• Relevance to LIFE sub-programme objectives and specific call priorities
• Soundness of overall intervention logic and concept methodology
• Extent to which proposal offers co-benefits and promotes synergies with other policy areas

Impact Criterion (0-20 points, weighted 1.5x)

• Ambition and credibility of expected impacts during and after project, ensuring no substantial harm to other LIFE objectives
• Sustainability of project results after EU funding ends
• Potential for results to be replicated in same or other sectors, or up-scaled by public or private actors

Quality Criterion (0-20 points)

• Clarity, relevance and feasibility of work plan with appropriate geographic focus
• Identification and mobilisation of relevant stakeholders
• Quality of plan to monitor and report impacts
• Appropriateness and quality of communication and dissemination measures

Resources Criterion (0-20 points)

• Composition of project team in terms of expertise, skills and responsibilities
• Appropriateness of budget and resources consistency with work plan
• Budget transparency and sufficient description of cost items
• Consideration and mitigation of project environmental impact including green procurement
• Value for money of proposal

Financial and Operational Capacity

Applicants must have stable and sufficient resources to successfully implement projects and contribute their share. Organisations participating in multiple projects must have sufficient capacity for all. Financial capacity checks will be conducted based on documents uploaded to the Participant Register (profit and loss accounts, balance sheets, audit reports, etc.). Public bodies and international organisations are normally exempt from financial capacity checks, as are projects requesting grants not exceeding €60,000.

Operational capacity will be assessed together with the Resources award criterion based on competence, experience, and operational resources (human, technical and other) of applicants and their project teams. If the Resources criterion evaluation is positive, applicants are considered to have sufficient operational capacity.

Grant Agreement and Implementation

Project Duration

Duration Range:Between 24 and 120 months indicatively (extensions possible if duly justified through amendment)

Grant Form and Funding

Grant Type:Budget-based mixed actual cost grant (actual costs with unit cost and flat-rate elements)

Reimbursement:Only eligible costs actually incurred are reimbursed at 60% funding rate. Grants may not produce profit (surplus of revenues plus EU grant over costs).

Budget Categories and Eligible Costs

• A. Personnel costs (employees, direct contracts, seconded persons, SME owners, volunteers)
• B. Subcontracting costs
• C. Purchase costs (travel and subsistence, equipment, other goods/works/services)
• D. Other cost categories (land purchase)
• E. Indirect costs (7% flat-rate of eligible direct costs)

Specific Cost Eligibility Conditions:

• Equipment: Full cost and depreciation for listed equipment under special conditions with 5-year durability clause
• Financial support to third parties: Not allowed
• Land purchase: Subject to specific conditions regarding Natura 2000 integrity, long-term conservation use, and cost-effectiveness
• VAT: Non-deductible VAT is eligible
• In-kind contributions: Allowed but cost-neutral (cannot be declared as cost)

Payment Arrangements

Prefinancing:Initial prefinancing normally 30% of maximum grant amount, paid 30 days from entry into force or financial guarantee (whichever is latest). Additional prefinancing payments may be linked to prefinancing reports.

Interim and Final Payments:Interim payments made 90 days from receiving periodic reports. Final payment calculated at project end; if earlier payments exceed final grant amount, beneficiary must repay difference.

Payment Recipient:All payments made to coordinator

Reporting Requirements

Beneficiaries must submit continuous reporting through the Portal, periodic technical reports and financial statements. Reporting language is the language of the Agreement. Currency conversion uses double conversion method. Certificates on financial statements may be required if threshold is reached (€500,000 requested EU contribution).

Mandatory Project Components

All LIFE proposals must include the following mandatory work packages and deliverables:

• Project management and coordination work package
• Sustainability, replication and exploitation of project results work package
• Monitoring and evaluation work package
• Communication and dissemination activities including networking with other LIFE projects
• Dedicated project page on beneficiaries' websites
• Exploitation plan including replication component or business plan with replication component
• Extract of project data from LIFE KPI webtool (month 9 and end of project)
• Reporting of estimated and actually achieved key performance indicators (KPIs) in LIFE KPI web tool within first 9 months from grant signature and at project end

Key Conditions and Obligations

Conflict of Interest

Beneficiaries must take all necessary measures to prevent, identify and remedy conflicts of interest. Any situation where impartial and objective exercise of functions is compromised must be disclosed and managed.

Confidentiality and Security

Beneficiaries must keep sensitive information confidential and protect classified information according to applicable rules. Breach of confidentiality obligations may result in grant reduction or recovery.

Ethics and Values

Projects must respect human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and human rights. Activities must not discriminate based on sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.

Data Protection

Beneficiaries must comply with applicable data protection legislation. The granting authority processes personal data for grant management purposes. Beneficiaries must inform data subjects about data processing and obtain necessary consents.

Intellectual Property Rights

Beneficiaries own results generated by the action. The granting authority has rights to use materials, documents and information for policy, information, communication, dissemination and publicity purposes. Beneficiaries must ensure access rights to background information necessary for action implementation.

Communication and Visibility

Beneficiaries must promote the action and its results to maximise impact. EU funding must be visibly acknowledged using the European flag and funding statement. Beneficiaries must ensure quality of information and include appropriate disclaimers.

Record-Keeping

Beneficiaries must keep records and supporting documents for 5 years after final payment (or 3 years for grants not exceeding €60,000). Records must be kept in accordance with applicable accounting standards and usual cost accounting practices.

Checks, Audits and Investigations

The granting authority may conduct checks, reviews and audits of beneficiaries' records and activities. The European Commission, OLAF, EPPO and European Court of Auditors may also conduct audits and investigations. Beneficiaries must provide access to records and premises. Findings from other grants may be extended to this grant up to 5 years after final payment.

Consequences of Non-Compliance

Rejection of Costs

Costs not meeting eligibility conditions or not properly documented may be rejected. Beneficiaries are informed and given opportunity to comment before rejection decision.

Grant Reduction

Grants may be reduced if beneficiaries fail to comply with obligations, including improper implementation, breach of obligations, or non-compliance with conditions. Beneficiaries are informed and given opportunity to comment.

Suspension and Termination

Payment deadlines may be suspended if beneficiaries fail to submit required reports or information. Payments may be suspended if serious deficiencies are found. Grant agreements may be suspended or terminated by consortium request or EU initiative if action cannot be properly implemented or serious circumstances arise.

Administrative Sanctions

Beneficiaries committing fraud, corruption, or other serious violations may be subject to administrative sanctions including exclusion from EU funding.

Support and Guidance

Applicants are encouraged to consult the Adaptation Support Tool provided on the Climate-ADAPT web portal for guidance on developing clear intervention logic with specific climate risks, vulnerabilities, adaptation options, implementation approaches and monitoring strategies. National Contact Points (NCPs) provide support to applicants. The EU Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual provides step-by-step guidance through proposal preparation and evaluation processes.

Key Resources:

• Call document with detailed topic descriptions and requirements
• LIFE General Model Grant Agreement (MGA)
• Annotated Grant Agreement (AGA) with detailed provisions
• EU Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
• LIFE Reference Documents
• FAQs on LIFE website
• Adaptation Support Tool on Climate-ADAPT portal
• LIFE database of previously funded projects

Important Notes for Applicants

Applicants should start preparing proposals at least 4-6 months before the submission deadline to allow time for gathering required information, baseline data, and coordinating with consortium partners. Proposals must demonstrate clear intervention logic with specific climate risks and vulnerabilities to be addressed, suitability of proposed adaptation options, implementation during project duration, and monitoring and evaluation approaches. ²

The evaluation is competitive and only the best projects will be funded. Applicants must read all published Call documents carefully to ensure their proposed project matches thematic expectations and admissibility and eligibility criteria. Proposals that pass evaluation but are below the budget threshold may be awarded a Seal of Excellence, which may be shared with other EU and national funding bodies.

Double funding from the EU budget is strictly prohibited except under EU Synergies actions. Applicants must confirm that neither the project as a whole nor any parts have benefitted from or will be submitted for other EU grants. Financial support to third parties is not allowed under this call.

Footnotes

1. 1For proposals with equal scores within a topic or budget envelope, priority is determined by scores for Impact criterion, then Relevance, then Quality, then Resources criteria.
2. 2Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult the Adaptation Support Tool on Climate-ADAPT portal for detailed guidance on developing intervention logic with clear climate risks, vulnerabilities, adaptation options, implementation approaches and monitoring strategies.