Climate Governance and Information

LIFE-2026 is a Standard Action Projects call under the LIFE Programme to strengthen EU climate governance and information by supporting implementation, monitoring and enforcement of climate legislation and capacity building for public and private actors and civil society. Submission is single-stage via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, opening 21 April 2026 and closing 22 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. The indicative topic budget is €4,000,000 with typical project budgets of €0.7–€2.0 million, a maximum EU funding rate of 60% of eligible costs, and an indicative three projects to be funded. Eligible applicants are legal entities established in EU Member States, EEA countries or associated countries; proposals must include concrete measures beyond awareness-raising, mandatory budget and participant annexes, and comply with LIFE MGA rules and evaluation thresholds.

What it funds

Scope summary

Grants to projects strengthening climate governance, information and capacities across public and private actors and civil society to support implementation, monitoring and enforcement of EU climate policy. Suitable activities include awareness and behavioural-change campaigns, green skills and capacity building, F-gas end-of-life and supply-chain measures, support to national/regional/local climate and energy strategies, sustainable finance actions, greenhouse gas monitoring and reporting, LULUCF inventories and carbon removal registries, ETS knowledge sharing, and climate policy monitoring and ex-post evaluation.

Who can apply:Eligible applicants are legal persons (public or private bodies, NGOs, research organisations, SMEs, international organisations) established in LIFE‑eligible countries, including EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories and countries associated to LIFE; natural persons are not eligible. Consortiums are allowed; coordinators must be established in an eligible country.

1. 1Project type: LIFE Project Grants — Standard Action Projects (SAP)
2. 2Submission: single-stage via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal
3. 3Project duration: typically 24–120 months (see call rules)

Indicative budget:This topic LIFE-2026 is allocated approximately €4,000,000 for 2026. Typical project requests for this topic are in the range €0.7–€2.0 million; the maximum LIFE funding rate for Standard Action Projects is up to 60% of eligible costs ¹.

Applicants must follow the call document, application templates and admissibility rules available on the Funding & Tenders Portal; mandatory annexes include a detailed budget table and participant information. Submission is electronic only via the Portal. For guidance and national support consult your LIFE National Contact Point and the Portal reference documents LIFE Call page.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call conditions, budget breakdown and funding rules are in the LIFE 2026 Call Document and Annexes on the Funding & Tenders Portal (see topic LIFE-2026).

Call at a glance

Programme:Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE). Call title: LIFE Climate Action - Standard Action Projects (SAP) — topic LIFE-2026 Climate Governance and Information. Deadline (single-stage): 22 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Opening session / submission enabled from 21 April 2026. Type of action: LIFE Project Grants (LIFE-PJG) under the LIFE Action Grant Budget-Based model grant agreement (LIFE-AG). Topic budget (indicative): €4,000,000 for LIFE-2026. Indicative project size for this topic: €0.7 - €2.0 millionper project. Indicative number of grants under this topic: 3.

Call objective:Support the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of Union climate legislation and policy and contribute to mitigation and/or adaptation through improved governance, capacity building of public and private actors, and civil society involvement. Expected outcome: efficient delivery of the quantified objectives by the end of the project ¹

Scope and priority areas (detailed)

This LIFE-2026 SAP topic targets Standard Action Projects addressing climate governance and information. Projects must focus on activities that translate into concrete governance improvements, capacity building and measurable changes in awareness, institutional or market practice. Activities must be implemented during the project and not remain limited to awareness only. The topic lists the following areas of intervention and related scopes:

1. 1Raising awareness, incentivising behavioural change and supporting the activities of the European Climate Pact, including campaigns, engagement formats, countering disinformation and community-led climate action where engagement is linked to measurable practice change.
2. 2Green skills and capacity building to implement climate mitigation and adaptation policies: curricula, microcredentials, recognised training, certification schemes for professionals, train-the-trainer actions and workforce upskilling for new green technologies and services.
3. 3Capacity building and awareness among end-users and the distribution chain related to fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases): training for installation and servicing using climate-friendly alternatives, tackling illegal trade, hands-on practical training and train-the-trainer programmes.
4. 4Support to development, update and implementation of national, regional or local climate and energy strategies and plans, including participatory processes and integration of evidence and stakeholder coalitions.
5. 5Activities linked to Sustainable Finance actions: development of metrics, transparency and comparability of data, scenario analysis, innovative finance instruments that support a just transition and uptake of sustainable investments.
6. 6Greenhouse gas monitoring and reporting: improving capacities and coordination for monitoring, reporting and verification at national, regional or sectoral level.
7. 7Development of geographically-explicit inventories for the LULUCF sector, creation of carbon removal registries and certification schemes and organisation of capacity building and advisory services aligned with EU CRCF framework.
8. 8Knowledge sharing and capacity building on the EU Emissions Trading System, including information on ETS2 (buildings and road transport and additional sectors) and related implications.
9. 9Climate policy monitoring, assessment and ex-post evaluation: promote comparative assessment, lessons learned and dissemination of best practices for policy design and implementation.

Project activities that are only awareness-raising must be complemented with concrete measures that facilitate behaviour change or governance improvements; tools or studies must be implemented during the project. Projects should target TRL/maturity appropriate to SAPs (policy, governance, demonstration, capacity building and deployment at operational scale).

Eligibility and who can apply

Eligible participants are legal entities (public or private bodies) established in eligible countries. Eligible countries include EU Member States (and OCTs where applicable) and countries associated to the LIFE Programme; natural persons are not eligible (except self-employed natural persons formally established as sole traders). International organisations may participate. Beneficiaries must register in the Participant Register and pass legal entity validation. The coordinator must be established in an eligible country. The call document sets detailed rules on exceptional participation of third countries and conditions for non-EU entities.

Eligible applicant types (summary):Public bodies (national, regional, local authorities), universities and research institutes, NGOs and non-profits, SMEs and large enterprises, public-private partnerships, international organisations, and other legal entities (including sole traders where applicable). Natural persons are not eligible.

Funding details and co-funding

Form of grant:budget-based mixed actual cost grant (actual costs with unit cost / flat-rate elements possible). Funding rate: maximum 60% of eligible costs for Standard Action Projects. The grant cannot create profit; any project-generated revenues must be declared and may reduce the final grant. Financial support to third parties is generally not allowed for this call (see call document). Land purchase, volunteers, SME owner unit costs and other specific rules are addressed in the call and in the LIFE General MGA. The call document specifies detailed eligible cost categories and calculation methods; beneficiaries must use the LIFE detailed budget table and participant information templates.

Co-funding requirement:Yes. Because the maximum EU funding rate for SAPs is 60%, applicants must provide the remaining project costs from other sources (own funds, co-financiers, private investment, or other grants). The call requires full transparency on all co-financing sources and forbids double funding for the same costs.

Budget, typical project size and topic allocation

Indicative 2026 call total budget for the three climate topics is €60,000,000. The Climate Governance & Information topic has an indicative topic contribution of €4,000,000. Indicative range of project budgets for this topic: €0.7 - €2.0 million. Indicative number of grants for this topic: 3. The granting authority reserves the right to not award all funds or to reassign between topics.

Application and submission

Submission is exclusively electronic via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Submission System (eGrants). This is a single-stage open call (no two-step concept note). Applicants must use the application templates provided in the Submission System and follow page limits and formatting rules. Part A is filled in online; Part B (technical description) must be uploaded as the PDF produced from the official application form template. Mandatory annexes include the Detailed budget table (LIFE), Participant information (LIFE); optional annexes: letters of support, maps, description of sites, business plans, lifecycle analyses etc. Proposals must be complete and include all requested attachments to be admissible. The technical Part B page limit is 120 pages.

Application type and stages:Single-stage competitive open call. Applicants submit one full proposal via the Portal. No separate concept note stage for this topic.

Evaluation, award criteria and thresholds

Admissibility, eligibility and eligibility checks are followed by evaluation against award criteria. Independent external experts and an evaluation committee perform the assessment. The award criteria and scoring are:

1. 1Relevance (0-20 points) — fit to LIFE objectives and call priorities, intervention logic, co-benefits and synergies
2. 2Impact (0-20 points) — ambition and credibility of expected impacts, sustainability and exploitation, catalytic potential
3. 3Quality (0-20 points) — workplan feasibility, stakeholder mobilisation, monitoring and reporting quality, communication and dissemination measures
4. 4Resources (0-20 points) — project team composition, management, budget appropriateness and transparency, environmental footprint and value for money

Individual thresholds per criterion:minimum 10/20 each. Overall weighted threshold: 55 points (after weighting). Bonus points up to +10 are available under specified conditions (synergies across LIFE sub-programmes, projects in outermost regions, building on EU-funded projects, exceptional catalytic potential, essential transnational cooperation).

Evaluation process and timeline (indicative):Submission deadline: 22 September 2026. Evaluation results: information expected March 2027. Grant agreement signature: expected May/June 2027. Detailed timeline and award procedure are in the Call Document and Online Manual ¹.

Administrative, legal and financial requirements

Participants must be validated in the Participant Register (legal entity validation). The coordinator and beneficiaries must sign a declaration of honour before signature. Financial capacity checks are applied according to thresholds; public bodies and small grants may be exempt. The LIFE General Model Grant Agreement (LIFE MGA) applies; the call uses the LIFE Action Grant Budget-Based MGA. The grant is subject to EU Financial Regulation obligations, audits, certificates on financial statements (CFS) when thresholds are reached, record-keeping and reporting obligations. Prefinancing guarantees may be requested depending on applicant financial assessments.

Templates and application structure:Main templates and forms applicants must use: Application Form Part A (online), Application Form Part B (technical description PDF) specific to LIFE SAP and OAG, Detailed Budget Table (LIFE Excel), Participant Information (LIFE Word template). Part B structure covers: Project summary, Relevance (background, objectives, methodology, synergies), Impact (quantified expected impacts, sustainability, replication), Implementation (workplan, WPs, deliverables, stakeholder engagement), Resources (consortium, management, budget, risk), and Annexes. Part B must respect the stated layout, font and page limits. The Participant Information annex must present each participant, key staff, relevant experience, affiliated entities and associated partners. The detailed budget table requires person-month allocation, personnel costs split categories (A1-A5), subcontracting, equipment, other direct costs and justification per work package.

Budget rules and cost eligibility (key highlights)

Eligible costs follow the LIFE MGA and Call Document. Main points:personnel costs declared based on daily rates (actual costs) or unit costs (SME owners, volunteers where allowed); subcontracting allowed but should be exceptional and follow procurement rules; equipment costs generally eligible via depreciation or full cost rules as specified; travel and subsistence generally actual costs; indirect costs reimbursed as a flat-rate (standard 7% of eligible direct costs A-D, excluding volunteers and specific excluded categories). VAT: non-deductible VAT is eligible, except in some public authority cases. In-kind contributions from third parties are possible but are cost-neutral (not included as eligible costs). Financial support to third parties is not allowed under this call (see Call Document).

Funding rate and co-financing implications:Maximum LIFE funding rate for SAPs: 60% of eligible costs. Projects must therefore present co-financing for at least 40% of eligible costs from other sources (own funding, co-financiers, private or national funds). Applicants must ensure no double funding and declare other EU or national funds covering the same costs.

Consortium and partnership recommendations

LIFE SAPs are flexible instruments open to single-beneficiary and multi-beneficiary consortia. Projects should present partners that ensure sound operational and technical delivery and are proportionate to the project scale. Where relevant, include national/regional authorities, public bodies, NGOs, research organisations and private sector partners with clear roles. Letters of support and evidence of stakeholder engagement strengthen proposals. Applicants are encouraged to add the National Contact Point as a contact person to facilitate support.

Project maturity and expected stage

Project maturity expected for SAPs varies by activity, often spanning development, demonstration, capacity building and deployment. For technical demonstration components, typical TRL range is 5-9. Governance, monitoring, capacity building, inventories, registries and training activities can be implemented at operational scale and must be demonstrably achievable within the project duration (typically 24–120 months; call suggests durations and must be justified in Annex 1).

Application quality checklist (essential items to include)

• Clear intervention logic linking activities to measurable outcomes and impacts
• Quantified impacts and indicators with consistent figures in Part B and Part C (LIFE Project Indicators)
• Feasible work plan with WPs, milestones, deliverables and responsible partners
• Detailed budget using LIFE Detailed Budget Table and consistent summary in Part A
• Participant Information annex for each beneficiary and affiliated entity
• Letters of support from competent authorities, stakeholders or partners where commitment is needed
• Risk management and sustainability / exploitation plan (After-LIFE / replication plan)
• Compliance with eligibility, admissibility, and ethics/security rules; page limits and templates respected

Application evaluation practicalities and support

Proposals are evaluated against the published award criteria and thresholds. The Portal Online Manual, the LIFE Call Document, the LIFE Reference Documents, the LIFE General MGA, Annotated Grant Agreement and template annexes provide mandatory legal and procedural guidance. CINEA runs helpdesks, FAQs and national contact points provide applicant support. Applicants can post partner search announcements on the Portal. For technical submission issues, contact the F&T IT Helpdesk.

Consortium legal and financial checks and post-award

Before signature, the granting authority performs legal entity validation, and financial and operational capacity checks where applicable. Certificates on financial statements may be requested depending on amounts. Prefinancing guarantees may be required. Grant preparation may involve clarifications and adjustments to the project description and budget; invitation to grant preparation is not a formal commitment to award until all checks are passed and the Grant Agreement is signed.

Key documents and where to access them

Primary documents to consult for preparation and submission:Call Document LIFE-2026-SAP-CLIMA (Call fiche and full Call Document), LIFE General Model Grant Agreement (LIFE MGA v1.0 and latest), Annotated Grant Agreement, Standard Application Form templates (Part B LIFE SAP and OAG), Participant Information template, Detailed Budget Table (LIFE). All forms and templates required for submission are available in the Funding & Tenders Portal Submission System. Guidance, FAQs and reference documents are published on the Portal and CINEA LIFE webpages ¹.

Categorisation answers (concise structured extraction)

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: startups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, research institutes, non-profit organisations, government bodies and public authorities, public-private partnerships, international organisations, NGOs, sole traders (where applicable). Natural persons (private individuals) are not eligible.
2. 2Funding Type: Grant — LIFE Project Grants (LIFE-PJG), budget-based mixed actual cost grant including possible unit costs and flat-rate elements.
3. 3Consortium Requirement: single-stage single application. Consortium may be single beneficiary or multiple beneficiaries; consortia are permitted but not mandatory. Topic allows single or multi-beneficiary proposals.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): EU Member States (incl. OCTs where relevant) and countries associated to the LIFE Programme. Exceptional participation of third countries may be allowed when essential for the action implementation and effectiveness.
5. 5Target Sector: Climate policy and governance, capacity building, skills, environment/climate information, sustainable finance, greenhouse gas monitoring and reporting, LULUCF inventories and carbon removals, EU Emissions Trading System knowledge-sharing. Cross-cutting across public policy, education/training, environment/climate, finance and civil society sectors.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: EU (Member States) and associated countries to the LIFE Programme; no specific Member States mandated in the topic text. Outermost Regions mentioned for bonus eligibility examples.
7. 7Project Stage: expected maturity ranges from policy development, governance and capacity building to demonstration, validation and deployment at operational scale; technical activities typically TRL 5-9 where applicable.
8. 8Funding Amount: Topic budget €4,000,000 (indicative). Typical project budget range for this topic €0.7 - €2.0 million. LIFE call total for 2026 climate SAP topics €60,000,000 across the three topics.
9. 9Application Type: Open call — single-stage electronic submission via Funding & Tenders Portal; use official templates in the Submission System.
10. 10Nature of Support: Monetary direct grant funding (reimbursement of eligible costs); non-monetary support via capacity building, networking, visibility and knowledge sharing as project outputs.
11. 11Application Stages: 1 (single-stage evaluation and award procedure).
12. 12Success Rates: Not specified in the call. The call indicates an indicative number of grants for the topic (3) and the topic budget; final success rates depend on the number and quality of applications received.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: Yes. Maximum EU funding rate 60% for SAP; applicants must provide at least 40% co-funding from other sources. No double funding of the same costs allowed.

Templates and application form structure - practical outline

The portal provides a specific Application Form for LIFE SAP and OAG. Part A (online):administrative data, participants list, summary budget, declarations. Part B (upload PDF): technical description structured into sections: project summary, 1. Relevance (background, objectives, methodology, synergies), 2. Impact (quantified indicators, sustainability, exploitation and replication potential), 3. Implementation (workplan, WPs, milestones, deliverables, timeline, stakeholder engagement, monitoring and communication), 4. Resources (consortium, management, budget details, risk management), 5. Other (ethics, security), 6. Declarations. Mandatory annexes: Detailed budget table (LIFE Excel), Participant information template (Word/PDF), any requested maps or site descriptions. Part C data inserted online includes LIFE KPIs and project indicator values.

1. 1Part A (online): administrative data, participants, summary budget, declarations.
2. 2Part B (uploaded PDF): technical narrative following the provided LIFE SAP template (sections 1-6). Maximum 120 pages for Part B.
3. 3Part C (online): project KPIs and horizontal indicators (LIFE Project Indicators) to be consistent with Part B.
4. 4Annex mandatory: Detailed budget table (LIFE) and Participant Information (LIFE).
5. 5Optional annexes: Letters of support, Maps (LIFE), Description of sites, Business plans, Lifecycle analyses, etc.

Evaluation scoring and proposal preparation tips

Prepare a clear and concise intervention logic linking activities to outputs and measurable impacts. Provide quantified impact indicators in Part C that match the narrative in Part B. Demonstrate operational capacity and prior experience of partners. Include a realistic budget built in the LIFE detailed budget table and justify personnel effort per WP. Include a Sustainability/After-LIFE plan, exploitation and replication strategy, and a clear communication and dissemination plan that respects EU visibility rules. Address potential environmental impacts of the project itself and mitigation measures (green procurement, footprint calculation where feasible). Ensure legal and financial documents are ready for validation during grant preparation.

How to submit and get help

Submit via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission Service. Read the Call Document, Online Manual and templates carefully. Use the Portal ‘Start submission’ button for the LIFE Project Grants / LIFE Action Grant Budget-Based track. Contact the IT Helpdesk for technical issues; consult National Contact Points and CINEA LIFE help resources for programme and topic questions. Partner search functionality in the Portal and NCPs can assist forming consortia.

Concluding summary: what is this opportunity about and how to explain it

The LIFE-2026 topic funds Standard Action Projects that strengthen EU climate governance and information to help deliver climate mitigation and adaptation objectives. It supports capacity building, awareness and behavioural change, skills development, monitoring and reporting (including LULUCF inventories and carbon removal registries), the implementation of climate and energy strategies, sustainable finance measures, and knowledge-sharing on carbon pricing and emissions trading. Projects must combine communication and engagement with concrete, measurable actions that change practices, improve enforcement or enable policy implementation. Projects are financed via EU grants up to 60% of eligible costs; applicants must use the Funding & Tenders Portal, follow the LIFE application templates and submit a single-stage proposal by the published deadline. The call documentation, templates, and guidance are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal and CINEA LIFE webpages; applicants should consult these sources closely and prepare detailed budgets and participant information in the required formats. The topic has a small dedicated envelope (€4 million) and a limited number of indicative grants (3), so proposals should be clear, high-quality, well-justified and aligned with the specified intervention areas to be competitive.

Footnotes

1. 1Call document LIFE-2026-SAP-CLIMA and related annexes, templates and guidance are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and CINEA LIFE pages: access the topic page LIFE-2026 on the Funding & Tenders Portal for official documents and submission links.

Funding Opportunity Overview

The Climate Governance and Information call LIFE-2026 is part of the LIFE Programme for the Environment and Climate Action. This Standard Action Project (SAP) call supports the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of EU climate change legislation and policy through improved governance and enhanced capacity building for public and private actors and civil society.

Call Reference:LIFE-2026

Opening Date:21 April 2026

Submission Deadline:22 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time (single-stage submission)

Funding Available

Total Budget:€4,000,000

Indicative Project Budget Range:€0.7 million to €2 million per project

Estimated Number of Projects to be Funded:Approximately 3 projects

Funding Rate:Maximum 60% of eligible costs

Project Objectives and Scope

The Climate Governance and Information topic aims to support the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of Union legislation and policy on climate change, contributing to climate change mitigation and/or adaptation. This includes improving governance through enhancing the capacities of public and private actors and the involvement of civil society. Activities for the sole purpose of raising awareness are deemed insufficient; projects must include concrete measures that facilitate behavioural change or practices.

Areas of Intervention

• Raising awareness, incentivising behavioural change and supporting the activities of the European Climate Pact
• Green skills and capacity building to implement climate mitigation and adaptation policies
• Building capacity and raising awareness among end-users and the equipment distribution chain of fluorinated greenhouse gases
• Support to the development, update and implementation of national, regional or local climate and energy strategies and plans
• Activities linked to the development and implementation of Sustainable Finance actions
• Development of geographically-explicit inventories for the LULUCF sector, creation of carbon removal registries and certification schemes
• Knowledge-sharing and capacity building on the functioning of the EU Emissions Trading System
• Climate policy monitoring, assessment and ex-post evaluation

Eligible Applicants

Applicants must be legal entities (public or private bodies) established in eligible countries. The coordinator must be established in an eligible country.

Eligible Countries:EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories), EEA countries, and countries associated with the LIFE Programme. Entities from other countries may participate exceptionally if their participation is considered essential for project implementation.

Ineligible Applicants:Natural persons (except self-employed persons/sole traders), EU bodies (except JRC in specific cases), and entities subject to EU exclusion decisions or restrictive measures.

Consortium Requirements

Projects can be submitted by a single organisation or by several entities working in collaboration. All participants must register in the Participant Register and be validated by the Central Validation Service before proposal submission. Beneficiaries and affiliated entities have similar rights and obligations, including the obligation to implement action tasks and the right to charge costs and claim contributions.

Project Duration and Timeline

Project Duration:Between 24 and 120 months (extensions possible if justified)

Evaluation Results:Expected March 2027

Grant Agreement Signature:Expected May/June 2027

Eligible Costs and Budget Categories

The grant is a budget-based mixed actual cost grant. Eligible costs must be actually incurred, identifiable, verifiable, and necessary for project implementation. Costs must comply with applicable national law on taxes, labour and social security.

Budget Categories:

• 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)

Ineligible Costs:Financial support to third parties is not allowed under this call. Costs must be directly linked to action implementation and cannot include indirect costs.

Evaluation Criteria and Scoring

Proposals are evaluated against four main criteria, each scored out of 20 points. A minimum score of 10 points per criterion is required, and an overall weighted score of at least 55 points (out of 90 without bonuses) is needed to pass evaluation.

Bonus Points (up to 10 additional points):

• Exceptional synergies and co-benefits between LIFE sub-programmes (2 points)
• Implementation primarily in Outermost Regions or areas with specific needs (2 points)
• Builds on or up-scales results of other EU-funded projects (2 points)
• Exceptional catalytic potential (2 points)
• Transnational cooperation essential for achieving objectives (2 points)

Relevance (0-20 points)

• Relevance to LIFE sub-programme objectives and call priorities
• Soundness of overall intervention logic and concept
• Co-benefits and synergies with other policy areas

Impact (0-20 points)

• Ambition and credibility of expected impacts during and after project
• Sustainability of project results after EU funding ends
• Potential for replication, upscaling and catalytic effect

Quality (0-20 points)

• Clarity, relevance and feasibility of work plan
• Identification and mobilisation of relevant stakeholders
• Quality of impact monitoring and reporting plan
• Communication and dissemination strategy

Resources (0-20 points)

• Composition of project team and management structure
• Appropriateness of budget and resources
• Transparency of budget breakdown
• Environmental impact mitigation and green procurement
• Value for money

Application Requirements and Documents

All proposals must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal before the deadline. Paper submissions are not accepted. Proposals must be complete and contain all requested information and required annexes.

Mandatory Documents:

• Application Form Part A (administrative information, filled online)
• Application Form Part B (technical description, maximum 120 pages)
• Part C (project data and KPI contributions, filled online)
• Detailed budget table
• Participant information form

Optional Documents:

• Letters of support from stakeholders
• Co-financing declarations
• Maps and site descriptions
• Other annexes (e.g. business plans, lifecycle analysis)

Project Acronym:Must include the word LIFE

Page Limit:Part B limited to maximum 120 pages. Evaluators will not consider additional pages.

Formatting Requirements:Minimum font size Arial 10 points, A4 page size, margins at least 15mm. Proposals must be readable, accessible and printable.

Financial and Operational Capacity

Applicants must demonstrate stable and sufficient resources to successfully implement the project and contribute their share. Financial capacity will be assessed based on documents such as profit and loss accounts, balance sheets, audit reports and business plans. Public bodies and international organisations are normally exempt from financial capacity checks, as are projects requesting grants of €60,000 or less.

Operational capacity will be assessed based on the competence, experience and qualifications of staff responsible for managing and implementing the project, as well as the consortium's previous experience with comparable projects.

Grant Agreement and Payment Arrangements

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

Payment Schedule:Initial prefinancing (normally 30% of maximum grant amount) paid 30 days from entry into force or financial guarantee (whichever is latest). Additional prefinancing linked to prefinancing reports. Interim and final payments linked to periodic reports.

Reporting Requirements:Continuous reporting via Portal, periodic technical reports and financial statements due 60 days after end of reporting period. Final report due at project end.

No-Profit Rule:Grants may not produce profit. For-profit organisations must declare revenues; if profit exists, it will be deducted from final grant amount.

Late Payment Interest:ECB rate plus 3.5%

Key Obligations and Conditions

• Proper implementation of the action in accordance with the Grant Agreement and Annex 1
• Conflict of interest disclosure and management
• Confidentiality and security of sensitive information
• Compliance with ethics and EU values
• Data protection compliance
• Intellectual property rights management
• Communication, dissemination and visibility of EU funding
• Record-keeping for 5 years after final payment (or 3 years for grants under €60,000)
• Submission of required certificates and reports
• Cooperation with audits, reviews and investigations by EU bodies

Exclusion Grounds

Applicants subject to EU exclusion decisions or in exclusion situations cannot participate. Exclusion grounds include bankruptcy, breach of tax or social security 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, and creation of entities to circumvent legal obligations.

Submission and Evaluation Process

This is a single-stage submission with one-step evaluation. Proposals are first checked for admissibility and eligibility. Admissible and eligible proposals are then evaluated against operational capacity and award criteria by an evaluation committee assisted by independent experts. Proposals are ranked according to their scores within each topic.

Tie-Breaking Procedure:For proposals with equal scores, priority is determined successively by Impact score, then Relevance, then Quality, then Resources scores.

Seal of Excellence:Proposals that pass evaluation but are not ranked high enough for funding receive a Seal of Excellence and may be shared with other EU or national funding bodies.

Grant Preparation:Successful proposals are invited for grant preparation, which involves dialogue to fine-tune technical and financial aspects. This is not a formal commitment for funding; legal checks including entity validation, financial capacity and exclusion checks must still be completed.

Important Considerations for Applicants

• Activities must include concrete measures beyond awareness-raising to facilitate behavioural change or practices
• Projects developing tools or studies must include specific and concrete action to implement these during project duration
• Applicants should demonstrate clear intervention logic addressing specific climate risks and vulnerabilities
• Strong stakeholder engagement and mobilisation is essential
• Communication and dissemination strategy must be comprehensive and target multiple audiences
• Green management and environmental impact mitigation should be considered
• Synergies with other EU initiatives and programmes are encouraged
• Transnational cooperation may be advantageous for bonus points
• All participants must comply with eligibility criteria and have financial and operational capacity
• Double funding from EU budget is prohibited except under EU Synergies actions

Support and Further Information

Applicants are encouraged to consult the LIFE website FAQs, contact their National Contact Point (NCP), and review the EU Funding and Tenders Portal Online Manual for detailed guidance. The Portal provides step-by-step guidance through proposal preparation and evaluation processes. IT support is available through the Portal IT Helpdesk for technical issues.

Key Reference Documents:

• Call Document (LIFE-2026-SAP-CLIMA)
• LIFE General Model Grant Agreement (MGA)
• Annotated Grant Agreement (AGA)
• EU Funding and Tenders Portal Online Manual
• LIFE Regulation 2021/783
• EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
• Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment

Programme Context

The LIFE Programme is the EU's funding instrument for the environment and climate action since 1992. The current phase (2021-2027) has a budget of €5.43 billion. The Climate Governance and Information topic is part of the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation sub-programme, which supports implementation of the European Green Deal and EU climate neutrality objectives by 2050. The 2025-2027 Work Programme allocates €2.3 billion across all LIFE sub-programmes and priority areas.

Footnotes

1. 1All information in this report is based on the official call documentation available on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal and the CINEA website. Applicants must verify all details with the official call documents before submission, as call conditions may be subject to updates or clarifications.