Facilitating cooperation among energy communities

Call for proposals LIFE-2026 (LIFE Clean Energy Transition) to facilitate cooperation among energy communities across Europe, supporting either the creation/consolidation of second-level communities or peer-to-peer support for implementation of projects in emerging areas (heating and cooling, building efficiency, flexibility, electromobility). Indicative topic budget €7,000,000, funding rate 95% for Other Action Grants, with the Commission considering proposals requesting up to €1.75 million appropriate. Consortia must include at least three independent beneficiaries from three eligible countries and proposals must present quantified results and impacts using the topic-specific and LIFE CET indicators. Single-stage submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, deadline 16 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time.

What it funds

Grants to support cooperation, capacity building and service development for energy communities under two separate scopes: Scope A — creation, consolidation and professionalisation of second‑level communities (mutualised back‑office services, one‑stop‑shop functions, pooled finance approaches); Scope B — peer‑to‑peer and targeted assistance to help energy communities implement projects in emerging areas (renewable heating and cooling, building energy efficiency, flexibility services, electromobility).

Who can apply

Consortia of at least 3 independent beneficiaries (not affiliated entities) from 3 different eligible countries. Participants should demonstrate stakeholder support (municipalities, regions, financial institutions, DSOs, housing providers, NGOs etc.). Projects must focus on Renewable Energy Communities or Citizen Energy Communities as defined by EU directives.

Suggested grant size and funding rate:The Commission considers projects requesting up to €1.75 million appropriate for this topic; the LIFE CET topic budget line shows €7 million for ENERCOM. Funding rate: Other Action Grants (OAGs) — 95% ¹.

1. 1Deadline: single-stage call, 16 September 2026 (17:00 Brussels time).
2. 2Project start: after grant signature; duration and timing to be set in proposal.
3. 3Minimum consortium: 3 beneficiaries from 3 eligible countries.

Proposals must present measurable results using the topic indicators (number of projects triggered, number of communities supported, skills building metrics and common LIFE CET indicators such as energy savings, renewable generation, GHG reduction and investments triggered). Proposals should avoid developing new digital platforms unless their added value and scale-up are convincingly demonstrated.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call documents, templates and submission are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Funding & Tenders Portal - LIFE-2026-CET-ENERCOM.

Basic facts and administrative data

Programme:LIFE Clean Energy Transition sub-programme. Call identifier: LIFE-2026-CET. Topic code: LIFE-2026. Type of action: LIFE Project Grants — Other Action Grants (OAG). Type of Model Grant Agreement: LIFE Action Grant Budget-Based [LIFE-AG]. Opening date: 21 April 2026. Deadline: 16 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Submission route: EU Funding & Tenders Portal (single-stage, mandatory online submission).

Available budget and typical project size:Indicative contribution for this topic: the call overview lists a topic budget contribution of €7,000,000 for LIFE-2026. The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution of up to €1.75 million from the EU would allow the specific objectives to be addressed appropriately ¹. Funding rate for Other Action Grants (OAGs): 95%.

What the topic funds: scope, objectives and expected results

Overall objective:strengthen and accelerate the emergence, consolidation and scaling of energy communities in Europe by facilitating cooperation among communities and by supporting second-level community structures and peer-to-peer support for project implementation in emerging areas.

Two alternative scopes. Proposals must address only one scope and state the chosen scope in the proposal.

1. 1Scope A: Support to second-level communities. Actions to create or expand coalitions, federations or second-level organisations that represent, aggregate and serve multiple energy communities at city, regional or national levels. Key elements required: analysis of national/regional context and added value of new structures or consolidation plans for existing ones; governance and democratic participation; a defined service portfolio (legal, technical, financial, communications, back-office, one-stop-shop, knowledge hub); target numbers and types of communities to be supported; capacity building plans based on existing materials; financial viability and business model for continuation beyond project duration; indicators for setup/expansion (number of second-level communities created, person-months of direct support to developers).
2. 2Scope B: Support for energy communities to implement projects in emerging areas. Focus on facilitating implementation of energy community projects in at least one of: renewable heating and cooling; energy efficiency measures in buildings; provision of flexibility services (demand response, community storage, smart charging, aggregation, peer-to-peer trading); electromobility services integrating renewables. Activities must be concrete, measurable and linked to specific energy community projects, based on peer-to-peer learning complemented by targeted assistance. External experts are allowed only to support, not substitute, peer learning. Cross-region or cross-country peer-to-peer learning is encouraged. Indicators to quantify implementation results are required (e.g. MWth/MW installed, buildings renovated, households enrolled in flexibility, vulnerable citizens reached).

Common requirements for both scopes:focus on Renewable Energy Communities (RECs, Renewable Energy Directive amending regulation) and/or Citizen Energy Communities (CECs, Electricity Market Design); make use of existing framework analyses and avoid creating duplicate analytical frameworks, tools, databases or digital platforms unless clearly justified and scalable; ensure stakeholder support and engagement strategy (municipalities, regions, financial institutions, housing providers, NGOs, DSOs and market participants, social services).

Expected impacts and indicators:Proposals must demonstrate causality between activities, outputs and impacts, quantify results at end of project and 5 years after, and use the topic-specific quantitative and qualitative indicators listed in the call. All proposals must also quantify impacts against LIFE CET common indicators: primary and final energy savings (GWh/year), renewable energy generation triggered (GWh/year) by type, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (tCO2-eq/year), and investments in sustainable energy triggered (cumulative, million EUR).

1. 1Common topic quantitative indicators: Number of energy community projects triggered; Number of energy communities benefiting from support; Number and type of stakeholders with increased skills.
2. 2Scope A additional indicators: Number of second-level communities created; Amount of direct and personalised support made available to project developers (full-time equivalent person-months).
3. 3Scope B additional/optional indicators: Indicators related to peer-to-peer processes and project implementation such as MWth/MW installed, buildings renovated, new members engaged, number of households enrolled in flexibility, energy poor or vulnerable citizens benefiting.

Who should apply and eligible applicant types

Mandatory consortium composition and minimum conditions:proposals must be submitted by at least 3 applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from 3 different eligible countries. Eligible countries are listed in the call document (standard LIFE eligibility rules apply: EU Member States and other countries associated to LIFE program). The topic is aimed at organisations able to support energy communities, including second-level community structures, and energy community practitioners.

1. 1Eligible applicant types indicated by the topic and programme: energy community organisations, non-profit organisations, NGOs, second-level community networks or federations, public authorities (municipalities, regions), social services, housing providers, utilities, DSOs (where relevant), research organisations, consultancies and capacity-building providers, financial institutions and fund managers, project developers, professional associations.
2. 2Examples of roles in consortia: coordinator (organisation with capacity to run a cross-border multi-partner action), partner providing direct peer-to-peer support, partner providing technical assistance or training, partner responsible for finance/access-to-finance work, partner representing practiced energy communities or second-level bodies, monitoring and evaluation partner.

Note:proposals must not rely solely on affiliated entities to meet the 3 participant requirement; the agreement explicitly requires 3 beneficiaries from 3 different eligible countries.

Eligibility and administrative conditions

Application format and templates:use the standard LIFE application templates available in the Submission System. Part A (administrative forms) is completed in the Portal; Part B (technical description) must be prepared using the LIFE application PDF template provided in the Submission System and uploaded as PDF. Required annexes include the detailed budget table (LIFE detailed budget table), participant information template, co-financing declarations or complementary funding documentation where applicable, maps or site descriptions if applicable, and any letters of support or commitment from stakeholders. The call document specifies admissibility conditions (page limits, font, margins) and mandatory deliverables.

Administrative and compliance checks:Proposals will be checked for admissibility and eligibility according to section 5–6 of the call document. Applicants must demonstrate financial and operational capacity and are subject to exclusion grounds. Model Grant Agreement (LIFE MGA) applies to successful applicants; specific MGA type is LIFE Action Grant Budget-Based [LIFE-AG].

Funding features and financial rules

Funding form and rate:action grant, budget-based. Funding rate: Other Action Grants (OAGs) — 95% of eligible costs. Maximum suggested EU contribution: up to €1.75 million per project (Commission indication; does not preclude other amounts). The topic-level budget in the call is €7,000,000 (indicative total).

1. 1Eligible cost categories: personnel costs (detailed staff time records required), subcontracting (exceptional and subject to best-value-for-money and no conflict of interest), travel & subsistence, equipment (depreciation rules or as specified), other direct costs, and indirect costs where applicable in LIFE rules.
2. 2Co-funding: effective co-funding is required because EU funds cover 95% of eligible costs; applicants must provide the remaining eligible share (5%). The application must explain additional funding sources and complementary funding where relevant.
3. 3Revenues and profit rule: if the action generates revenues, the impact on the final grant and no-profit rule must be addressed in the financial reporting; the call and MGA describe the treatment of revenues and calculation of the final grant amount.

Consortium requirement and project team

Consortium requirement:minimum 3 independent beneficiaries from 3 different eligible countries. Applicants must demonstrate the support from necessary stakeholders and include letters of support or participation where relevant. The consortium must describe governance and decision-making procedures, roles and responsibilities, and provide participant information templates and key staff CVs in the Annexes.

Application process and submission

Submission method:single-stage open call through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Applicants must register organisations and contacts in the Portal, prepare Part A online and upload Part B as a PDF (using the specific LIFE template found in the Submission System). Required annexes include the detailed budget table (LIFE template), participant information form, declarations and any complementary funding documents. Page limits and layout rules apply; check Part B and call document for exact limits.

Evaluation, award and timeline

Evaluation follows the criteria and thresholds set in the Call Document and LIFE grant rules: relevance, impact, quality of implementation, and financial and operational capacity. The call is single-stage; the submission and evaluation timeframe is described in the Call Document and Online Manual. The submission session for this topic opened on 21 April 2026 and the deadline is 16 September 2026. Indicative evaluation timetable and grant agreement signature timelines are available in the Call Document and the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual.

Application stages and complexity:This is a single-stage call: applicants submit one full proposal (Part A and Part B) at the deadline. The application must include full technical description, work plan, indicators, budget and annexes. The typical application path is therefore 1 stage to award.

Evaluation scoring, thresholds and success rates

Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in section 9 of the Call Document. Applicants should consult the Call Document for exact scoring rules. The call document provides indicative numbers of grants at the programme level but not a guaranteed success rate; competition varies by topic and year. The budget overview for the LIFE CET call lists indicative funds per topic and indicative number of grants in the call package; selection depends on ranking against the award criteria.

Co-funding and financial commitments

Co-funding requirement:Because the funding rate is 95%, applicants must cover the remaining eligible costs via own resources or co-financers. Complementary funding plans and declarations may be requested if the proposal indicates additional co-financing sources (templates available in the Submission System). Where public funds are involved, letters of commitment from managing authorities should be included where relevant.

Templates, documents and forms applicants must use

Mandatory templates and documents are published in the Submission System and the call annexes. Key application templates and annexes include: Part A administrative forms in the Portal, Part B application PDF template (LIFE SAP and OAG standard form or LIFE-specific OAG template), Detailed Budget Table (LIFE Excel template), Participant Information form, Cofinancing declaration, Complementary Funding Plan and Declaration (for SIP/SNAP where relevant), Model Grant Agreement (LIFE MGA), and supporting reference documents such as the LIFE Multiannual Work Programme and LIFE Regulation. Applicants must use the correct Application Form template for this call (LIFE SAP and OAG; the specific OAG application form in the Submission System).

• Standard application form (LIFE SAP and OAG) — available in the Submission System
• Detailed budget table (LIFE) — Excel template, mandatory as annex
• Participant information template (LIFE) — to describe partners and key staff
• Cofinancing declaration (LIFE) and Complementary funding plan/templates if relevant
• Models for Grant Agreements and reference documents: LIFE MGA, Online Manual, EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement.

Risk management, monitoring, reporting and deliverables

Proposals must include a work plan, work packages, deliverables and milestones, a monitoring and reporting approach and a credible exploitation and sustainability plan. Deliverables must be uploaded in the Portal within the deadlines set in the Grant Agreement. The LIFE KPI web tool must be used to report common KPI data (first within nine months of grant signature and at the end of the project). Proposals must include indicators covering project end and five-year follow-up projections.

Nature of support and post-award management

Nature of support:financial grants (money). After grant award beneficiaries sign the LIFE Model Grant Agreement (MGA) — LIFE Action Grant Budget-Based — and must comply with contractual obligations for reporting, auditing, record keeping and communications. Grants are budget-based and require detailed justification of eligible costs according to LIFE cost rules. The grant covers up to 95% of eligible costs. Beneficiaries must keep records for the period set out in the MGA.

Practical advice for a competitive application

1. 1Clearly state which scope (A or B) you are applying to and ensure all activities and indicators align with that scope.
2. 2Include at least 3 independent beneficiaries from 3 eligible countries; show letters of commitment from engaged energy communities and second-level structures where relevant.
3. 3Quantify expected impacts at project end and 5 years after using the specified indicators; present baselines and assumptions and show causal links between activities and impacts.
4. 4Design a realistic budget and staffing plan; ensure detailed work packages and a sustainability plan beyond the project lifetime.
5. 5Avoid developing redundant tools or platforms; justify any new digital tools and demonstrate scalability and complementarity with existing European resources (Citizen Energy Advisory Hub, European Energy Communities Facility, EU-PEERS, etc.).

Key mandatory eligibility checklist:Minimum 3 independent beneficiaries from 3 eligible countries; single-topic application addressing only one scope; clear governance and stakeholder engagement plan; use of LIFE templates and compliance with page limits and online submission rules; detailed indicators and financial plan; evidence of stakeholder support and letters of support where required.

How to get help and where to find the official documentation

Use the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, call document, LIFE templates and LIFE MGA. Contact the Portal IT helpdesk for submission problems and consult national LIFE National Contact Points (NCPs) for application support. Recordings and presentations from LIFE info sessions may be available on the LIFE pages. The Funding & Tenders Portal hosts the call page, templates and the Submission System.

Summary: what this opportunity is about and why it matters

The LIFE-2026 topic funds projects that accelerate the development, professionalisation and scaling of energy communities across Europe by supporting the establishment and consolidation of second-level community structures and by facilitating peer-to-peer support and targeted assistance for implementation of community-led projects in emerging areas (renewable heating and cooling, building efficiency, flexibility services, electromobility). It is a single-stage LIFE Project Grant call open through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, with a 95% funding rate and suggested EU contribution of up to €1.75 million per project. Applicants must present clear, quantified impacts, strong multi-country consortia (minimum three beneficiaries from three eligible countries), sustainability plans and stakeholder engagement. The topic prioritises mentoring, mutualisation of services, and peer learning to enable energy communities to diversify beyond first-generation PV projects toward integrated services, project pipelines and professionally run second-level entities that increase replication, inclusion and energy system resilience.

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: nonprofit organisations, energy community organisations, NGOs, local and regional public authorities, housing providers, research institutes and universities, SMEs and service providers, utilities and distribution system operators, financial institutions, professional associations, and others aligned with the topic objectives.
2. 2Funding Type: Action grants (LIFE Other Action Grants) — budget-based grant.
3. 3Consortium Requirement: consortium required (minimum 3 independent beneficiaries from 3 different eligible countries).
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): applicants must be from eligible countries for LIFE (EU Member States and associated countries as defined in the call document).
5. 5Target Sector: clean energy transition, energy communities, renewable heating and cooling, energy efficiency in buildings, flexibility services, electromobility and local energy systems.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: No individual countries are explicitly named in the topic text; the target is EU and associated eligible countries.
7. 7Project Stage: project development, implementation and scaling of community energy projects and organisational development of second-level communities.
8. 8Funding Amount: indicative topic budget €7,000,000; Commission suggests up to €1.75 million per proposal as appropriate.
9. 9Application Type: single-stage open call via the Funding & Tenders Portal Submission System.
10. 10Nature of Support: monetary grant funding to beneficiaries (95% funding rate).
11. 11Application Stages: 1 (single-stage).
12. 12Success Rates: not specified — selection depends on quality ranking against award criteria and available topic budget; consult programme call statistics for past success rates.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: yes — beneficiaries must provide the remaining share of eligible costs (5% at project-level given the 95% funding rate).
14. 14Templates: Application forms and templates are provided in the Submission System — Part A administrative forms (completed online) and Part B application PDF template; required annexes include: Detailed Budget Table (LIFE), Participant Information, Cofinancing declaration, Complementary Funding plan and declaration where relevant; Model Grant Agreement (LIFE MGA) and guidance documents are in the Portal Reference Documents.

Footnotes

1. 1Call document and topic page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal provide full guidance and the official wording: consult the topic LIFE-2026 call information on the Funding & Tenders Portal for the call document, application templates and related reference documents LIFE-2026-CET Call documentation.

Funding Opportunity Overview

This is a Call for Proposals under the LIFE Clean Energy Transition sub-programme LIFE-2026 aimed at supporting energy communities across Europe through targeted cooperation and capacity building initiatives. The call focuses on facilitating the implementation of energy community projects in emerging areas and supporting the development of second-level communities that provide services to member communities.

Call Details

Call Identifier:LIFE-2026

Programme:LIFE Programme for the Environment and Climate Action, Clean Energy Transition sub-programme

Type of Action:LIFE Project Grants (LIFE-PJG), Other Action Grants (OAGs) - Coordination and Support Actions (CSA)

Opening Date:21 April 2026

Submission Deadline:16 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time

Submission Model:Single-stage submission

Funding Information

Total Budget Available:€7,000,000

Funding Rate:95% for Other Action Grants (OAGs)

Recommended Project Budget:The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of up to €1.75 million would allow the specific objectives to be addressed appropriately. However, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Estimated Number of Grants:Approximately 4 projects expected to be funded based on the available budget and recommended project size

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Countries

Proposals must be submitted by at least 3 applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from 3 different eligible countries. Eligible countries include all EU Member States (27), Iceland, Ukraine, Moldova, and North Macedonia.

Eligible Applicants

Any organisation or consortium can apply, including businesses, universities, local authorities, non-profit organisations, energy service companies, and other relevant stakeholders. Applicants must have the financial and operational capacity to carry out the proposed project and must not be subject to exclusion grounds under EU Financial Regulation.

Consortium Requirements

• Minimum 3 applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from 3 different eligible countries
• Clear demonstration of stakeholder support, particularly from municipalities, regions, financial institutions, housing providers, NGOs and social services
• Established energy communities with experience in proposed intervention areas should be directly involved in the consortium or provide concrete commitment letters
• Demonstration of support from relevant stakeholders through tailored letters of support

Project Scope and Objectives

The call aims to support energy communities in Europe by facilitating cooperation and providing targeted assistance. Energy communities have been recognised as key actors in the EU energy system for their potential contribution to achieving the Union's 2030 and 2050 energy and climate targets. However, most energy communities in Europe remain relatively small and primarily focused on solar photovoltaic projects. The call seeks to help energy communities evolve beyond first-generation solar projects towards collective heating and cooling systems, flexibility and storage services, integrated local energy management, and one-stop-shop services.

Two Scopes Available

Proposals must address only one of the two scopes detailed below. The specific scope must be clearly mentioned in the proposal.

Scope A: Support to Second Level Communities:This scope focuses on second level communities, which are coalitions that represent, aggregate and serve multiple energy communities within a city, region or country. Proposals may target the emergence of new second level communities and/or the consolidation and professionalisation of existing second level communities. Key objectives include: mutualising services for member communities (legal, technical, financial, communication); supporting the development and implementation of new energy community projects; and defining the long-term role in the ecosystem (one-stop shop, back-office service provider, knowledge hub). Proposals should design a service portfolio responding to member community needs, define target numbers and types of communities to be supported, include structured capacity building activities, and present a financially viable economic model for continuation beyond project duration.

Scope B: Support for Energy Communities to Implement Projects in Emerging Areas:Proposals should focus on facilitating the implementation of energy projects led by energy communities in at least one of the following focus areas: renewable heating and cooling; energy efficiency measures in buildings; provision of flexibility services (demand response, community energy storage, smart charging, participation in dynamic tariffs, aggregation of member assets, peer-to-peer trading); electromobility services supporting renewable energy integration. The planned support should include peer-to-peer exchanges and targeted assistance to facilitate concrete implementation. Established energy communities with experience in proposed areas should be directly involved in the consortium or provide concrete commitment. Cross-country or cross-region peer-to-peer learning is encouraged. Approaches promoting inclusion and energy poverty alleviation are encouraged.

Expected Impacts and Key Performance Indicators

Proposals must present concrete results and demonstrate how these results will contribute to topic-specific impacts. This demonstration should rely on solid analysis of the current situation, realistic assumptions and baselines, and establish clear causality links between proposed activities, results and impacts.

Qualitative Impacts

For Scope A:Creation of (or expansion of) services delivered by second level communities to their members and other communities. The new mutualised services should be tested and operational by the end of the project and the support to new energy community projects needs to have led to some initial results in terms of project implementation.

For Scope B:Measurable progress towards the implementation of energy community projects in the focus areas thanks to the provision of tailored peer-to-peer learning and targeted assistance.

Quantitative Indicators - Both Scopes

• Number of energy community projects triggered thanks to the project
• Number of energy communities benefiting from the support of the project
• Number and type of stakeholders with increased skills

Quantitative Indicators - Scope A Only

• Number of second-level communities created thanks to the project
• Amount of direct and personalised support made available to energy community project developers (full-time equivalent person months)

Quantitative Indicators - Scope B Only

• Indicators related to the peer-to-peer process
• Indicators related to project implementation (e.g. MWth/MW of capacity installed, buildings renovated, new members engaged in the communities, number of members benefiting from new/scaled activities, number of households enrolled in flexibility, energy poor or vulnerable citizens benefiting from the projects)

Common LIFE CET Sub-programme Indicators - All Proposals

• Primary energy savings triggered by the project in GWh/year
• Final energy savings triggered by the project in GWh/year
• Renewable energy generation triggered by the project (in GWh/year), specifying the type of renewable energy triggered
• Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (in tCO2-eq/year)
• Investments in sustainable energy (energy efficiency and renewable energy) triggered by the project (cumulative, in million Euro)

Results and impacts should be quantified for the end of the project and for 5 years after the end of the project. Proposals should also provide indicators which are specific to their proposed activities.

Key Requirements and Conditions

Project Focus

Projects should focus on supporting renewable energy communities (RECs) according to the amending Renewable Energy Directive (EU 2023/2413) and/or citizen energy communities (CECs) according to the EU Electricity Market Design Directive (EU 2024/1711).

Use of Existing Resources

Proposals should make use of already existing framework analyses (e.g. for the legal frameworks already made available by the European Energy Communities Facility and the Citizen Energy Advisory Hub) and not foresee additional ones unless their added value is clearly explained. Proposals should not develop any new tools, databases, or digital platforms unless their added value compared to existing ones is clearly justified and their potential scale-up beyond the project convincingly addressed.

Stakeholder Engagement

Consortia applying should demonstrate the support from stakeholders necessary to ensure the success of the project and a convincing strategy to engage other strategic stakeholders such as municipalities, regions, financial institutions, housing providers, NGOs and social services. Where relevant, actions to facilitate the collaboration with Distribution System Operators and other market participants such as commercial suppliers or aggregators can also be planned.

Energy System Resilience

The EU is facing important increases in energy prices, driven by market volatility and exacerbated by its dependence on imported fossil fuels. Applicants under this topic are invited, where possible, to develop and implement long-term structural sustainable and energy efficiency measures to enhance EU energy system resilience against future crises, in coherence with short-term energy relief measures needed to respond to the current shock on the global energy markets.

Application Process and Documentation

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted online via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal (Submission System) before the deadline of 16 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. The submission is single-stage, meaning applicants submit their full proposal directly without a concept note stage.

Required Documents

• Application Form Part A (administrative information) - generated by the Portal system
• Application Form Part B (technical description) - PDF document to be uploaded
• Detailed budget table/calculator
• Participant information forms for all consortium members
• Letters of support from stakeholders demonstrating commitment
• Co-financing declaration (if applicable)
• Any other supporting documents as specified in the call

Application Form Requirements

• Part B page limit: typically 200 pages for full proposals (check call document for exact limit)
• Minimum font size: Arial 10 points
• Page size: A4
• Margins: at least 15 mm (top, bottom, left, right)
• Language: Any official EU language (English recommended for efficiency)
• Supporting documents can be provided as annexes and do not count towards page limit

Evaluation and Award Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on award criteria specified in the call document. Applicants should pay particular attention to these criteria when preparing their applications. The evaluation will assess relevance, impact, implementation quality, and resources. Successful proposals will be those that best address the call objectives and demonstrate strong potential for achieving the expected impacts.

Important Dates and Timeline

Support and Further Information

Applicants are encouraged to consult the following resources for additional guidance:

• EU Funding and Tenders Portal Online Manual - step-by-step guidance through proposal preparation and submission
• EU Grants AGA - Annotated Grant Agreement - detailed annotations on all Grant Agreement provisions
• LIFE Programme website and database - information on previously funded projects
• National Contact Points (NCPs) - country-specific support and guidance
• IT Helpdesk - technical support for Portal access and submission issues
• LIFE FAQs - frequently asked questions about the programme

Legal and Financial Framework

This call is governed by Regulation (EU) 2021/783 (LIFE Regulation) and Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 (EU Financial Regulation). The grant will be implemented through a Model Grant Agreement (MGA) which sets out the legal and financial conditions. Applicants must comply with all eligibility criteria and exclusion grounds as specified in the call document and EU Financial Regulation.

Key Contacts and Resources

The call is managed by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). For technical questions about the Portal submission system, contact the IT Helpdesk. For substantive questions about the call content and eligibility, contact your National Contact Point or consult the call documentation available on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.

Footnotes

1. 1The European Energy Communities Facility (ENERCOM Facility) is a complementary initiative that provides direct financial support (€45,000 lump-sum grants) and mandatory capacity building to at least 140 energy communities for business plan development. This LIFE call complements that facility by supporting broader cooperation mechanisms and peer-to-peer learning among energy communities.