Nature and Biodiversity

The LIFE-2025-SAP-NAT-NATURE grant is a funding opportunity under the EU's Programme for the Environment and Climate Action, specifically focused on nature and biodiversity. This call for proposals aims to support Standard Action Projects (SAP) that will contribute to the protection, maintenance, and restoration of the EU's natural capital in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. The program emphasizes ambitious conservation benefits, ensuring that projects are sustainable and replicable.

Eligible applicants include public, non-governmental, and private organizations such as startups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, and research institutes. The funding type is primarily through grants, specifically LIFE Project Grants and LIFE Action Grants. The funding amount for the LIFE-2025-SAP-NAT-NATURE topic has a total budget of approximately €153.4 million, while individual projects are typically expected to receive between €1 million and €5 million.

The application process is structured as a single-stage open call, with submissions due by September 23, 2025. Projects should be at a stage close to market readiness, implying that they must define and achieve significant environmental impacts while complying with relevant EU policies. Co-funding is required, with an expectation that applicants will cover at least 40% of project costs; thus, the EU grants can cover up to 60%.

The call documents provide detailed information on eligibility conditions, evaluation processes, and legal stipulations associated with the grants. It is also highlighted that projects focusing solely on governance and information will not be covered under this call but directed to a separate topic, LIFE-2025-SAP-NAT-GOV.

Overall, the LIFE-2025-SAP-NAT-NATURE grant represents a significant opportunity for organizations engaged in environmental conservation to secure funding for impactful projects aligned with EU objectives for nature and biodiversity. Applicants are encouraged to utilize various resources, including FAQs and National Contact Points, to navigate the application process efficiently.

The EU Funding Opportunity LIFE-2025-SAP-NAT-NATURE is a call for proposals under the Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE). It falls under the Nature & Biodiversity - Standard Action Projects (SAP) category. The type of action is a LIFE Project Grant (LIFE-PJG), utilizing a LIFE Action Grant Budget-Based model grant agreement (LIFE-AG).

The call is currently open for submission with a single-stage deadline model. The opening date was April 24, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is September 23, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected impact of the projects should include ambitious and credible impacts in terms of conservation benefit, ensuring long-term sustainability and replication. Applicants are expected to define, calculate, and explain these impacts.

The objective of this call is to contribute to European Union objectives for the protection, maintenance, and restoration of the Union’s natural capital in its marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems.

The scope of the call targets Standard Action Projects (SAP) aimed at achieving the objectives of the LIFE Nature and Biodiversity sub-programme. This includes supporting the development, implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of EU legislation and policy on nature and biodiversity, as defined in sections 1 and 2 of the Call document. Projects focusing exclusively on governance and information are excluded and are covered by the LIFE-2025-SAP-NAT-GOV call topic.

Conditions for application include:

1. Admissibility Conditions: The proposal page limit and layout are described in section 5 of the call document and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
2. Eligible Countries: Eligibility is described in section 6 of the call document.
3. Other Eligible Conditions: These are described in section 6 of the call document.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: Details are in section 7 of the call document.
5a. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes are described in section 8 of the call document and the Online Manual.
5b. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in section 9 of the call document.
5c. Evaluation and award: The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in section 4 of the call document.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants is described in section 10 of the call document.

The call document and annexes include:

The call document itself.
Application form templates:
Standard application form available in the Submission System.
Detailed budget table (LIFE).
Participant information (LIFE).
Maps (LIFE).
Description of sites (LIFE).
Description of species and habitats (LIFE).
Model Grant Agreements (MGA):
LIFE MGA.

Additional documents include:

FAQs in the LIFE website.
LIFE Regulation 2021/783.
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509.
EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement.
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual.
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions.
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview for 2025 includes two topics:

LIFE-2025-SAP-NAT-GOV: LIFE Project Grants with a budget of 3,500,000 EUR, single-stage, opening on April 24, 2025, and closing on September 23, 2025.
LIFE-2025-SAP-NAT-NATURE: LIFE Project Grants with a budget of 153,400,000 EUR, single-stage, opening on April 24, 2025, and closing on September 23, 2025.

There are 35 partner search announcements available. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests for collaboration.

To start the submission process, applicants should access the Electronic Submission Service via the submission button, selecting the appropriate type of action and model grant agreement. Existing draft proposals can be accessed through the Funding & Tenders Portal. Applicants can select either LIFE Project Grants (LIFE-PJG) or LIFE Action Grant Budget-Based (LIFE-AG) as the type of submission.

For support, applicants are advised to:

Read all provisions carefully before preparing the application.
Consult the FAQs on the LIFE website.
Contact their National Contact Point (NCP) and consider adding the NCP as a contact person in the application.
Refer to the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ for submission of proposals.
Contact the IT Helpdesk for technical questions.
Use the Online Manual for a step-by-step guide through the Portal processes.

In summary, this EU funding opportunity, LIFE-2025-SAP-NAT-NATURE, is a call for Standard Action Projects aimed at supporting nature and biodiversity within the LIFE program. It seeks projects that contribute to the protection, maintenance, and restoration of the EU's natural capital. The call has a substantial budget of 153.4 million EUR. The application process involves a single stage, with a deadline in September 2025. Applicants need to carefully follow the guidelines provided in the call document and related annexes, ensuring their proposals align with the objectives and scope of the LIFE Nature and Biodiversity sub-programme. Projects should demonstrate ambitious and credible conservation benefits with long-term sustainability and replication potential. The EU provides ample resources and support channels, including FAQs, National Contact Points, and an IT Helpdesk, to assist applicants throughout the application process.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the nature of the LIFE program and the focus on nature and biodiversity, eligible applicants could include a range of entities such as: NGOs, governmental organizations, research institutions, universities, environmental agencies, and other organizations involved in environmental and conservation projects. The mention of LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants suggests that a variety of organizations and individuals with a public profile can apply.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a LIFE Project Grant (LIFE-PJG) and LIFE Action Grant Budget-Based [LIFE-AG]. The call falls under the Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE).

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the presence of a partner search announcement section suggests that consortia are possible and perhaps encouraged. The mention of adding NCPs under the "Participants" step also indicates the possibility of multiple participants.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, given that it is a LIFE program call, it is likely targeted towards entities within the European Union. The objective of contributing to European Union objectives for the protection, maintenance, and restoration of the Union’s natural capital suggests a focus on the EU.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is nature and biodiversity. The call aims to support the development, implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of EU legislation and policy on nature and biodiversity. It focuses on projects that contribute to the protection, maintenance, and restoration of the Union’s natural capital in its marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned. The focus is on the European Union and its objectives.

Project Stage: The call targets Standard Action Projects (SAP), indicating that the projects should be at a stage where they are ready for implementation and action, rather than just research or idea phase. The projects should support the development, implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of EU legislation and policy.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary by topic. For LIFE-2025-SAP-NAT-GOV, the budget is EUR 3,500,000. For LIFE-2025-SAP-NAT-NATURE, the budget is EUR 153,400,000.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by "Open For Submission." The deadline model is single-stage.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of LIFE Project Grants (LIFE-PJG) and LIFE Action Grants Budget-Based [LIFE-AG].

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage, meaning applicants submit a full proposal at once.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the LIFE Programme for the Environment and Climate Action, specifically targeting the Nature and Biodiversity sub-programme. The call aims to fund Standard Action Projects (SAP) that contribute to the protection, maintenance, and restoration of the EU's natural capital in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. The call is structured around two main topics: LIFE-2025-SAP-NAT-GOV, with a budget of EUR 3,500,000, and LIFE-2025-SAP-NAT-NATURE, with a budget of EUR 153,400,000. Projects focusing exclusively on governance and information are directed towards the LIFE-2025-SAP-NAT-GOV topic, while the LIFE-2025-SAP-NAT-NATURE topic covers broader nature and biodiversity initiatives.

The call is open for submission with a deadline of September 23, 2025. Applicants are expected to define and achieve ambitious and credible conservation benefits, ensuring long-term sustainability and replication of their projects. The application process is single-stage and requires electronic submission through the Funding & Tenders Portal.

The call documents provide detailed information on admissibility conditions, eligible countries, evaluation and award processes, and the legal and financial setup of the grants. Applicants are encouraged to consult the FAQs, contact their National Contact Point (NCP) for support, and use the available online resources for proposal preparation. The opportunity also facilitates partner searches, allowing organizations and individuals to collaborate on project proposals. This call is a significant opportunity for entities involved in environmental conservation to secure funding for projects that align with EU nature and biodiversity objectives.