Projects on Legislative and Policy Priorities in the fields of Nature & Biodiversity and Circular Economy & Quality of Life

LIFE-2026 is a single-stage call under the LIFE Programme managed by CINEA for projects addressing legislative and policy priorities in nature, biodiversity, circular economy and quality of life, with an indicative budget of €13.5 million and a submission deadline of 22 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The call defines five distinct priorities (digitalising environmental assessments, protecting primary and old-growth forests, analytical methods to distinguish virgin and recycled polymers, reducing scrubber discharges to marine waters, and capacity-building for Montenegro and North Macedonia) with specific consortium, duration and maximum EU contribution limits per priority. Eligible applicants are legal entities established in EU/EEA or associated countries, grants are budget-based LIFE Project Grants at up to 90% co-financing, and proposals will be evaluated on Relevance, Impact, Quality and Resources against defined thresholds.

What this call funds

Purpose and scope

Top‑down LIFE Projects for addressing ad hoc Legislative and Policy priorities (PLP) supporting implementation of Union environment, nature and circular‑economy policy. Proposals must target one specific priority defined in the call and deliver policy‑relevant results (pilots, mapping, protocols, capacity building, awareness, training, evidence and toolkits).

Key priorities LIFE-2026:Digitising environmental impact assessments and permitting; preserving primary and old‑growth forest (mapping and awareness); analytical methods to distinguish virgin vs recycled polymers at customs; reducing discharges from ship exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers); capacity‑building for authorities in Montenegro and North Macedonia ¹.

Who can apply

Public or private legal entities established in eligible countries:EU Member States, overseas countries/territories linked to the EU, countries associated to the LIFE programme and international organisations. Natural persons are not eligible. Consortia are required for most topics (minimum three participants from three eligible countries for several topics) — check specific priority rules in the call document.

Funding, rates and deadlines

Single‑stage LIFE Project Grants (LIFE-PJG) under LIFE Action Grant Budget-Based model. Funding rate up to 90% of eligible costs; maximum EU contributions vary by priority (see table). Call opening 21 April 2026. Deadline for submission 22 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time.

1. 1Open: 21 April 2026
2. 2Deadline: 22 September 2026 (17:00 Brussels time)
3. 3Submission: Funding & Tenders Portal (electronic only)

Typical project size and duration

Maximum EU contribution and project duration are set per priority (examples in the call:up to €8 million and 48 months for the polymers analytical protocol; up to €2 million and 24 months for e‑permitting pilots). See Section 2 of the Call document for the exact ceiling for each specific priority.

How applications are assessed

Standard LIFE evaluation:admissibility and eligibility checks, then scored on Relevance, Impact, Quality and Resources (individual thresholds and overall pass mark). Evaluators expect quantified impacts and clear exploitation/replication plans.

Where to apply and guidance

Submit electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the LIFE application templates and Annexes. Use National Contact Points and CINEA applicant support resources for guidance and partner search.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call document and the description of each specific priority (activities, expected impacts, consortium requirements, maximum EU contributions and detailed eligibility rules) are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal topic page LIFE-2026-PLP-NAT-ENV topic page.

Basic facts and timelines

Call title:LIFE Projects for addressing ad hoc Legislative and Policy priorities (PLP). Topic identifier: LIFE-2026. Programme: LIFE — Programme for the Environment and Climate Action. Type of action: LIFE Project Grants (LIFE-PJG) under a LIFE Action Grant Budget-Based Model Grant Agreement (LIFE-AG). Opening date: 21 April 2026. Deadline: 22 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time (single-stage submission). Submission channel: Funding & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (online only). Call documentation: Call document, application form templates and annexes available from the Portal and referenced call fiche ¹.

Deadline (Brussels time):22 September 2026, 17:00:00

Scope, objectives and specific priorities (what the call will fund)

Purpose:The call funds targeted Other Action projects (Policy and Legislative Priority Projects — PLP) that address specific Union environmental and policy needs identified annually in consultation with Member States and reflected in the LIFE Multiannual Work Programme 2025-2027 (Article 11 of LIFE Regulation 2021/783). Projects are top-down: each proposal must address exactly one of the specific priorities listed for this topic. The call document (Section 2) specifies, for each priority, the needs to be addressed, eligible activities, expected impacts, consortium requirements, duration and maximum EU contribution.

1. 1Digitising Environmental Impact Assessments and permitting procedures: pilots across regions covering three or more Member States, interoperability and AI/data analytics, public engagement and training; duration 24 months; funding rate 90%; maximum EU contribution €2 million; consortium must include competent authorities of the regions/territories and entities from at least three different EU Member States.
2. 2Preserving primary and old-growth forest in critical regions of Europe through mapping and awareness raising: development of mapping methodologies, remote sensing plus ground truthing, awareness/training and pilot funding model demonstration; geographic focus: Boreal region, Romania and Bulgaria; duration 36 months; funding rate 90%; maximum EU contribution €1.5 million.
3. 3Development and implementation of analytical methodology to distinguish between virgin and recycled polymers at customs controls: develop and validate protocols (priority PET, then PE, PP, PS), round-robin testing with minimum three labs per protocol, library of reference samples, implementation with customs labs across major plastics-converting Member States (Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Poland, Belgium, Netherlands); duration 48 months; funding rate 90%; maximum EU contribution €8 million.
4. 4Support for reducing discharges into marine waters from exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers) installed onboard ships: consolidated evidence, mapping restrictions, socio-economic assessments, capacity building, regional and IMO-level engagement, stakeholder consultation and communication; consortium from at least three EU Member States; duration 36 months; funding rate 90%; maximum EU contribution €1 million.
5. 5Capacity-building of authorities in Montenegro and North Macedonia: needs analysis, tailored support to National Contact Points and public authorities, training on LIFE and related funding, support to applicants and proposal quality; one project per country (maximum one per country); duration 12–24 months; funding rate 90%; maximum EU contribution €0.5 million per country.

Available budget and indicative allocation

Total available call budget:€18 000 000 for 2026. Topic-specific indicative contributions: LIFE-2026: €13 500 000; LIFE-2026-PLP-ENER-GOV: €2 000 000; LIFE-2026-PLP-ENER-COMPLIANCE: €2 500 000. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all funds or to redistribute them between priorities depending on proposals received.

Eligibility and applicant types

Eligible applicants:legal persons (public or private) established in eligible countries. Eligible country scope: EU Member States (including OCTs), EEA and countries associated to the LIFE Programme according to the list set out in the call document. International organisations are eligible. Natural persons are NOT eligible except self-employed sole traders where national law treats them as legal entities. Exceptional participation by entities from other countries (not in the eligible list) may be allowed only when essential to achieve action objectives as defined in the call document.

Eligible applicant types (examples):Eligible: public authorities, research institutes, universities, NGOs, SMEs, large enterprises, international organisations, consortiums including competent authorities. Not eligible: private individuals (except self-employed/freelancers formally constituted as legal entities) ¹.

Funding characteristics and financial rules

Form of funding:budget-based mixed actual-cost action grant (LIFE-AG). Maximum funding rate: generally 90% of eligible costs (see specific priority text for maximum EU contribution ceilings). The grant reimburses eligible actual costs and may include unit costs and flat-rate elements where appropriate (personnel unit rates, SME owner daily unit costs, volunteer unit costs, etc.). Grants do not generate profit; any project revenues must be declared and may reduce the grant. Beneficiaries must respect EU Financial Regulation rules and the LIFE Model Grant Agreement (MGA) applicable to 2021–2027 programmes.

1. 1Maximum funding rate: 90% (standard for these PLP actions).
2. 2Maximum EU contribution varies by specific priority: €2 million (digitising EIA), €1.5 million (old-growth forests), €8 million (polymer analytical methodologies), €1 million (scrubbers), €0.5 million per country (capacity-building for Montenegro or North Macedonia).
3. 3Form of grant: budget-based (actual costs) with specific budget categories: personnel (employees, seconded persons, SME owners, volunteers), subcontracting, purchases (travel, equipment, other goods/services), financial support to third parties (if authorised), land purchase (only where explicitly authorised and meeting strict conditions).
4. 4Prefinancing and payment schedule: single-stage submission; prefinancing, interim and final payments are managed through the Portal and the Grant Agreement timetable (see call datasheet).
5. 5Cost eligibility: standard LIFE eligibility rules apply (costs actually incurred in project period, necessary for implementation, identifiable, recorded in accounts and compliant with applicable law); detailed budget and detailed budget table (annex) mandatory.

Consortium and partnership requirements

Consortium requirements vary by specific priority. General rules:beneficiaries and any affiliated entities must be legal entities registered in eligible countries and validated in the Participant Register before submission. Where the call text specifies minimum partners, they are mandatory (for example: digitising EIA requires entities from at least three different EU Member States and inclusion of competent authorities of the target regions; scrubber project requires at least three applicants from three Member States; polymer methodology requires laboratory network across specific Member States). For the Montenegro and North Macedonia capacity-building project the competent national authority should in principle participate as coordinator (or at least be part of the consortium).

Geographic eligibility and target countries

Beneficiary geographic scope:applicants established in EU Member States, EEA and countries associated to LIFE. Some specific priorities have defined geographic target areas for activity implementation (e.g. Boreal region, Romania and Bulgaria for old-growth forest mapping; customs labs across Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Poland, Belgium, Netherlands for polymer protocols; capacity-building activities must take place in Montenegro and North Macedonia respectively). Activities outside eligible countries are allowed only if essential and necessary for achieving EU objectives and effectiveness of interventions in eligible countries.

Target sectors and technological focus

Call topics intersect multiple thematic sectors:nature and biodiversity, circular economy and quality of life, environmental governance, maritime pollution, customs and enforcement, analytical chemistry and laboratory science, digitalisation of environmental assessments (including AI and data analytics), geospatial mapping and remote sensing, capacity-building and public administration. Primary targeted sectors include Nature & Biodiversity, Circular Economy/Waste and Quality of Life, Environment, Transport (maritime), ICT/digitalisation, and Analytical/Physical Chemistry for polymer analysis.

Project maturity, expected duration and stage

Project maturity expected:mostly development, demonstration and implementation stages (applied pilots, validation, capacity-building and technical deployment). Specific durations indicated per priority: digitising EIA 24 months; old-growth forest mapping 36 months; polymer analytical protocol development and deployment 48 months; scrubber discharge support project 36 months; Montenegro/North Macedonia capacity building 12–24 months. Projects are action-oriented and must include dissemination, training and sustainability/legacy components.

Application process, required documents and templates

Application type:open single-stage call (one-stage submission). Proposals submitted only via the Funding & Tenders Portal using the Portal templates (Part A built into the Submission System screens; Part B must be downloaded, completed as PDF and uploaded). Page limits: Part B maximum 50 pages (evaluators will disregard additional pages). Required annexes: detailed budget table (LIFE), participant information form (LIFE), and optional annexes such as letters of support, maps, description of sites where applicable. Model Grant Agreement (LIFE MGA), Annexes and additional reference documents (LIFE Multiannual Work Programme 2025–2027, LIFE Regulation, EU Financial Regulation, annotated MGA guidance, online manual) must be consulted during preparation.

Application templates and structure:Mandatory templates to use from the Portal: Standard application form (LIFE TA CAP, TA-R, PLP and BEST) — Part A (online) and Part B (technical description); Detailed Budget Table (LIFE) (Excel); Participant Information (Word template). Optional annexes: Letters of support, Maps (LIFE), Description of sites (LIFE). Use the Portal Online Manual and follow formatting rules: A4, Arial 10 minimum, margins >=15 mm, Part B page limit 50, and do not remove template instructions.

Evaluation, award criteria and process

Evaluation:one-stage submission and one-step evaluation by an evaluation committee assisted by independent external experts. Admissibility and eligibility checks precede merit evaluation. Award criteria (scored and weighted): Relevance (0–20 points), Impact (0–20, weighting 1.5), Quality (0–20), Resources (0–20). Individual thresholds: minimum 10/20 per criterion; overall threshold after weighting: 55/90 points. Ranking: highest passing score per specific priority then other passing proposals; tie-breakers use Impact, Relevance, Quality, Resources scores in that order. Indicative evaluation timeline: results January 2027; grant signature April/May 2027.

1. 1Admissibility: Part B page limit and layout rules; submission via Portal templates only.
2. 2Eligibility: applicants must meet legal status and country eligibility; natural persons not eligible (except self-employed where lawful).
3. 3Operational and financial capacity: evaluators assess operational capacity; financial capacity checks performed for coordinators unless public body or grant <= €60 000.
4. 4Certificates: Certificate on the Financial Statements (CFS) may be required depending on thresholds and final payments.

Selection stages, number of stages and success rates

Submission model:single-stage (submit full proposal). Evaluation stages: 1 (one-stage evaluation). There is no pre-announced overall success rate; selection depends on quality of proposals against criteria and available budget. For most specific priorities the contracting authority expects to award one grant per priority (priorities 1–4) and up to two grants for priority 5 (one per country) — however the Agency reserves the right not to award all funds.

Co-funding and financial obligations

Co-funding requirement:because the funding rate is 90% of eligible costs, beneficiaries must provide the remaining co-financing (minimum 10%) from their own or third-party sources. Beneficiaries must demonstrate financial and operational capacity and will be subject to the usual LIFE grant financial checks, recovery rules, audit and reporting obligations (see LIFE MGA). Prefinancing guarantees and staged prefinancing may be required depending on financial assessment.

Nature of support and outputs expected

Nature of support:financial grants (budget-based) to implement projects with concrete pilots, demonstrations, technical protocol development, mapping outputs, training, capacity building and stakeholder engagement. Non-monetary outputs expected include methodologies, digital platforms/pilots, mapping shapefiles and online maps, training materials, guidance documents, policy briefs, stakeholder toolkits, dissemination and communication products and databases. Financial support to third parties (e.g. small sub-grants) is allowed only where explicitly authorised in the call conditions and subject to strict rules.

Application checklist and practical recommendations

1. 1Register all beneficiaries in the Participant Register and ensure legal entity validation (LEAR) ahead of submission.
2. 2Use the Portal templates for Part B (technical description) and the Detailed Budget Table (LIFE). Do not use older offline examples; use the templates available in the Submission System for this call.
3. 3Provide mandatory Annexes: Detailed budget table (LIFE), Participant information (LIFE). Include optional annexes (letters of support, maps, site descriptions) if relevant.
4. 4Respect the Part B 50-page limit and formatting rules: A4, Arial 10 (min), margins at least 15 mm.
5. 5If your project uses AI, data processing or cross-border data flows, justify data storage and processing locations (EU/EEA preferred) and demonstrate compliance with data protection and security rules.
6. 6For projects involving laboratories or analytical protocol development, include round-robin testing plans, quality assurance and plans for transfer/uptake by customs or competent labs.
7. 7For projects involving national authorities (e.g. permitting pilots, capacity building), ensure participation of the competent authorities in the consortium and obtain letters of support where appropriate.

Templates and structure of the application form

Application structure:Part A (administrative) — completed in Portal online screens including coordinator and participant data, summary budget and declarations. Part B (technical) — downloadable Word/PDF template (LIFE TA CAP/TA-R/PLP/BEST template) to be completed and re-uploaded as a PDF. Mandatory annexes: Detailed budget table (Excel), Participant information template (Word). Optional annexes: Letters of support (no specific template), Maps (LIFE), Description of sites (LIFE). The Portal Online Manual must be followed for step-by-step submission guidance.

Evaluation and post-submission procedures

After submission:admissibility and eligibility checks then merit evaluation against award criteria. Applicants will receive an evaluation result letter. Successful proposals will be invited to grant preparation where legal entity validation, financial capacity checks and any required certificates or prefinancing guarantees will be requested. Grant signature follows successful preparation and final checks. If applicants consider the evaluation flawed they may submit a complaint as specified in the evaluation result letter and Portal Terms and Conditions.

Co-funding, revenues and no-profit rule

Co-funding:applicants must cover at least the non-funded portion (commonly 10% when funding rate is 90%) from their own or third-party resources. Projects must declare any project revenues; the LIFE MGA no-profit rule applies, and revenues may reduce the final grant amount. Beneficiaries must keep full financial records and supporting documentation for audits and checks.

Key legal and operational references (must be consulted)

• Call document LIFE-2026-PLP (Call fiche and full call document) — detailed scope, eligibility, award criteria and templates.
• LIFE Model Grant Agreement (MGA) — legal and financial conditions of the grant (MGA LIFE-AG).
• Detailed budget table (LIFE) template and Participant Information template (LIFE).
• LIFE Multiannual Work Programme 2025–2027; LIFE Regulation 2021/783; EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 and related guidance and online manual on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

The LIFE call documents and templates should be used as the authoritative source for final proposal preparation. Applicants must consult the Call document Section 2 for per-priority detailed requirements (activities that can be funded, expected impacts, specific consortium or geographic constraints and output/impact indicators) and Section 6–10 for eligibility, financial capacity, evaluation and grant management rules ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Call document, templates and Annexes available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal topic page for LIFE-2026: ec.europa.eu

Funding Opportunity Overview

This is a call for proposals under the LIFE Programme (Programme for Environment and Climate Action) targeting specific legislative and policy priorities in nature, biodiversity, circular economy and quality of life. The call is managed by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) and offers €13.5 million in total funding for the LIFE-2026 topic, with a single-stage submission process and a deadline of 22 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time.

Call Details

Call Identifier:LIFE-2026

Opening Date:21 April 2026

Submission Deadline:22 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time

Total Available Budget:€13,500,000

Type of Action:LIFE Project Grants (LIFE-PJG)

Grant Model:LIFE Action Grant Budget-Based (LIFE-AG)

Specific Priorities and Funding Allocations

The call addresses five specific priorities. For priorities 1 to 4, the contracting authority expects to award only one grant per priority. For priority 5, either one grant covering both Montenegro and North Macedonia or a maximum of two grants (one per country) may be awarded. ¹

Priority 1: Digitising Environmental Assessments and Permitting Procedures

Objective:Streamline environmental assessment processes under different EU legislation (SEA Directive, EIA Directive, Habitats and Birds Directives, Water Framework Directive, Industrial Emissions Directive) by introducing digital tools and standardising data collection and sharing. The project will enhance transparency, reduce time and costs, and support capacity building for Member State authorities.

Scope:Implement pilots in regions covering at least three Member States to test standardised digital tools and platforms, ensure seamless interoperability across borders, integrate AI and data analytics, and provide training and capacity building for public authorities. Budget for training and capacity building should be limited to 10 percent of total budget.

Consortium Requirements:Must include competent authorities from at least three different EU Member States. Technological partners with digitalisation expertise and environmental assessment experts are recommended.

Project Duration:24 months

Maximum Funding Rate and EU Contribution:90 percent funding rate; maximum €2 million EU contribution

Priority 2: Preserving Primary and Old-Growth Forest in Critical Regions of Europe

Objective:Support protection of primary and old-growth forests in line with EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and Nature Restoration Regulation. Focus on critical regions with highest representation: Boreal region, Romania and Bulgaria. Develop mapping methodologies, demonstrate cost-effective mapping using remote sensing, promote stakeholder understanding, and explore funding mechanisms including nature credits.

Scope:Develop support tools and methods for mapping primary and old-growth forests in at least two relevant forest types; demonstrate mapping in Boreal region, Romania and Bulgaria; conduct awareness-raising and training campaigns; implement small-scale demonstration of funding model for long-term forest protection. Outputs must include reports on tools and methods, online maps with shapefiles, awareness campaign reports, and recommendations for upscaling.

Consortium Requirements:Not specifically restricted. Research organisations in targeted countries and competent authorities where mapping demonstration occurs are recommended.

Project Duration:36 months

Maximum Funding Rate and EU Contribution:90 percent funding rate; maximum €1.5 million EU contribution

Priority 3: Development and Implementation of Analytical Methodology to Distinguish Virgin and Recycled Polymers

Objective:Develop and test comprehensive analytical methodologies to verify whether consignments declared as recycled plastic (PET, PE, PP, PS) at customs controls are genuinely recycled. Close collaboration with EU Member States customs authorities is essential to ensure alignment with national enforcement practices and facilitate practical uptake.

Scope:Develop four protocol packages addressing PET, PE, PP and PS materials. Package 1 refines existing DISTINGO protocol for PET through Round Robin tests in minimum three labs with at least 100 samples per lab. Packages 2-4 develop new protocols combining chemistry and AI routes with physical routes using hyperspectral optics. All packages include Round Robin testing and promotion of protocol testing in customs labs of Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Poland, Belgium and Netherlands. Create library of sample sets for baseline analysis. Achieve minimum 97 percent success rate in verification.

Consortium Requirements:Must include laboratories with expertise in chemistry for substances and molecular mass characterization, hyperspectral optics and thermodynamics. Effective collaboration and communication among participating labs and customs authorities of targeted Member States is mandatory.

Project Duration:48 months

Maximum Funding Rate and EU Contribution:90 percent funding rate; maximum €8 million EU contribution

Priority 4: Support for Reducing Discharges into Marine Waters from Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems

Objective:Support development and uptake of effective restrictions on scrubber water discharges at EU level while increasing awareness of negative environmental, health and socio-economic impacts. Consolidate knowledge on environmental and socio-economic impacts, disseminate evidence and best practices, coordinate technical and advocacy efforts at regional and international levels, and engage with non-EU states at IMO level.

Scope:Map pollutants and effects on marine life; assess socio-economic and human health impacts based on two to three case study regions; analyse existing restrictions in EU and non-EU states and develop publicly accessible database; organise best-practice workshops in six to eight EU states without national restrictions; provide tailored expertise and capacity-building to four to six interested Member States; support regional collaboration through HELCOM, OSPAR and Barcelona Convention; organise stakeholder consultation in Brussels with at least 60 participants; draft evidence-based policy briefs for IMO; develop public website and communication strategy; establish exploitation and legacy plan. Optional activities include targeted training for port authorities and development of online cost-benefit tool.

Consortium Requirements:Minimum three applicants from three different EU Member States. Demonstrated knowledge and experience in marine environmental policy, shipping-related pollution, port regulation and scientific or socio-economic impact assessment required. Balanced composition covering legal/policy, scientific, technical, stakeholder engagement and communication capacities recommended. Geographic coverage including Member States with significant scrubber traffic or existing restrictions preferred.

Project Duration:36 months

Maximum Funding Rate and EU Contribution:90 percent funding rate; maximum €1 million EU contribution

Priority 5: Capacity-Building of Authorities in Montenegro and North Macedonia

Objective:Support authorities in Montenegro and North Macedonia in improving effective participation in LIFE Programme and other EU funding programmes. Build capacity to reach and support potential applicants, increase participation in calls for proposals, and improve quality of submitted proposals across all four LIFE sub-programmes or focus on specific types most relevant to each country.

Scope:Conduct needs analysis to identify capacity improvement opportunities. Implement targeted communication campaigns on LIFE and other relevant EU funding programmes; provide training for National Contact Point staff with possible exchanges with experienced NCPs from other countries; deliver tailor-made workshops on proposal writing and consortium building; screen national environmental and climate priorities; implement actions to increase participation of applicants facing greater difficulties; reinforce mainstreaming of environmental and climate actions into other sectors; procure external experts to address ad-hoc gaps.

Consortium Requirements:Competent national authority responsible for LIFE programme implementation should participate as coordinator or in justified alternative capacity but must be part of consortium. LIFE National Contact Points must be closely involved. Maximum one project per country will be funded.

Project Duration:12 to 24 months

Maximum Funding Rate and EU Contribution:90 percent funding rate; maximum €0.5 million EU contribution per country

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Participants and Countries

Applicants must be legal entities (public or private bodies) established in eligible countries: EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories), EEA countries and countries associated to the LIFE Programme. The coordinator must be established in an eligible country. Natural persons are not eligible except self-employed persons (sole traders). International organisations are eligible. EU bodies (except Joint Research Centre) cannot participate. ²

Consortium Composition

Specific consortium requirements vary by priority. Priority 1 requires competent authorities from at least three different EU Member States. Priority 4 requires minimum three applicants from three different EU Member States. Priority 5 requires the competent national authority responsible for LIFE implementation to participate. Associated partners, subcontractors and third parties giving in-kind contributions may participate but cannot charge costs.

Exclusion Grounds

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, creation under different jurisdiction to circumvent legal obligations, or intentional resistance to investigations or audits.

Financial and Operational Capacity

Applicants must have stable and sufficient resources to successfully implement projects and contribute their share. Financial capacity checks are normally conducted for all coordinators except public bodies and international organisations, and except if project requested grant amount does not exceed €60,000. Applicants must demonstrate know-how, qualifications and resources to successfully implement projects, including sufficient experience in projects of comparable size and nature. This is assessed together with the Resources award criterion.

Submission and Evaluation Process

Submission Method:Electronic submission via EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Paper submissions are not accepted.

Application Components:Part A (administrative information) filled directly online; Part B (technical description) downloaded, completed and re-uploaded as PDF; Part C (additional project data); mandatory annexes including detailed budget table and participant information.

Page Limit:Maximum 50 pages for Part B. Evaluators will not consider additional pages.

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

Evaluation Procedure:Single-stage submission with one-step evaluation. Proposals checked for admissibility and eligibility, then evaluated against operational capacity and award criteria. Evaluation committee assisted by independent outside experts.

Award Criteria:Relevance (0-20 points), Impact (0-20 points), Quality (0-20 points), Resources (0-20 points). Individual thresholds: 10/20 points per criterion. Overall threshold: 55 points after weighting. Weighting: Relevance x1, Impact x1.5, Quality x1, Resources x1.

Indicative Timeline:Evaluation results: January 2027; Grant Agreement signature: April/May 2027

Grant Terms and Financial Conditions

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

Funding Rate:90 percent of eligible costs

Eligible Cost Categories:Personnel costs (employees, direct contracts, seconded persons, SME owners, natural persons, volunteers); Subcontracting costs; Purchase costs (travel and subsistence, equipment, other goods and services); Other cost categories (financial support to third parties, land purchase); Indirect costs (7 percent flat-rate of eligible direct costs)

Ineligible Costs:Return on capital and dividends, debt and debt service charges, provisions for future losses, interest owed, currency exchange losses, bank costs, excessive expenditure, deductible or refundable VAT, costs during grant suspension, costs declared under other EU grants (except Synergy actions), staff costs for normal administration activities, travel and subsistence for EU institution staff

No-Profit Rule:Grants may not produce profit. For-profit organisations must declare revenues and any profit will be deducted from final grant amount.

Prefinancing and Payments:Initial prefinancing paid 30 days from entry into force or financial guarantee submission (whichever latest). Interim payments made 90 days from receiving periodic reports. Final payment made 90 days from receiving final periodic report. Interim payment ceiling: 90 percent of maximum grant amount.

Late Payment Interest:ECB rate plus 3.5 percent

Certificates on Financial Statements:Required if beneficiary's requested EU contribution to costs is €500,000 or more

Reporting and Monitoring

Beneficiaries must submit continuous reporting through the Portal, including deliverables as specified in grant agreement. Periodic technical reports and financial statements required at intervals set in Data Sheet. Reporting language is the language of the Agreement. Record-keeping required for 5 years after final payment (or 3 years for grants not exceeding €60,000). Beneficiaries must keep records and supporting documents demonstrating eligibility and proper implementation of action.

Key Obligations and Requirements

• Proper implementation of action in accordance with Agreement and Annex 1
• Avoid conflicts of interest and declare any potential conflicts
• Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information and comply with security rules
• Respect ethics and EU values including fundamental rights and environmental standards
• Comply with data protection requirements and GDPR
• Respect intellectual property rights and ensure proper ownership of results
• Ensure visibility of EU funding through communication and dissemination activities
• Maintain records and supporting documents for audit and verification purposes
• Allow checks, reviews, audits and investigations by granting authority, OLAF, ECA and EPPO
• Inform granting authority immediately of events or circumstances affecting implementation
• Distribute payments to other beneficiaries without unjustified delay (coordinator responsibility)
• Comply with applicable EU, national and international law including public procurement rules

Consequences of Non-Compliance

Non-compliance with Agreement obligations may result in rejection of costs, grant reduction, payment suspension, grant agreement suspension or termination, and recovery of undue amounts. Beneficiaries may be subject to administrative sanctions. Joint and several liability applies for enforced recoveries in case of non-payment. Breaches by affiliated entities are handled same as beneficiary breaches.

Applicable Law and Dispute Settlement

Standard applicable law:EU law plus law of Belgium. For EU beneficiaries, disputes are settled by EU General Court (with appeal to EU Court of Justice). For non-EU beneficiaries, disputes are settled by courts of Brussels, Belgium unless international agreement provides for enforceability of EU court judgements. Special applicable law and dispute settlement regimes may apply to specific beneficiaries as set in Data Sheet.

Support and Resources

Applicants should consult the Call document, Model Grant Agreement, EU Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual and EU Grants AGA (Annotated Grant Agreement) for detailed guidance. National Contact Points (NCPs) provide support for proposal preparation. IT Helpdesk available for technical questions. LIFE database contains information on previously funded projects.

Important Considerations for Applicants

• Each project application must address only one specific priority; separate proposals required for multiple priorities
• Project acronym must include the word LIFE
• Proposals must be complete with all requested information and required annexes
• Amounts in online summarised budget table must correspond to detailed budget table amounts
• Coordinator remains fully responsible for coordination tasks even if delegated
• Coordinator tasks cannot be subcontracted
• Beneficiaries must have internal arrangements (consortium agreement if required) for proper operation and coordination
• For linked actions, arrangements with participants of other actions required
• Data stored and processed must be within EU/EEA with appropriate safeguards
• AI tools preference for EU/EEA hosted and operated infrastructure
• Project data must not be used to train external AI models without prior granting authority agreement
• All public deliverables must be available in English and at least two other EU official languages (where applicable)
• Outputs must be in formats suitable for online accessibility and integration with DG ENV geospatial infrastructure (where applicable)

Footnotes

1. 1For specific priority 5, the contracting authority expects to award either one grant covering both Montenegro and North Macedonia or a maximum of two grants, one focused on Montenegro and one focused on North Macedonia, as stated in the call document section 2.
2. 2Beneficiaries and affiliated entities must register in the Participant Register before submitting the proposal and will be validated by the Central Validation Service (REA Validation). For validation, they will be requested to upload documents showing legal status and origin.