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

The LIFE-2025 grant is part of the EU's LIFE Programme, focusing on legislative and policy priorities in nature conservation, biodiversity, the circular economy, and quality of life. Eligible applicants include public and private legal entities based in the EU and associated countries, excluding individuals and certain third-country entities. The funding type is primarily action grants, specifically non-repayable financial support, with a funding rate of up to 95%. While single applicants can apply, multi-partner projects are encouraged, particularly those that enhance scalability. Geographically, the grant targets EU member states and associated countries, although participation from third countries is restricted. The grant focuses on several sectors including nature, biodiversity, waste reduction, and sustainable practices, aiming to implement EU environmental legislation and build capacity for ongoing initiatives. The total budget for this initiative is €600 million, with €238 million specifically allocated to this type of project. The application process is a single-stage open call, with submissions due by September 23, 2025. Proposals should align closely with EU environmental directives and demonstrate clear impact and scalability. Co-funding of 5% is inferred from the funding model. Resources for application include an array of documents and guidelines available through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, where applicants can also seek technical assistance. Overall, the grant supports projects that have a measurable impact on EU environmental policies and aims to finance efforts that address specific environmental challenges identified in consultation with member states. Applicants need to be thorough in defining the expected outcomes of their projects and adhere closely to submission criteria to ensure successful applications.

The LIFE-2025 call, under the Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE), focuses on LIFE Projects for addressing ad hoc Legislative and Policy priorities (PLP). It falls under the LIFE-PJG LIFE Project Grants type of action and utilizes the LIFE Action Grant Budget-Based [LIFE-AG] model grant agreement. 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 call aims to finance projects that support specific needs for the development and implementation of Union environment policy and legislation, as outlined in Article 11 of the LIFE Regulation 2021/783 and the LIFE Multi Annual Work Programme 2025-2027. The European Commission, in consultation with Member States, identifies these needs annually and selects projects that can address them. Projects should align with Union legislative and policy priorities, as indicated in Point 4.1.4 of the LIFE 2025-2027 Multi Annual Work Programme.

The scope of the call includes several specific priorities:

Strengthening foresters’ skills in biodiversity friendly forest management.

Capacity building on results-based payment schemes for the restoration of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes and implementation of the Nature Restoration Regulation.

Supporting local strategies for an efficient and balanced use of space towards sustainable, beautiful, and inclusive neighbourhoods.

Strengthening the fight against environmental crime in the EU and supporting the implementation of the new Environmental Crime Directive.

Participation of consumer organisations and environmental NGOs in the implementation of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).

Circular Business Model Mainstreaming - Boosting the single market for sustainable products and services.

Climate Proof Pollution Alert model:relevant for the Water Resilience Strategy and Zero Pollution geared to transboundary cooperation on water pollution incidents.

Applicants are expected to define, qualify, and quantify the expected impacts of their proposals, aligning with the call document's Section 2 and the Award criterion ‘Impact’ described in Section 9.

The total budget for the LIFE-2025-PLP-ENER, LIFE-2025-PLP-URBAN, and LIFE-2025 topics is €23,800,000.

Conditions for application include:

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.

Eligible Countries:Eligibility is described in Section 6 of the call document.

Other Eligible Conditions:These are described in Section 6 of the call document.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion:Details are in Section 7 of the call document.

Evaluation and award:The submission and evaluation processes are detailed in Section 8 of the call document and the Online Manual.

Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds:These are described in Section 9 of the call document.

Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement:This is described in Section 4 of the call document.

Legal and financial set-up of the grants:Details are in Section 10 of the call document.

Required documents and annexes include:

Call document.

Standard application form (LIFE TA CAP, TA-R, PLP, and BEST), available in the Submission System.

Detailed budget table (LIFE).

Participant information (LIFE).

Optional letters of support.

Other optional annexes like maps and site descriptions.

LIFE MGA (Model Grant Agreement).

LIFE Multiannual Work Programme 2025-2027.

LIFE Regulation 2021/783.

EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509.

Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment, and Financial Capacity Assessment.

EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement.

Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual.

Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions.

Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

There are 31 partner search announcements available for collaboration on this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

To submit a proposal, applicants must access the Electronic Submission Service via the submission button, selecting the appropriate type of action and model grant agreement.

Applicants are advised to consult the FAQs on the LIFE website and contact their National Contact Point (NCP) for support. The Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ and IT Helpdesk are also available for technical assistance.

In summary, this LIFE call invites projects that directly contribute to addressing specific legislative and policy priorities related to environment and climate action within the European Union. It targets projects that can demonstrate a clear and quantifiable impact on Union environmental policies, with a focus on areas such as biodiversity, sustainable resource use, and environmental crime. Applicants need to carefully review the call documents and adhere to the specified conditions and guidelines to ensure their proposals are eligible and competitive.

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 priorities outlined, it can be inferred that eligible applicants may include a variety of entities such as public bodies, private organizations, research institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other actors involved in environmental and climate action. The reference to "foresters," "consumer organizations," and "environmental NGOs" suggests that these specific groups are encouraged to apply or participate.

Funding Type:The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically "LIFE Project Grants (LIFE-PJG)" and "LIFE Action Grant Budget-Based [LIFE-AG]".

Consortium Requirement:The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required. However, the presence of a "Partner search announcements" section suggests that collaborative projects involving multiple participants are possible and potentially encouraged. Therefore, either a single applicant or a consortium may be eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The geographic eligibility is not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, given that it is a LIFE program call and the priorities focus on Union environment policy and legislation, it can be inferred that the primary geographic focus is the European Union. The mention of consultation with Member States further reinforces this.

Target Sector:The target sectors for this program are primarily environment and climate action. More specifically, the call targets projects related to nature and biodiversity, circular economy, quality of life, energy, and urban development. Specific areas of focus include:

* Biodiversity-friendly forest management

* Results-based payment schemes for biodiversity restoration in agricultural landscapes

* Implementation of the Nature Restoration Regulation

* Sustainable, beautiful, and inclusive neighbourhoods

* Fighting environmental crime

* Implementation of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR)

* Circular business model mainstreaming

* Water Resilience Strategy and Zero Pollution initiatives

Mentioned Countries:No specific countries are mentioned, but the call is in consultation with Member States and focuses on Union environment policy and legislation, implying a focus on the European Union member states.

Project Stage:The project stage is not explicitly defined, but the call seems to target projects that support the development and implementation of existing Union environment policy and legislation. This suggests that the projects should be at the development, validation, or demonstration stage, rather than purely research-oriented.

Funding Amount:The total budget for the topics LIFE-2025-PLP-ENER, LIFE-2025-PLP-URBAN, and LIFE-2025 is €23,800,000. The indicative number of grants is not specified, so the funding amount per project is variable.

Application Type:The application type is an open call, as indicated by "Open For Submission" and the availability of the submission session. 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 is a call for proposals under the EU's LIFE Programme, specifically targeting projects that address ad hoc Legislative and Policy Priorities (PLP) in the areas of environment and climate action. The call aims to support the development and implementation of Union environment policy and legislation by financing projects that address specific needs identified in consultation with Member States. The total budget allocated to the call is €23,800,000, and the application process is single-stage with a deadline of September 23, 2025.

The call focuses on several key priorities, including strengthening foresters' skills in biodiversity-friendly forest management, capacity building for biodiversity restoration in agricultural landscapes, supporting local strategies for sustainable neighbourhoods, fighting environmental crime, promoting the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, mainstreaming circular business models, and implementing climate-proof pollution alert models for water resilience.

Eligible applicants can access the Electronic Submission Service through the Funding & Tenders Portal, where they can also find the application form, mandatory annexes (detailed budget table and participant information), optional annexes (letters of support, maps, site descriptions), and model grant agreements. Applicants are encouraged to consult the FAQs, contact their National Contact Point (NCP), and use the available online manuals and IT helpdesk for support during the application process. The call encourages collaboration, as evidenced by the partner search announcements, and emphasizes the importance of defining, qualifying, and quantifying the expected impacts of the proposed projects.