Strategic Nature Projects

The LIFE-2025-STRAT-NAT-SNAP-two-stage grant is part of the LIFE Programme aimed at supporting Strategic Nature Projects (SNAP) to implement EU biodiversity and climate action strategies. The funding opportunity encourages large-scale, coordinated projects that involve multiple stakeholders and requires a consortium approach, involving governments, NGOs, and other entities.

Eligible applicants include public authorities, non-profits, and consortia. The projects focus on environmental and biodiversity sectors, specifically marine ecosystems, habitat restoration, and air and water quality. The geographic scope primarily includes EU Member States like Bulgaria, Czechia, and Ireland, and possibly extends to EEA and candidate countries.

The funding amount for the call is €72 million for 2025, with individual project funding expected to range from €1 million to €5 million, based on previous allocations. Applications follow a two-stage process: a concept note submission by September 4, 2025, followed by a full proposal due by March 5, 2026.

Co-funding from other EU sources within the SNAP itself is not allowed, but projects should mobilize additional funding from other sources. Successful projects must demonstrate substantial contributions to targeted plans or strategies with established mechanisms for full implementation.

In summary, the grant opportunity supports collaborative projects that aim to achieve significant environmental impacts, promote sustainability, and contribute to EU nature policies. Applicants are encouraged to engage closely with the provided resources and guidelines to ensure a comprehensive application.

The funding opportunity is the LIFE-2025-STRAT-NAT-SNAP-two-stage, a LIFE Project Grant (LIFE-PJG) under the Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE). It falls under the call for Strategic Nature and Integrated Projects (SNAP/SIP) (LIFE-2025-STRAT-two-stage). The type of Model Grant Agreement is LIFE Action Grant Budget-Based [LIFE-AG].

The call is open for submission and follows a two-stage deadline model. The opening date was 24 April 2025. The deadline for the first stage is 04 September 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time, and the deadline for the second stage is 05 March 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected impact by the end of the project is a substantial contribution to the implementation of the targeted plan/strategy, with mechanisms established to ensure full implementation. After the project, the goal is the full implementation of the plan/strategy. Applicants are expected to define, calculate, explain, and achieve these impacts as described in the Award criterion ‘Impact’ of the full proposal evaluation, detailed in the Call document.

The objective is to support the full implementation of the following plans and strategies:

1.  Prioritised Action Frameworks (PAFs) pursuant to Article 8 of Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (the Habitats Directive).
2.  National restoration plans pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 of the European Parliament and the Council on nature restoration.
3.  Other plans or strategies adopted at international, national, regional, or multiregional level by nature and biodiversity authorities and intrinsically linked to the implementation of EU nature and/or biodiversity policy or legislation (biodiversity strategy, pollinators initiative, invasive alien species regulation) and which foresee specific and measurable actions, or targets, with a clear timeline and budget.

The scope of the Strategic Nature Projects (SNAPs) is defined as follows:

A SNAP does not have to cover all actions foreseen in the strategy/plan or ensure that the strategy/plan will be fully implemented during its lifetime. However, it must include strategic actions to catalyse a process and mobilise supplementary commitments and funding that will lead, in due time, to the full implementation of the plan or strategy.

SNAPs should promote coordination with and mobilisation of other relevant Union, national, or private funding sources for the implementation of complementary measures or actions outside of the SNAP in the framework of the targeted plan or strategy, giving preference to Union funding. Co-funding within the SNAP itself may not come from other Union funding sources.

SNAPs should actively involve the main stakeholders necessary for the implementation of the targeted plan or strategy, including them in both the design and implementation of the project. This involvement is expected to be achieved by including them as associated beneficiaries of the SNAP, where possible and reasonable, or through their active participation in the implementation of the SNAP itself and/or of the complementary actions.

SNAPs should facilitate and result in the building up of strategic capacities among the competent authorities and stakeholders to ensure a long-term sustainability of project results and actions, and to ensure that they will be able to function as co-deliverers of the targeted plan or strategy after the end of the SNAP.

Depending on the needs of the given Member States (or regions) as identified in their PAFs or in other nature and biodiversity plans (which must be available by the time a SNAP full proposal is submitted), the set of measures to be included in a SNAP programme of actions shall include:

*  Institutional support and capacity building actions.
*  Mobilisation and coordination of additional finance for complementary actions, in particular from other EU funding instruments and programmes.

In addition, SNAPs:

*  Should also include concrete conservation and restoration measures, in particular where these cannot be supported through other EU funding programmes.
*  Shall also work to change (when applicable) the rules for other funds or adapting other policies/actions which might be leading to failure of the target plan/strategy.

SNAPs will be implemented based on a revolving programming mechanism structured in phases (i.e. Phase 1, Phase 2, etc.). Each phase should normally last at least 3 years, to reduce administrative burden, although duration might be shorter if properly justified.

The submission session was made available on 24 April 2025.

The conditions for this call are as follows:

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

The call document and annexes include:

*  Call document
*  Application form templates:
 *  Standard application form (LIFE SIP and SNAP) available in the Submission System
 *  Detailed budget table (LIFE)
 *  Participant information (LIFE)
 *  Maps (LIFE)
 *  Description of sites (LIFE)
 *  Description of species and habitats (LIFE)
 *  Implementation overview for the plan/strategy/action plan (LIFE SIP and SNAP)
 *  Complementary funding plan (LIFE SIP and SNAP)
 *  Complementary funding declaration (LIFE SIP and SNAP)
*  Model Grant Agreements (MGA):
 *  LIFE MGA
*  Additional documents:
 *  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

The budget for the LIFE-2025-STRAT-NAT-SNAP-two-stage topic is 72,000,000 EUR for the year 2025.

There are 28 partner search announcements available.

To start the submission process, applicants should click on the submission button next to the LIFE Project Grants [LIFE-PJG] and LIFE Action Grant Budget-Based [LIFE-AG] options.

Applicants are advised to carefully read all provisions before preparing their application, consult the FAQs on the LIFE website, and get in touch with their National Contact Point (NCP) for support. The IT Helpdesk and Online Manual are also available for technical and procedural questions.

In summary, this LIFE call focuses on Strategic Nature Projects (SNAPs) aimed at supporting the implementation of nature and biodiversity plans and strategies across EU Member States. It encourages projects that catalyse processes, mobilise funding, involve stakeholders, and build strategic capacities for long-term sustainability. The call provides substantial funding (72 million EUR) and follows a two-stage submission process, with the ultimate goal of achieving the full implementation of targeted plans and strategies related to nature restoration and biodiversity conservation. Applicants should carefully review the call documents and annexes, and engage with available support resources to prepare a strong and impactful proposal.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the nature of LIFE Strategic Nature Projects (SNAP), eligible applicants are likely to include a range of entities such as government bodies (national, regional, and local), NGOs, research institutions, universities, and other organizations involved in nature conservation and biodiversity. The call emphasizes the involvement of main stakeholders, suggesting a broad eligibility to ensure comprehensive implementation of targeted plans and strategies.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a LIFE Project Grant (LIFE-PJG) and a LIFE Action Grant Budget-Based [LIFE-AG].

Consortium Requirement: The call emphasizes the active involvement of main stakeholders, suggesting that a consortium approach is favored, if not required. The text mentions including stakeholders as associated beneficiaries "where possible and reasonable," indicating that while a single applicant might be theoretically possible, a consortium is strongly encouraged to ensure the comprehensive implementation of the targeted plan or strategy.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility appears to be focused on EU Member States, as the call refers to Prioritised Action Frameworks (PAFs) and national restoration plans, which are typically defined at the Member State or regional level within the EU. The reference to EU nature and biodiversity policy and legislation further reinforces this focus.

Target Sector: The target sector is environment, specifically nature and biodiversity. The call focuses on the implementation of plans and strategies related to the conservation of natural habitats, wild fauna and flora, nature restoration, biodiversity strategy, pollinators initiative, and invasive alien species regulation.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the call is targeted towards EU Member States and regions within those Member States.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is implementation and strategic capacity building. The call aims to support the full implementation of plans and strategies, suggesting that the projects should be at a stage where they are ready to be put into action and scaled up. The emphasis on catalyzing processes and mobilizing supplementary commitments and funding indicates a focus on projects that can drive long-term, sustainable change.

Funding Amount: The budget overview provides specific figures for different topics under the LIFE-2025-STRAT-two-stage call:
LIFE-2025-STRAT-CLIMA-SIP-two-stage: EUR 30,000,000
LIFE-2025-STRAT-ENV-SIP-two-stage: EUR 56,000,000
LIFE-2025-STRAT-NAT-SNAP-two-stage: EUR 72,000,000
These figures represent the total budget allocated to each topic, and the indicative number of grants is not specified.

Application Type: The application type is a two-stage open call. The opening date for submissions is April 24, 2025, with a first-stage deadline on September 4, 2025, and a second-stage deadline on March 5, 2026.

Nature of Support: 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 structured in two stages.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The call specifies that co-funding may not come from other Union funding sources within the SNAP itself. However, SNAPs shall promote the coordination with and mobilization of other relevant Union, national or private funding sources for the implementation of complementary measures or actions outside of the SNAP in the framework of the targeted plan or strategy, giving preference to Union funding. This suggests that while co-funding from other EU sources is prohibited within the SNAP, mobilization of complementary funding from other sources is expected for related actions.

Summary:
This opportunity is a call for proposals under the LIFE Programme, specifically targeting Strategic Nature Projects (SNAP) and Strategic Integrated Projects (SIP) for the year 2025. The call, LIFE-2025-STRAT-two-stage, aims to support the full implementation of plans and strategies related to nature conservation, biodiversity, climate action, and environmental protection within EU Member States. The call is divided into three specific topics: climate action (LIFE-2025-STRAT-CLIMA-SIP-two-stage), environmental protection (LIFE-2025-STRAT-ENV-SIP-two-stage), and nature and biodiversity (LIFE-2025-STRAT-NAT-SNAP-two-stage), with corresponding budgets of EUR 30 million, EUR 56 million, and EUR 72 million, respectively.

The objective is to support the implementation of Prioritised Action Frameworks (PAFs), national restoration plans, and other relevant strategies at international, national, regional, or multiregional levels. Projects should include strategic actions to catalyze processes, mobilize funding, and involve key stakeholders to ensure the long-term sustainability of project results.

The call follows a two-stage submission process, with deadlines in September 2025 and March 2026. Funding will be provided through LIFE Project Grants (LIFE-PJG) and LIFE Action Grants Budget-Based [LIFE-AG]. While co-funding from other EU sources is not allowed within the SNAP itself, projects are expected to mobilize complementary funding from other sources for related actions.

Applicants are expected to define, calculate, explain, and achieve the expected impacts as described in the award criteria, with a focus on contributing substantially to the implementation of the targeted plan or strategy and establishing mechanisms for its full implementation. The call emphasizes institutional support, capacity building, conservation, and restoration measures, as well as actions to change rules or adapt policies that might hinder the achievement of the target plan or strategy.