05/20/2016 - 00:00

LIFE launches 2016 call for action grants: more than €330 million available

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The LIFE programme launched two calls for proposals, underlining its commitment to supporting projects that protect the environment and tackle the impact of climate change.

The 2016 call for action grants for the LIFE programme was launched on 19 May 2016 and covers proposals for both environment and climate action sub-programmes. The total budget for project action grants for this call is €337 536 184. Of this amount, €273 936 184 has been allocated to the sub-programme for environment and €63 600 000 has been allocated to the sub-programme for climate action. At least 55% of the environment allocation will be dedicated to projects supporting the conservation of nature and biodiversity.

For the sub-programme for Environment, this call will cover action grants for "Traditional" projects, Preparatory projects, Integrated projects, Technical Assistance projects.

For the sub-programme for Climate Action, this call will cover action grants for "Traditional projects", Integrated projects, Technical Assistance projects.

Innovations in the 2016 call concern Traditional LIFE projects. These include more emphasis on sustainability and replicability and more attention to second phase projects and the relation with other projects financed by LIFE.

For LIFE Nature and Biodiversity projects there is more emphasis on EU added value in terms of quantifiable environmental impact/conservation benefits. LIFE Environment and Resource Efficiency and LIFE Environmental Governance and Information projects will place more emphasis on EU added value in terms of quantifiable environmental impact, including the mandatory submission of the LIFE performance indicators table.

There are new policy priorities for Traditional projects under the sub-programme for climate action. For Climate Change Mitigation, projects related to energy-intensive industries, fluorinated greenhouse gases and land-use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) are encouraged in particular. For Climate Change Adaptation, priorities include cross-border management of floods; transboundary coastal management; mainstreaming adaptation into urban land use planning, building layouts and natural resources management; mountain and island areas; and sustainable management of water. LIFE Climate Governance and Information projects are encouraged to focus on capacity-building (e.g. training the trainers), rather than pure awareness-raising.

Both summaries and full details of all new features of the 2016 call are included in the application guides.

For further information about the 2016 call for action grants, go to the 2016 call page on the LIFE website.

Applications are welcomed from public bodies, private commercial organisations and private non-commercial organisations (NGOs).

The Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) is organising an international Information Day to meet all Brussels based stakeholders and interested parties to explain everything you need to know to prepare and submit a successful LIFE proposal. More information following this link.