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 2015 call for action grants for the LIFE programme was launched on 1 June 2015 and covers proposals for both environment and climate action sub-programmes. The total budget for project action grants for this call is €240 811 337. Of this amount, €184 141 337 has been allocated to project action grants for the sub-programme for environment and €56 670 000 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.
The Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) is responsible for managing the call for traditional projects and capacity building projects for the environment sub-programme and traditional projects for the climate action sub-programme. Traditional projects include best-practice, demonstration, pilot or information, awareness and dissemination projects. These are funded under one of three strands for the environment sub-programme (LIFE nature & biodiversity, LIFE environment & resource efficiency and LIFE environmental governance and information). For the sub-programme for climate action, traditional project strands are LIFE climate change mitigation, LIFE climate change adaptation and LIFE climate governance & information.
Capacity building projects are designed to provide financial support to activities required to build the capacity of Member States, including national or regional LIFE contact points, with a view to enabling more effective participation in the LIFE programme.
The three other new project types introduced under LIFE 2015-2020 are integrated projects, technical assistance projects and preparatory projects. For the sub-programme for environment these are managed by DG Environment’s LIFE Unit.
DG CLIMA manages integrated, technical assistance, preparatory and capacity building projects for the sub-programme for climate action.
Public bodies, private commercial organisations and private non-commercial organisations (including NGOs) registered in the EU are eligible to apply for LIFE action grants. For further information, application forms and guidance documents go directly to the call page. See the calendar published on the call page for information on the closing date for applications for traditional projects.
Later in June, EASME will launch a call for NGOs active in the field of environment and/or climate action to present proposals for LIFE operating grants. These grants cover certain administrative and operational costs for the financial year 2016.
The objective of the call is to promote better environmental and/or climate governance by broadening the involvement of stakeholders, including NGOs, in policy consultation and implementation. This is expected to support the strengthening of civil society participation in the dialogue process of environmental and/or climate policy development and implementation. This is the third call for proposals for NGO operating grants. To date, the LIFE programme has supported 45 NGOs with a total of €27 million.
The indicative total budget available for operating grants for this call is €9 000 000. The maximum EU-funding rate is 70% of the eligible costs of the operating budget of the beneficiary organisation for its 2016 budgetary year. The maximum amount that may be requested and awarded is fixed at €900 000 per grant.
Further information, application forms and guidance documents will be available on the NGOs call page and announced on the LIFE website. The call will stay open for six weeks.
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