Life programme

The LIFE 2021-2027 program is the EU's financial instrument to support projects for the environment and climate action.
It has been in operation since 1992 and has co-financed more than 5,500 projects across the EU and beyond.
The new LIFE projects will help make Europe a climate-neutral continent by 2050, channel biodiversity towards restoration by 2030 and achieve the Union's green recovery after COVID-19.

Targets

The Life program is structured in four sub-programs:

  1. ​​​​​​NATURE AND BIODIVERSITY - NAT
    Nature and biodiversity - Halt and reverse the loss of habitats and wildlife in all sectors.
  2. CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND QUALITY OF LIFE - ENV
    Circular economy and quality of life - Support the transition to a circular economy, preserve and improve the EU's natural resources, including air, soil and water.
  3. CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION - CCM and CCA
    Mitigation and adaptation to climate change - Support the implementation of the 2030 policy framework for energy and climate (with the EU climate neutrality goal by 2050) and fulfill the commitments made by the European Union under the agreement of Paris on climate change.
  4. CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION - CET
    Clean Energy Transition - Support and stimulate the implementation of policies focused on energy efficiency and small-scale renewables.


Characteristics of the LIFE program for the period 2021-2027

Financial envelope for implementation

  • 5.4 billion euros

Financing

  • 60% non-repayable with overheads of 7%
  • A share of at least 30% of the funds is given before the start of the project

Transnationality and dimensionality of the project will be rewarding factors for the purposes of the score and therefore of the award of the loan.


Average project size

  • Indicatively from € 1,000,000 to € 5,000,000

Type of financed projects

Demonstration projects: projects that put into practice, test, evaluate and implement the technology transfer from another area of new or unknown actions / methodologies / approaches in the specific context of the project (e.g. geographically, ecological or socio-economic) and which could be applied elsewhere in similar circumstances

Pilot projects: projects applying an innovative technique or method that has never been applied and tested before / elsewhere that offers potential environmental or climatic benefits and that can be applied later on a larger scale in similar situations.

Best-practice projects: projects verifying the implementation and cost-effectiveness of the application of technologies that represent the state of the art in the reference sector

Information, awareness raising and dissemination projects of the envisaged sub-programs


Beneficiaries

  • Both public bodies and private commercial and non-commercial organizations (including NGOs) based in the EU.

Any non-EU activities may be financed only if considered necessary to achieve the environmental and climate objectives of the Union and to ensure the effectiveness of the interventions carried out in the territories of the Member States.


Eligible expenses

  • The costs of preparatory research activities (University) for limited amounts (cumulative with the R&D Innovation and Design tax credit);
  • Industrial development costs (cumulative with R&D Innovation and Design tax credit);
  • The costs of monitoring the project impacts;
  • The costs of developing business plans, brand creation marketing plans;
  • Communication costs (websites, advertising, participation in trade fairs in Europe);
  • Administrative management costs;
  • The advice provided by Warrant Hub to manage the project:


Timing


  • Call deadline: 4 October 2022

  • Evaluation result: March 2023
  • Project start: June-July 2023