LIFE Programme for the Environment and the Climate Action: the new tenders for the 2021-2027 period

Prepared by Energy Team

Regulation (EU) 2021/783 of the European Parliament and Council dated 29 April 2021 established the new Environment and Climate Action Programme for the 2021-2027 period (“LIFE Program 2021-2027” or the “Program“).

Purpose of the LIFE Program 2021-2027

LIFE Program 2021-2027 purposes is to contribute to the transition to a sustainable, circular, energy-efficient, renewable energy-based, climate-neutral, and climate-resilient economy to protect, restore, and enhance the quality of the environment (including air, water, and soil), to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity, and to reverse the degradation of ecosystems.

Actions under the LIFE 2021-2027 Program

LIFE Program 2021-2027 is planned into four sub-programs:

  • nature and biodiversity;
  • circular economy and life quality;
  • climate change mitigation and adaptation;
  •  clean energy transition.

The Program is implemented through the provision of grants, contracts, and awards.

In general, projects financed by the Program shall be of interest to the European Union and therefore make a significant contribution to the achievement of the Program’s purposes. In addition, priority will be given to:

  • projects that bring co-benefits and promote synergies between subprograms;
  • projects that are potentially more replicable and usable by the public/private sector or that are more likely to mobilize the highest level of investment/financial resources (potential catalytic effect);
  • projects that ensure replicability of the results of standard action projects;
  • projects that build on other projects outcomes funded by the LIFE 2021-2027 Program, previous programs, or other Union funds, or develop those outcomes on a larger scale;
  • projects in geographic areas with specific needs or vulnerabilities.
Tenders

At the date hereof, eight calls for tenders have been published, whose deadlines will change according to each tender.

In particular, we point out the following calls for tenders related to the following topics:

  • Circular Economy, resources from Waste, Air, Water, Soil, Noise, Chemicals, Bauhaus;
  • Environment Governance;
  • Climate Change Mitigation;
  • Climate Change Adaptation
  • Climate Governance and Information,
  • Nature and Biodiversity; and
  • Nature Governance.

with an expiry date of November 30, 2021.

It should be noted that the call that concerns the environmental governance (“Environment Governance“) will have an allocation of more than Euro 95,000,000.00.

LIFE Program 2021-2027 beneficiaries

LIFE Program 2021-2027 beneficiaries could be:

  • entities with legal personality established in EU countries or in an overseas country or territory related to it;
  • entities with legal personality established in one of the following countries associated to the Program: EFTA/EEA, Candidate Countries, potential candidates and acceding countries, countries to which the European Neighborhood Policy applies;
  • legal entities established in other non-EU countries by virtue of specific agreements;
  • legal entities established under EU law and international organizations.
Scope of the expected contribution

LIFE Program 2021-2027 has a seven-year budget of more than Euro 5.4 billion. In principle, the maximum contribution for projects will be 60% of the eligible costs (up to 75% for projects in the Nature and Biodiversity activity, particularly for projects involving priority species or habitats).

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