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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant, 'LIFE-2025-STRAT-CLIMA-SIP-two-stage', aims to support the full implementation of key climate-related plans and strategies, such as National Energy and Climate Plans, national or regional adaptation strategies, urban climate action plans, or industry-specific greenhouse gas mitigation roadmaps. It targets organizations and stakeholders responsible for these plans, seeking to catalyze a process that mobilizes complementary funding and leads to comprehensive implementation. This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant, focusing exclusively on climate action and energy transition within the framework of pre-defined national, regional, urban, or sector-specific strategies. The geographic scope is not explicitly detailed in the provided materials but is expected to align with the territories covered by the national/regional plans being implemented.

Financial Structure

The total budget available for the 'LIFE-2025-STRAT-CLIMA-SIP-two-stage' topic in 2025 is 30,000,000 EUR.

Budget Range: Specific minimum or maximum grant amounts per individual project are not specified in the provided documents.
Currency: All financial figures are in EUR.
Co-financing Requirements: Co-financing is a critical aspect. Projects are required to 'promote the coordination with and mobilisation of other relevant Union, national or private funding sources for the implementation of the complementary measures or actions outside of the SIP'. Preference should be given to EU funding for these complementary actions. However, importantly, 'within the SIP itself, co-funding may not come from other EU funding sources'. This implies that direct co-financing for the grant itself must come from national or private sources.
Eligible and Ineligible Costs: Not explicitly detailed in the provided information. However, typical LIFE grant rules would apply, and detailed budget tables are part of the application forms.
Financial Reporting and Audit: 'Legal and financial set-up of the grants' is 'described in section 10 of the call document', and the 'EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509' and 'Model Grant Agreements (MGA)' are referenced, indicating standard EU financial reporting and audit requirements will apply.

Eligibility Requirements

The provided documents refer to a comprehensive 'call document' for detailed eligibility criteria, specifically sections 5, 6, 7, and 10. Based on the available information:

Eligible Organization Types: Not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, the scope mentions active involvement of 'main stakeholders' and 'competent authorities'. This suggests eligibility for a broad range of entities involved in implementing national, regional, or urban climate and energy plans. This could include public bodies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), industry associations, and potentially private entities playing a key role in such strategic initiatives.
Geographic Location Requirements: The eligible countries are 'described in section 6 of the call document', which is not provided. Therefore, specific geographic eligibility cannot be determined from this information. For EU grants of this nature, eligibility typically extends to EU Member States and potentially associated countries, but this is not confirmed in the given text.
Partnership or Consortium Requirements: A consortium approach is strongly implied and expected. Projects 'shall actively involve the main stakeholders necessary for the implementation' of the targeted plan. This involvement is encouraged through 'including them - where possible and reasonable - as associated beneficiaries' or via 'active participation'. This indicates that successful applications will likely involve multiple organizations working together.
Organizational Maturity: Projects are expected to contribute to the 'full implementation' of established plans and strategies, implying that applicants should have the capacity and strategic importance to drive significant, long-term change.
Exclusion Criteria: 'Financial and operational capacity and exclusion' criteria are 'described in section 7 of the call document'. These details are not provided.

Application Process

The application process for this grant is two-stage.

Submission Deadlines: There are two submission deadlines:
- September 4, 2025
- March 5, 2026 (This is the latest deadline and the relevant one for considering current applications).
Application Procedure: The submission system is accessed via the Funding & Tenders Portal. The process involves submitting an application form specific to this call (available in the Submission System).
Required Documentation: Key documents to prepare include:
- Standard application form (Part B of the Application Form)
- Detailed budget table (LIFE)
- Participant information (LIFE)
- Maps (LIFE)
- Description of sites (LIFE)
- Description of species and habitats (LIFE) (if applicable)
- 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)
Project Implementation Timeline: Each phase of a project under this grant should 'normally last at least 3 years', though shorter durations may be justified. The project design should be adaptive and structured in 'revolving programming mechanism structured in phases'.
Reporting Obligations: Reporting schedules and progress tracking mechanisms are not detailed but are implied by the 'Monitoring and evaluation requirements' which are described in section 8 of the call document.
Application Assistance: Support is available through:
- FAQs on the LIFE website
- National Contact Points (NCPs), which applicants are encouraged to add as contacts in their application.
- IT Helpdesk for technical support.
- Online Manual for Portal processes.

Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation and award criteria, including scoring and thresholds, are 'described in section 9 of the call document'. While the detailed criteria are not provided, the grant's 'Expected Impact' section gives strong indicators of what will be assessed:

Impact: Proposals are expected to demonstrate 'at least substantial contribution to the implementation of the targeted plan/strategy' and establish 'mechanisms to ensure full implementation'. Applicants must 'define, calculate, explain and achieve the expected impacts'. Long-term 'full implementation' of the plan is the ultimate goal, even if it extends beyond the project lifetime.
Mobilization of Funding: The project should actively 'promote the coordination with and mobilisation of other relevant Union, national or private funding sources' for complementary measures, favoring EU funding (though co-funding within the SIP cannot come from other EU sources).
Stakeholder Involvement: Active involvement of 'main stakeholders necessary for the implementation' is critical. This includes their participation in both project design and implementation, ideally as associated beneficiaries.
Capacity Building: Projects should facilitate and result in 'building up of strategic capacities among the competent authorities and stakeholders' to ensure long-term sustainability and enable them to 'function as co-deliverers of the targeted plan or strategy'.
Strategic Approach: The project design should adopt an 'adaptive approach' due to its complexity, often structured in 'revolving programming mechanism structured in phases'.

Overall, the focus is on a project's ability to drive comprehensive and sustainable implementation of significant climate action plans through strategic partnerships and the leveraging of diverse funding and capacities.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Applicants must adhere to several compliance and specific requirements:

Regulatory Compliance: The grant is governed by the 'LIFE Regulation 2021/783' and the 'EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509'. Applicants must also comply with 'Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment'.
Ethical and Legal Standards: Compliance with ethical standards is implied by EU grant regulations. The 'Legal and financial set-up of the grants' is 'described in section 10 of the call document', indicating specific legal and financial frameworks.
Co-funding Restriction: A unique financial requirement is that 'within the SIP itself, co-funding may not come from other EU funding sources', while external complementary actions are encouraged to leverage other EU funding.
Adaptive Project Design: Due to the complexity of Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs), an 'adaptive approach' in project design is expected, often involving a 'revolving programming mechanism structured in phases'.
Stakeholder Engagement: Mandatory active involvement of main stakeholders is key for both design and implementation, potentially through their inclusion as associated beneficiaries.
Sustainability and Capacity Building: Projects are expected to build 'strategic capacities' among authorities and stakeholders to ensure the 'long-term sustainability of project results and actions' and their continued role as 'co-deliverers' of the targeted plan.

Grant Details