Grants8 | The most comprehensive grants search on the web

Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to facilitate Europe's transition towards a sustainable, circular, energy-efficient, climate-neutral, and resilient economy. It focuses on protecting and improving the quality of the environment, including air, water, and soil, and halting biodiversity loss. - Single, clear statement of grant's core objective: To drive Europe's green transition by funding projects that develop and demonstrate innovative solutions for circular economy principles, pollution reduction, and sustainable management of natural resources. - Explicit identification of target recipient type and size: Legal entities of various sizes, including businesses, public authorities, and non-governmental organizations. - MUST state if grant is 'SECTOR-SPECIFIC' or 'SECTOR-AGNOSTIC': SECTOR-SPECIFIC - Geographic scope and any location requirements: Projects must be carried out within EU Member States or associated third countries. Activities outside these areas are permitted only if essential for effectiveness within the EU. - Key filtering criteria for initial grant screening: Focus on environmental innovation, circular economy, and pollution control; must be a legal entity based in an eligible country. - Grant frequency and program context: This is an annual call within the broader LIFE Programme (2021-2027), which is a recurring EU funding instrument for environment and climate action.

Financial Structure

Total budget allocated specifically for the LIFE-2025-SAP-ENV-ENVIRONMENT topic for the year 2025 is EUR 77,000,000.
The maximum co-financing rate for eligible costs for 'Standard Action Projects' (SAPs) under the 'Circular Economy and Quality of Life' sub-programme (which this call falls under) is 60%.
This means applicants are expected to co-finance at least 40% of the eligible project costs.
Costs related to the purchase of land can be considered eligible under specific, strict conditions, including: the purchase contributes to improving/maintaining/restoring the Natura 2000 network; land purchase is the only or most cost-effective conservation method; the land is reserved long-term for nature conservation; and the Member State ensures its long-term assignment for nature conservation purposes.
Projects may receive funding from other Union programmes cumulatively, but such contributions must not cover the same costs already financed by the LIFE Programme. The total cumulative financing cannot exceed the total eligible costs of the action.
Financial reporting and audit requirements are governed by the overarching EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, which details rules on the implementation of the Union budget.

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Organization Types

Legal entities established in any EU Member State or an overseas country/territory linked to it.
Legal entities established in a third country associated with the LIFE Programme.
Legal entities established in other third countries may be eligible if listed in the multiannual work programme and their participation is necessary for the action's objectives and effective intervention within the EU.
Any legal entity created under Union law.
Any international organization.
Natural persons are not eligible.

Geographic Location

Applicants must be established in one of the eligible countries (EU Member States, associated third countries).
Project activities can occur outside these specified regions only if they are crucial for the effectiveness of interventions within an EU Member State or linked overseas country/territory, or to support international agreements.

Project Scope

The proposed project must be a 'Standard Action Project' (SAP) focusing on the 'Circular Economy and Quality of Life' sub-programme.
Projects exclusively focused on environmental governance are explicitly excluded from this call (they are covered by a separate call: LIFE-2025-SAP-ENV-GOV).
Projects must address one or more specific topics outlined in the call document, which include: Circular Economy and Waste (specifically Recovery of Resources from Waste), Circular Economy and the Environment (covering Zero Pollution and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in areas like Air, Water, Soil, Noise, Chemicals, Industrial Emissions and Safety), and a New European Bauhaus.
A maximum of two sub-topics from the specified list shall be selected for the project, and only those will be considered during evaluation.

Financial and Operational Capacity

Requirements for financial and operational capacity are detailed in section 7 of the call document (not provided in this excerpt).

Application Process

Application Submission

Applications must be submitted through the Electronic Submission Service available on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Applicants will need to authenticate to access the submission system (e.g., via an EU Login account).

Application Deadlines

The latest submission deadline for proposals is 2025-09-23.

Required Documentation

Mandatory:
- Standard application form (Part B), which is call-specific and available in the Submission System.
- Detailed budget table.
- Participant information.
Optional (to strengthen your application):
- Letters of support.
- Maps.
- Description of sites.
- Other relevant annexes, such as Lifecycle analysis or Business plans.

Evaluation and Grant Agreement Timeline

An indicative timeline for the evaluation process and grant agreement preparation is described in section 4 of the call document (please refer to the full call document for these details).

Support for Applicants

FAQs: Consult the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) available on the LIFE website.
National Contact Points (NCPs): Applicants are strongly encouraged to get in touch with their National Contact Point for support. It is beneficial to add your NCP under the 'Participants' step of the application by selecting 'Contact person' as their project role.
IT Helpdesk: For technical assistance related to the submission system (e.g., forgotten passwords, access rights, technical submission issues), contact the IT helpdesk.
Online Manual: A step-by-step online guide is available on the Funding & Tenders Portal, covering proposal preparation, submission, and project reporting.

Post-Award Requirements

Grant recipients are required to acknowledge the origin of funding and ensure clear visibility of the Union's financial support, especially when promoting projects and their results.
This includes using the official LIFE Programme logo on all communications and on durable goods acquired through the grant.
Recipients must comply with regular monitoring and reporting obligations on project implementation and results, based on specific indicators (detailed in Annex II of the LIFE Regulation).

Evaluation Criteria

General Principles

Quality is the primary criterion guiding the project evaluation and award process.
Projects must demonstrate Union interest by significantly contributing to the general and specific objectives of the LIFE Programme and must not undermine these objectives.
Projects are expected to propose a cost-effective approach and demonstrate both technical and financial coherence.

Scoring Factors

Priority is given to projects with the highest potential for achieving the LIFE Programme's objectives.
Projects that demonstrate co-benefits and foster synergies between the different LIFE sub-programmes will receive a bonus in their evaluation.
Projects showing the highest potential for replication and uptake by public or private sectors, or for mobilizing significant investments/financial resources (acting as a catalyst), will receive a bonus.
The replicability of results from Standard Action Projects (SAPs) must be ensured.
Projects that build upon or upscale the successful results of previous projects funded by the LIFE Programme, its predecessor programs, or other Union funds, will receive a bonus.
Special consideration will be given to projects located in geographical areas with specific needs or vulnerabilities, such as regions facing particular environmental challenges, natural constraints, trans-border issues, areas of high natural value, or outermost regions.

Impact Expectations

Applicants are required to clearly define, calculate, explain, and achieve the expected impacts of their project, as described in the 'Impact' award criterion within the call document (sections 2 and 9).

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

All projects must ensure strict compliance with relevant EU legislation and policies concerning environment and climate action, including the objectives of the European Green Deal.
Specific regulatory compliance requirements, including necessary permits and authorizations, are detailed in section 8 of the call document.

Financial Rules and Audits

All financial aspects of the grant are governed by the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, which sets out the rules for the general budget of the Union.
The Union's financial interests are protected through measures to prevent, detect, correct, and investigate irregularities, including fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest, and double funding.
Grant recipients are legally required to fully cooperate with oversight bodies (e.g., European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), Court of Auditors) in protecting the Union's financial interests and providing necessary access for investigations, on-the-spot checks, and audits.

Data and Security

The processing and publication of personal data, especially concerning grant recipients, must comply with applicable EU data protection regulations, including Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 and Regulation (EU) 2016/679.
Information on recipients of Union funds will generally be published, with proportionality applied for natural persons to protect their privacy.

Special Project Conditions

This specific call (LIFE-2025-SAP-ENV-ENVIRONMENT) is dedicated to 'Standard Action Projects' (SAPs) within the 'Circular Economy and Quality of Life' sub-programme and does not cover projects focused solely on environmental governance; such projects are addressed under the separate LIFE-2025-SAP-ENV-GOV call.
Proposals must select a maximum of two specific sub-topics for their project focus, which will then be the sole basis for evaluation regarding thematic alignment.
There is a strong emphasis on projects that can develop, demonstrate, and promote innovative techniques, methods, and approaches in the specified environmental areas.
Projects are encouraged to build synergies with and leverage funding opportunities from other major EU funding programs, such as the European Regional Development Fund, Horizon Europe, and the InvestEU Programme, to maximize overall impact.
All actions funded under the LIFE Programme are expected to adhere to the 'do no harm' principle regarding environmental objectives, meaning they should not significantly harm any environmental objectives while pursuing others.
The programme actively seeks to support projects with high replicability and potential for upscaling the demonstrated solutions across the Union, aiming for long-term sustainability of results beyond the project's duration.

Grant Details