Call for Proposals: Strategic Nature and Integrated Projects

Deadline: 05-Sep-2024

The European Commission is pleased to announce a call for proposals for EU action grants in the fields of Circular Economy and Quality of Life, Nature and Biodiversity and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation under the Programme for Environment and Climate Action (LIFE).

Topics

The call covers the following topics:
- LIFE-2024-STRAT-NAT-SNaP-two-stage – Strategic Nature Projects
- LIFE-2024-STRAT-ENV-SIP-two-stage – Strategic Integrated Projects – Environment
- LIFE-2024-STRAT-CLIMA-SIP-two-stage – Strategic Integrated Projects – Climate Action

Objectives

LIFE-2024-STRAT-NAT-SNaP-two-stage – Strategic Nature Projects
- The objective of a SNaP project is to support the achievement of EU nature and biodiversity objectives by implementing coherent programmes of action in Member States in order to mainstream those objectives and priorities into other policies and financing instruments.
LIFE-2024-STRAT-ENV-SIP-two-stage – Strategic Integrated Projects – Environment
- Applicants should target the implementation of one of the following plans/strategies:
  - Circular Economy: National or Regional Circular Economy Action Plans, Strategies, Roadmaps or similar, which are officially approved, and which include specific and measurable actions, or targets, with a clear timeline and are in line with or complementing the objectives of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan.
  - Waste: National and regional Waste Management Plans (WMPs) pursuant to Article 28 of the Waste Framework Directive and/or Waste Prevention Programmes (WPPs) as requested by Article 29 of the Waste Framework Directive.
  - Water: River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) pursuant to Annex VII to the Water Framework Directive, Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs) pursuant to the Floods Directive or Marine Strategies pursuant to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
  - Air: Air Quality Plans pursuant to the Air Quality Directive or National Air Pollution Control Programmes (NAPCP) pursuant to the National Emission Ceilings Directive.
LIFE-2024-STRAT-CLIMA-SIP-two-stage – Strategic Integrated Projects – Climate Action
- Applicants should target the implementation of one or more of the following plans/strategies:
  - National Energy and Climate Plans (NECP) including Long-Term Strategies (LTS).
  - Regulation on the governance of the energy union and climate action (EU)2018/1999.
  - National adaptation strategies and plans pursuant to Article 5 of the Regulation 2021/1119 (‘European Climate Law’), or regional adaptation strategies or action plans.
  - Urban or community-based action plans pioneering the transition to a climate neutral and/or climate resilient society, including climate-neutral cities plans and actions, for instance in the context of the EU Mission ‘Climate neutral and smart cities’ and Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans.
  - National, regional or industry-/sector-specific greenhouse gas mitigation strategies or low carbon economy roadmaps.

Funding Information

LIFE-2024-STRAT-NATSNaP-two-stage – Strategic Nature Projects: EUR 70 million
LIFE-2024-STRAT-ENVSIP-two-stage – Strategic Integrated Projects – Environment: EUR 50 million
LIFE-2024-STRAT-CLIMASIP-two-stage – Strategic Integrated Projects – Climate Action: EUR 30 million

Eligibility Criteria

Applications will only be considered eligible if their content corresponds wholly (or at least in part) to the topic description for which they are submitted.
Eligible participants (eligible countries)
- In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
  - be legal entities (public or private bodies)
  - be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
    - EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
    - non-EU countries:
      - listed EEA countries and countries associated to the LIFE Programme
  - the coordinator must be established in an eligible country.
Specific cases
- Exceptional funding — Entities from other countries (not listed above) are exceptionally eligible, if the granting authority considers their participation essential for the implementation of the action (see work programme).
- Natural persons — Natural persons are NOT eligible (with the exception of selfemployed persons, i.e. sole traders, where the company does not have legal personality separate from that of the natural person).
- International organisations — International organisations are eligible. The rules on eligible countries do not apply to them.
- Entities without legal personality — Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees for the protection of the EU financial interests equivalent to that offered by legal persons.
- EU bodies — EU bodies (with the exception of the European Commission Joint Research Centre) can NOT be part of the consortium.
- Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality . Please note that if the action will be implemented by the members, they should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible).
- Countries currently negotiating association agreements — Beneficiaries from countries with ongoing negotiations for participating in the programme may participate in the call and can sign grants if the negotiations are concluded before grant signature and if the association covers the call

Ineligible

Applicants which are subject to an EU exclusion decision or in one of the following exclusion situations that bar them from receiving EU funding can NOT participate:
- bankruptcy, winding up, affairs administered by the courts, arrangement with creditors, suspended business activities or other similar procedures (including procedures for persons with unlimited liability for the applicant’s debts)
- in breach of social security or tax obligations (including if done by persons with unlimited liability for the applicant’s debts)
- guilty of grave professional misconduct (including if done by persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control, beneficial owners or persons who are essential for the award/implementation of the grant)
- committed fraud, corruption, links to a criminal organisation, money laundering, terrorism-related crimes (including terrorism financing), child labour or human trafficking (including if done by persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control, beneficial owners or persons who are essential for the award/implementation of the grant)
- shown significant deficiencies in complying with main obligations under an EU procurement contract, grant agreement, prize, expert contract, or similar (including if done by persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control, beneficial owners or persons who are essential for the award/implementation of the grant)
- guilty of irregularities within the meaning of Article 1(2) of EU Regulation 2988/95 (including if done by persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control, beneficial owners or persons who are essential for the award/implementation of the grant)
- created under a different jurisdiction with the intent to circumvent fiscal, social or other legal obligations in the country of origin or created another entity with this purpose (including if done by persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control, beneficial owners or persons who are essential for the award/implementation of the grant).
Applicants will also be rejected if it turns out that:
- during the award procedure they misrepresented information required as a condition for participating or failed to supply that information
- they were previously involved in the preparation of the call and this entails a distortion of competition that cannot be remedied otherwise (conflict of interest).