Deadline: 5-Sep-23
The European Commission (EC) is pleased to announce an open call for the Strategic Integrated Projects under the Programme for Environment and Climate Action (LIFE).
Objectives
Support the full implementation of the following strategies and plans:
- National Energy and Climate Plans (NECP, Regulation on the governance of the energy union and climate action (EU)2018/1999).
- National Energy Efficiency Action Plans (NEEAP).
- National or regional adaptation strategies or action plans.
- Urban or community-based action plans pioneering the transition to a low carbon and/or climate resilient society.
- National, regional or industry-/sector-specific greenhouse gas mitigation strategies or low carbon economy roadmaps contributing to climate neutrality.
Scopes
- SIPs should aim at the full implementation of the strategies and plans listed in “Objective”. This might not mean that the SIP will cover all actions foreseen in the strategy/plan or that the strategy/plan will be fully implemented during the lifetime of the SIP. However, the SIP shall include strategic actions to catalyse a process and mobilise supplementary commitments and funding that will lead, in due time, to the full implementation of the plan or strategy.
- SIPs shall 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 in the framework of the targeted plan or strategy, giving preference to EU funding. Within the SIP itself, however, co-funding may not come from other EU funding sources.
- SIPs shall actively involve the main stakeholders necessary for the implementation of the targeted plan or strategy. They should be involved in both the design and implementation of the given project. This involvement is expected to be achieved by including them – where possible and reasonable – as associated beneficiaries of the SIP, or through their active participation in the implementation of the SIP itself and/or of the complementary actions.
- SIPs should facilitate and result in the building up of strategic capacities among the competent authorities and stakeholders to ensure a long-term sustainability of project results and actions, and to ensure that they will be able to function as co-deliverers of the targeted plan or strategy during or after the end of the SIP.
- The SIP complexity requires an adaptive approach in the design of the implementing mechanism. For this reason, SIPs will be implemented based on a revolving programming mechanism structured in phases (i.e. Phase 1, Phase 2, etc.). Each phase should normally last at least 3 years, to reduce administrative burden, although duration might be shorter if properly justified.
Funding Information
- The estimated available call budget is EUR 82 800 000.
- Indicative range of project budgets: EUR 10-30 million
Expected Impact
- By the end of the project: at least substantial contribution to the implementation of the targeted plan/strategy, and mechanisms established to ensure full implementation of the plan/strategy.
- After the project: Full implementation of the plan/strategy.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applications will only be considered eligible if their content corresponds wholly (or at least in part) to the topic description for which it is submitted.
- 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:
- EEA countries and countries associated to the LIFE Programme or countries
- 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.
- 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.
For more information, visit European Commission (EC).