LIFE funding programme

The European
Union provides funding and grants for a broad range of projects and programmes
covering areas such as education, health, consumer protection, environmental
protection, rural and regional developments and humanitarian aid.

EU
funding is complex, since there are many different types of programmes managed
by different bodies. Over 76% of the EU budget is managed by the member
countries. This includes structural funds – which finance regional policy,
social and training programmes, as well as agriculture (including support for
farmers). LIFE, on the other hand, is managed directly by the European
Commission and its Agency for SMEs (EASME).

LIFE has
a well-defined focus on addressing the specific needs relating to the
environment and climate action. Nevertheless, given the interrelationship
between the environment, climate action and other policy areas, there is still
a certain overlap in scope between LIFE and other RU financing programmes. In
particular, applicants may hesitate between making a submission to life or the
Horizon 2020 programme. Applicants may also find it difficult to distinguish
between the various components of new LIFE 2014-2020 programme.

Therefore
the following aims to highlight some of the key elements of LIFE, and of some
of its components, in order to help applicants identify the most suitable
potential source of funding for their project proposals.

The LIFE
programme is divided into two sub-programmes. These priority areas include a
LIFE sub-programme for Environment and a LIFE sub-programme for Climate Action.
A application must be submitted under a ‘priority area' in one of these
sub-programmes.

General common features of the sub-programmes

Stakeholders
may include private companies (mainly SMEs), NGOs, and public administration
active in the field of environment and climate protection

The application must emphasis
geographical scope of interventions and origin of beneficiaries

Emphasis on transferability and long
tem sustainability of the project results

Projects must not focus on research

It must not focus on large
infrastructure nor rural or regional development (agricultural, structural
funds)

There will be support and monitoring
from EASME or Commission and external monitoring team

Funding co-financing rates

Traditional Nature and Biodiversity
projects received 60% co-financing but 75% for projects targeting priority
habitats and species

Integrated projects, preparatory projects
and technical assistance projects benefit from 60% co-financing

All other projects i.e., traditional
projects under the sub-programme of Climate Action and traditional projects
under priorities Environment and Resources Efficiency and Environment Governance
and Information projects in the sub-programme for environment

60% co-financing during multiannual
work programme (2014-2017)

55% co-financing during multiannual
work programme (2014-2017)

Before you
submit an application, it is important to keep the following points in mind:

Identify the environmental problem
you wish to address

Determine whether LIFE is the right
type of funding for your project

Check whether your project fully fits
the priority project topic, or will receive fewer points

Read the documentation

Decide the scope of the project

Put together a project team

Carry out a project development
exercise

Remember that the selection procedure
of LIFE is a very tough, thorough and detailed one which can be time consuming

Indicative schedule

03rd September 2014: Publication of call

15th October 2014: Deadline of submitting proposals

February 2015: Notification of
results

February/ March 2015: Revision and verification period

Closure of the
selection round and dispatch of grant agreements to successful applicants April 2015

For further
information on the programme, visit:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/