LIFE Calls for Proposals 2025 - EUR 600 Million
Enriched EU · Found: 2026-03-11 12:30
CINEA announcement of LIFE 2025 calls totaling EUR 600 million for environment, circular economy, nature, climate, and clean energy projects.
Funding Details
- Funder
- European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) — EU LIFE Programme
- Funding Goal
- Finance European projects that conserve nature and biodiversity, protect the environment, take climate action, or transition Europe to clean energy; sub-programme on circular economy and quality of life supports plastic waste prevention, reuse systems, and circular economy solutions
- Funding Amount
- EUR 600 million total across all 2025 sub-programmes; EUR 73 million allocated to Circular Economy and Quality of Life sub-programme; individual Standard Action Projects (SAPs) typically EUR 0.5M-5M; co-funding rate up to 60% for NGOs, up to 75% for nature and biodiversity (500.000 € – 5.000.000 €)
- Deadline
- 2025-09-23 (periodic)
- How to Apply
- Applications submitted through the EU Funding and Tenders Opportunities Portal (ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders). Applicants must register their organisation, prepare a concept note (Step 1), then a full proposal (Step 2) for Standard Action Projects. Info Days held each spring. LIFE 2026 calls opened 21 April 2026 with info days 28-30 April 2026.
- Target Region
- European Union Member States and associated countries; projects must be implemented primarily in EU territory
- Contact
- CINEA LIFE helpdesk: CINEA-LIFE@ec.europa.eu. EU Funding and Tenders portal: ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders
- Official Page
- https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/life-calls-proposals-2025_en
- Last Checked
- 2026-03-15 13:24
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Required Documents
Constraints
Summary
The EU LIFE Programme is the European Union flagship funding instrument for environment, nature conservation, climate action, and clean energy transition. Managed by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), LIFE has been operational since 1992 and provides grants to public and private bodies, NGOs, research organisations, and businesses across the EU and associated countries. The 2025 LIFE calls for proposals offered a total of EUR 600 million across four sub-programmes: Nature and Biodiversity, Circular Economy and Quality of Life, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, and Clean Energy Transition. The Circular Economy and Quality of Life sub-programme received EUR 73 million, specifically targeting innovations in waste prevention, plastic pollution, zero-emission mobility, noise reduction, chemicals management, and environmental governance. Projects on plastic waste prevention and reuse systems are explicitly highlighted as priority themes. Eligible project types include Standard Action Projects (SAPs), which are the main implementation projects, and Strategic Nature Projects (SNPs) or Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) for larger systemic interventions. SAPs under the circular economy sub-programme typically range from EUR 500,000 to EUR 5 million in requested EU contribution, with a co-funding rate of up to 60% for most applicants (75% for nature projects). NGOs and non-profit organisations are explicitly eligible and valued as applicants. Applicants must demonstrate EU added value — meaning the project addresses a challenge that cannot be adequately addressed at national level alone — replicability across Member States, and an innovative approach. Cross-border partnerships are encouraged but not always mandatory for SAPs. Projects should contribute to the European Green Deal objectives, including the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Zero Pollution Action Plan. The 2025 SAP-ENV deadline was 23 September 2025. LIFE calls are issued annually; the 2026 call opened on 21 April 2026 with information days on 28-30 April 2026 in Brussels and Mechelen. CINEA receives and evaluates proposals with notifications to applicants in spring of the following year.
Historical Context
LIFE has operated since 1992 and issues annual calls for proposals. Plastic waste prevention and circular economy have been growing priority themes since the 2018 EU Plastics Strategy. The 2025 call attracted a record number of submissions. The 2026 LIFE call opened 21 April 2026. This entry covers the 2025 LIFE call which had a September 2025 deadline; the organisation should target the 2026 call (ID 554 in this database).
Why it was added
LIFE 2025 calls announcement with EUR 600M budget including circular economy strand