CINEA LIFE 2026 — Circular Economy and Quality of Life Sub-Programme
Enriched EU · Found: 2026-03-14 15:17
EU LIFE Programme circular economy sub-programme. Opens 21 April 2026. Typically EUR 2-10m per project. Covers waste, resource recovery, plastic, marine litter.
Source: https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/life-calls-proposals-2026_en
Funding Details
- Funder
- European Commission / CINEA (European Climate Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency) — LIFE Programme
- Funding Goal
- Fund environmental, nature, climate, and clean energy projects under four LIFE sub-programmes to support the European Green Deal and EU environmental policy objectives
- Funding Amount
- Total LIFE programme 2021-2027: EUR 5.4 billion; per-project typical range EUR 1-8M for SAPs, larger for SIPs; minimum project budget EUR 1M (1.000.000 € – 8.000.000 €)
- Deadline
- Calls opened 21 April 2026; deadline expected September-October 2026. LIFE 2026 Info Days: 28-30 April 2026. (periodic)
- How to Apply
- Apply via EU Funding & Tenders Portal when calls published on 21 April 2026. CINEA virtual info days 28-30 April 2026. Four sub-programmes will have calls: Nature and Biodiversity; Circular Economy and Quality of Life; Climate Change; Clean Energy Transition. NGOs apply directly without consortium requirement.
- Target Region
- EU Member States and Associated Countries
- Contact
- cinea.ec.europa.eu/life-calls-proposals-2026_en
- Last Checked
- 2026-04-20 16:10
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Required Documents
Constraints
Summary
The LIFE Programme 2026 calls for proposals were published on 21 April 2026 via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. CINEA manages the programme with EUR 5.4 billion allocated for 2021-2027 across four sub-programmes: Nature and Biodiversity; Circular Economy and Quality of Life; Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation; and Clean Energy Transition. For the Circular Economy and Quality of Life sub-programme, Standard Action Projects (SAPs) are the primary grant type. SAPs fund projects demonstrating best practices, pilots, and innovative approaches in areas including: resource recovery from waste; plastic packaging waste management; circular material flows; water and air quality management; soil remediation; and chemical management. NGOs can apply solo without a consortium requirement, which is a major advantage compared to Horizon Europe. For the Nature and Biodiversity sub-programme, SAPs fund projects contributing to Natura 2000 network management, species protection, habitat restoration, and marine conservation. Projects demonstrating marine habitat management, coastal protection, sustainable fisheries practices, and biodiversity monitoring are eligible. Eligible applicants include any legal entity established in an EU Member State or Associated Country: NGOs, public authorities, research institutes, companies, and universities. No consortium requirement for SAPs — single entities may apply. LIFE SAPs provide 60% co-funding (volunteer time can count as in-kind contribution). Average grant size approximately EUR 2.6M with duration 3-5 years. The minimum project budget is EUR 1 million. For the 2026 cycle, CINEA hosts virtual information days 28-30 April 2026 to explain priority topics and application requirements. The deadline for submission is expected in September or October 2026. Previous LIFE calls (2025 series) had a deadline of 23 September 2025 for SAPs.
Historical Context
Annual LIFE calls run since 1992. The 2025 SAP-ENV call (LIFE-2025-SAP-ENV-ENVIRONMENT) covered circular economy and zero pollution and closed September 23, 2025. Average success rate approximately 20-25% for SAPs. Previous BALTIPLAST project (LIFE programme, 2023-2026) funded Baltic plastic waste management, demonstrating programme openness to marine plastic topics.
Why it was added
Grant scanner Tier A scan 2026-03-14