The Executive Agency for SMEs (EASME) officially opened the latest round of calls for the LIFE program, which supports nature conservation, environmental protection and climate action projects. For 2020, the budget allocated amounts to 450 million euros, divided between the different type of projects under the two sub-programs, Environment and Climate Action.

During these times of the COVID-19 pandemic, new measures have been adopted to lessen the impact of the current restrictions.

• All submission deadlines are being extended by one month.
• Applicants may register for a one-to-one short discussion about their project concept with one of our project advisors (a registration system will be set up once the call is published).
• Private entities are no longer obliged to launch open tenders for contracts above 135 000 euros.
• All projects will be allowed to financially support local initiatives that may contribute to the project objective. This will take the form of grants that the beneficiary may give (within certain limits) to third parties responsible for such initiatives.
• A special section on start-up companies has been integrated into the guidelines.

A series of additional measures is also considered to cover many financial and administrative aspects, including percentage of pre-financing payments and payment schedule, depreciation, in kind contribution and more.

Procedures for proposals submission remain the same:  for traditional projects, applicants have to submit the full project proposals in one single step. For other categories, like the Integrated Projects, a two-stage application process is foreseen. Only those applicants whose the Concept Notes have been positively assessed will be invited to submit the full proposal in the second stage of the process.

Below the deadlines listed by projects:

Environment sub-programme

• Environment and resource efficiency traditional projects
  • Deadline for submitting concept notes: 14 July 2020 (extended)
• Nature and biodiversity traditional projects
  • Deadline for submitting concept notes: 16 July 2020 (extended)
• Environmental governance and information traditional projects
  • Deadline for submitting concept notes: 16 July 2020 (extended)
• Integrated projects under the sub-programme for environment
  • Deadline for submitting concept notes: 6 October 2020 (extended)
• Technical assistance projects under the sub-programme for environment
  • Deadline for submitting full proposals: 16 July 2020 (extended)

Climate action sub-programme

• Climate change mitigation traditional projects​​​​​
  • Deadline for submitting full proposals: 6 October 2020 (extended)
• Climate change adaptation traditional projects​
  • Deadline for submitting full proposals: 6 October 2020 (extended)
• Climate governance and information traditional projects
  • Deadline for submitting full proposals: 6 October 2020 (extended)
• Integrated projects under the sub-programme for climate action
  • Deadline for submitting concept notes: 6 October 2020 (extended)
• Technical assistance projects under the sub-programme for climate action
  • Deadline for submitting full proposals: 16 July 2020 (extended)

The EASME organized a virtual LIFE20 EU Information Day and Networking event on 30 April 2020.