The LIFE Programme is the European Union’s funding instrument dedicated to the environment and climate action. Established in 1992, LIFE has supported over 5,500 projects across Europe, making a concrete contribution to protecting nature, the transition to a more sustainable economy and the fight against climate change. The programme is managed by CINEA – European Executive Agency for Climate, Infrastructure and the Environment and is open to public bodies, businesses and third sector organisations.
The thematic areas of the LIFE Programme:
• Nature and biodiversity: finances projects aimed at conserving ecosystems, protecting threatened species and restoring natural habitats. It is in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the European Green Deal.
• Circular economy and quality of life: promotes innovative solutions for waste management, improving resource efficiency and reducing pollution, contributing to the transition towards a more sustainable economy.
• Climate change mitigation and adaptation: supports projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve the resilience of communities to extreme climate events and promote the transition towards low-carbon development models.
• Clean energy transition: finances initiatives that promote the adoption of renewable energy, energy efficiency and the reduction of dependence on fossil fuels, in line with the objectives of the REPowerEU plan.
LIFE 2025 Calls: What to Know
The new LIFE Programme calls for 2025 will be published in April 2025, opening up new funding opportunities for public bodies, universities, research centres, NGOs and companies interested in developing innovative solutions in the environmental and climate fields.
The main deadlines to take into account for the submission of project proposals are:
• September 2025: deadline for traditional projects, which are the most widespread type and cover concrete interventions in the four thematic areas of the programme.
• October 2025: deadline for strategic and integrated projects, aimed at large-scale actions, often in collaboration with several partners at transnational level.
Why participate in LIFE?
The LIFE Programme offers several advantages to those who submit fundable projects, including:
✅ Non-repayable funding, with co-financing rates that can reach up to 75% for some biodiversity protection projects.
✅ Visibility and networking, with the possibility of joining a European network of entities engaged in environmental innovation.
✅ Opportunities for replicability and scalability of the tested solutions, facilitating the dissemination of best practices at European level.
