LIFE 2025 call launched with €600 million in funding

The European Commission has launched this Thursday the LIFE call for this year. LIFE is the only EU funding programme entirely dedicated to the environment, climate action and the transition towards clean energy. This year, the budget amounts to around €600 million, which will be distributed, as usual, across different categories of projects aimed at achieving the environmental and climate goals of the European Green Deal. The Standard Action Projects (SAP) receive the largest share of the funding, with nearly €300 million allocated. These projects, focused on practical and replicable solutions, can be submitted until mid-September. These initiatives are expected to drive real impact, encouraging collaboration, innovation and sustainable growth across Member States and beyond.

“In the coming weeks, Zabala Innovation will organise a webinar to present the latest updates on this call and answer any questions that may arise,” says Maite Zazpe, Head of the Environment Knowledge Area in European projects and expert in the LIFE programme at this consultancy.

LIFE 2025 budget distribution by project type

Standard Action Projects (SAP)

Projects focused on environmental and biodiversity conservation, resource efficiency, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Their aim is to demonstrate innovative approaches and enable their replication at a larger scale. The topics of this year’s call are:

• Nature and biodiversity: €153.4 million.
• Circular economy and quality of life: €73 million.
• Climate change mitigation and adaptation: €61.5 million.
• New European Bauhaus: €4 million.
• Environmental governance: €7.5 million.

Strategic Projects

• Strategic Integrated Projects (SIP). Support the implementation, at regional, national or transnational level, of strategies or action plans related to the environment or climate, required by EU legislation. They must involve multiple stakeholders and mobilise additional funding from other European, national or private sources. Climate and environment: €86 million.
• Strategic Nature Projects (SNAP). Designed to facilitate the achievement of European nature and biodiversity objectives by integrating them into other policies and financing mechanisms through coherent action programmes in the Member States. Nature and biodiversity: €72 million.

Technical Assistance for Replication (TA-R)

Projects aimed at preparing the scaling-up, adaptation or replication of results obtained in previous LIFE projects or from other European programmes. €6.5 million.

Technical Assistance for the preparation of SIP and SNAP

Projects that provide technical support for the preparation of Strategic Nature Projects (SNAP) and Strategic Integrated Projects (SIP). €1 million.

Projects addressing ad hoc Legislative and Policy Priorities (PLP)

Fund specific actions to address legislative or policy priorities set by the European Union. €23.8 million.

Clean Energy Transition sub-programme (LIFE CET – Coordination and Support Action Grants, CSA)

Supports projects focused on capacity building, information exchange and awareness-raising around renewable energies and energy efficiency. LIFE CET: €91.4 million.

Key dates for the LIFE 2025 call

These are the deadlines to submit a LIFE project on time and be eligible for funding.

From 13 to 15 May 2025

The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) will hold virtual info sessions to explain the details of the call.

4 September 2025

Deadline for the submission of Concept Notes for Strategic Integrated Projects (SIP) and Strategic Nature Projects (SNAP).

23 September 2025

Deadline for the submission of Standard Action Projects (SAP) focused on circular economy and quality of life, nature and biodiversity, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. This will also be the last opportunity to submit Coordination and Support Action Grants (CSA) under the Clean Energy Transition sub-programme, Technical Assistance (TA) for the preparation of SIP and SNAP, and Technical Assistance (TA) for replication. It is also the final day to submit preparatory LIFE Projects addressing ad hoc Legislative and Policy Priorities (PLP).

25 September 2025

Deadline for Specific Operating Grant Agreements (SGA OG) for NGOs.

5 March 2026

Final deadline for submitting full proposals for those SNAP and SIP projects that have passed the first stage.