LIFE
The European programme opens up new opportunities to drive projects in environment, climate and energy, with most submission deadlines falling in September
At a glance: the essentials of this article
The European Commission has launched LIFE 2026 with €601.5 million to fund projects that support the green transition, protect biodiversity, strengthen climate action and accelerate the energy transition. The call includes strands for standard projects, strategic projects, technical assistance, legislative priorities and support actions, with several deadlines between September 2026 and March 2027.
The European Commission has launched the LIFE 2026 call, worth €601.5 million, with the aim of continuing to support projects capable of accelerating the green transition, strengthening biodiversity protection, improving environmental quality and supporting climate action across the European Union. Once again, the programme stands out as one of the EU’s key instruments for turning demonstrator solutions, governance approaches, replicable models and actions with the potential to scale up at regional, national or transnational level into reality.
The 2026 edition is structured around a broad range of funding lines, covering everything from Standard Action Projects (SAPs) to Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) and Strategic Nature Projects (SNaPs), as well as technical assistance grants, initiatives linked to EU legislative and policy priorities, operating grants for organisations, climate and energy actions, and coordination and support actions under the clean energy transition.
“Taken as a whole, the programme once again offers a significant portfolio of opportunities for public authorities, companies, universities, technology centres, third-sector organisations and other stakeholders able to develop environmental and climate projects aligned with European priorities,” says Maite Zazpe, Environment Area Lead in European Projects and Zabala Innovation’s LIFE programme expert.
Projects focused on environmental and biodiversity conservation, resource efficiency, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Their aim is to demonstrate innovative approaches and facilitate their replication on a larger scale. This year’s call topics are:
Strategic Nature and Integrated Projects (SIPs). These support the implementation, at regional, national or transnational level, of strategies or action plans relating to the environment or climate required under EU legislation. They must involve multiple stakeholders and mobilise additional funding from other European, national or private sources.
Strategic Nature Projects (SNaPs). These are designed to facilitate the achievement of European objectives on nature and biodiversity, integrating them into other policies and funding mechanisms through coherent action programmes in the Member States. €75 million.
Projects providing technical support for the preparation of Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) and Strategic Nature Projects (SNaPs). €1 million.
These fund specific actions addressing legislative or policy priorities identified by the European Union. €18 million.
Projects under this strand should help to achieve the long-term vision of the new EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change, namely that by 2050 the EU will be a climate-resilient society fully adapted to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. Projects should help to reinforce adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience, and reduce vulnerability, in line with the Paris Agreement and the European Climate Law. €28 million.
Projects under the Climate Change Mitigation Priority Area will support the implementation of the European Green Deal by contributing to the objectives and targets set out in the EU Climate Law and to the intermediate Union climate target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% compared with 1990 levels by 2030. €28 million.
LIFE Climate Change Governance and Information aims to support the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of Union climate legislation and policy, contributing to climate change mitigation and/or adaptation. This includes improving governance by enhancing the capacities of public and private actors and the involvement of civil society. €4 million.
This strand supports projects focused on capacity-building, information-sharing and awareness-raising around renewable energy and energy efficiency. €85.5 million.
These are the key dates that organisations interested in applying to LIFE 2026 should bear in mind in order to submit their proposals on time.
CINEA will present the calls during the EU LIFE Info Days, information sessions organised to explain the content of the open calls, their requirements and the keys to participation.
Deadline for submitting concept notes for Strategic Nature Projects (SNaPs) and Strategic Nature and Integrated Projects (SIPs), both in the environment and climate strands. This marks the first major milestone in the LIFE 2026 calendar for strategic projects, which are structured in two phases.
Deadline for submitting Framework Partnership Agreements (FPA OG), the framework partnership agreements that provide the basis for certain operating grants.
Final date for applying for Coordination and Support Action Grants (CSAs) under the clean energy transition sub-programme, one of the most specific LIFE strands in terms of support, capacity-building, dissemination and assistance for the energy transition.
This will be the busiest date in the calendar and will concentrate most of the call deadlines. On that day, the deadline will close for submitting Standard Action Projects (SAPs) in circular economy and zero pollution – environment, environmental governance, nature and biodiversity – nature, and nature and biodiversity – governance and information. It will also be the deadline for technical assistance for the preparation of SNaPs, technical assistance for the preparation of environment SIPs, and technical assistance for the preparation of climate SIPs.
The same day will also mark the deadline for Specific Operating Grant Agreements (SGA OG) for non-governmental organisations, for multilevel climate and energy dialogue to implement the Governance Regulation and the post-2030 energy and climate policy framework, and for the support mechanism for compliance with ecodesign and energy labelling requirements for suppliers and retailers. The same date will also close the calls for projects on legislative and policy priorities in the areas of Nature and Biodiversity and Circular Economy and Quality of Life, as well as the calls for Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Mitigation, and Climate Governance and Information.
Final deadline for submitting full proposals for Strategic Nature Projects (SNaPs) and Strategic Nature and Integrated Projects (SIPs) in the environment and climate strands that have passed the first concept note phase.
News
LIFE
The EU’s flagship instrument for environment and climate projects will be integrated into the new Competitiveness Fund, according to a proposal from Brussels
Opinion
LIFE PROGRAMME
Adrián Rivas
Team leader with expertise in European programmes
Publication
LIFE PROGRAMME
A comprehensive guide for newly approved LIFE project managers
Zabala Innovation assists private and public players in their search for and acquisition of public funding and has developed a methodology for accompanying and supporting national and European project coordinators.
We can help you with cascading funding, an EC mechanism that distributes public funding to help SMEs develop digital innovation.
We guide companies through the implementation of adequate innovation strategies, which allows them to tackle any transformation challenge in a coordinated and effective manner, from an integrated perspective.