Tips for a successful LIFE 2022 call for proposals

The exclusive European programme for the environment and climate action, LIFE, is very competitive, and this characteristic is reflected in its LIFE 2022 call for proposals.

Our consultancy firm has extensive experience in this programme and we have successfully accompanied 4% of LIFE projects in Europe, maintaining the good results obtained in the 2014-2020 LIFE Programme. We have successfully accompanied very different profiles of entities in obtaining funding in the LIFE Programme: both large companies and start-ups, research centres, universities, and public entities.

Success ahead of LIFE 2022 call for proposals

Zabala Innovation’s excellent track record in the LIFE Programme was endorsed by the 36% success rate achieved in the proposals we submitted in the LIFE 2021 call. We think it is very important to point out, for those entities interested in the LIFE 2022 call, that we have managed to finance proposals with very different profile typologies: small projects with regional or national partners, and large international projects of more than ten entities.

This is a sign that both types of projects are valid for LIFE SAP (Standard Actions Projects), and these success stories have three factors in common:

• Define in detail “the environmental problem” that the project is trying to solve. The problem to be solved must be relevant to Europe, not just specific to one region.
• They describe very precisely the situation or the starting point. The importance of this point was stressed on several occasions at the explanatory workshops recently organised by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) and the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO).
• They determine the impact of the project. The importance of replication is essential and should be well addressed in the drafting of the proposal, together with the exploitation plan.

Are you a public authority interested in applying for the LIFE 2022 call? In that case, remember that you may be interested not only in the call for “traditional projects” or SAPs, but also in STRATs or SNAPs, the “strategic environmental or nature projects”. These are actions designed to implement certain regional or multi-regional plans and strategies on nature, circular economy, climate, energy efficiency, etc., and are developed in two phases. We also encourage you to review the specific topics of the Clean Energy Transition (CET) programme.

Keys to success in the LIFE 2022 call for proposals

Here are some tips for success in the LIFE 2022 call, useful for all types of organisations:

• Start early and read all the documentation very well. This aspect is of vital importance considering that this is a new programme since 2021. At the MITECO workshop it was repeated that a high percentage of proposals had been ineligible (had not been evaluated), because they did not meet the eligibility criteria. This is a very relevant aspect, considering all the time it takes to prepare a proposal.
• In the evaluation, almost all criteria are equally important: relevance, quality, and use of resources. But there is a fourth criterion, impact, which is weighted x1.5, so it is more important. You should aim for a high score, bearing in mind that you need to pass all four criteria.
• The KPIs are usually one of the most complex parts of the proposal, as it came out in the LIFE webinar recently organised by Zabala Innovation. Therefore, this year, CINEA has improved and expanded the instructions on KPIs to facilitate this task. It should also be noted that in the national Infoday organised by MITECO, it was pointed out that the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) document is much more complete, and we have been able to verify this.

Finally, if you are interested in the ‘Clean Energy Transition’ sub-programme, we encourage you to attend the information day that will take place at the International Energy and Environment Fair, which will be held in Madrid from 14 to 16 June. Zabala Innnovation will be present at this fair, so we encourage you to visit