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New features relating to the COVID-19 pandemic

by | Aug 31, 2020 | News

Dear members and partners,

Please read this message carefully before starting an application. The Addendum to the guidelines for applicants is now published under the Environment and Climate Action LIFE2020 calls. Please check the documents listing the modifications to the guidelines for applicants and the model of grant agreement due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

New measures

All submission deadlines are being extended by one month. The first pre-financing amounts for traditional projects have been increased from 30% to 40% of the Union Contribution.

Private entities in the 2020 call are no longer contractually obliged to launch ‘open’ tenders for contracts above 139 000 euros. However, when purchasing goods and services, they will need to comply with the ‘value for money’ and ‘absence of conflict of interest’ requirements (their internal procurement rules will need to be respected).  All projects will be allowed to financially support local initiatives that may contribute to the project objective. This support will take the form of grants that the beneficiary may give (within certain limits) to third parties responsible for such initiatives. In this way, we hope to also facilitate access to LIFE financing to very small local groups that do not have the capacity to act as an associated beneficiary in the project, but could play a role in reaching the project’s objectives.

A special section on start-up companies has been integrated into the guidelines. In this section, we invite larger companies to consider their LIFE project as a potential incubator for start-ups. Normally start-ups don’t qualify as a coordinating beneficiary due to their limited financial capacity. They could however be a key player (owner of know-how or knowledge) in partnership with a larger company. In this way, the start-up may be given the chance to move to a full market development, and the larger company would gain access to the knowledge, while limiting the risk thanks to the LIFE support.

This year, every traditional or integrated LIFE project and each type of beneficiary will be able to request funding for the full cost of durable goods if they fulfill specific conditions. These conditions include that the goods are intensively used during the project, that they are definitively and exclusively assigned to the same objectives and purpose foreseen by the project, and that they are used for their entire economic life. All LIFE projects may now also consider in kind contribution voluntary work under “personnel costs” in the form of pre-defined unit costs up to certain limits. This will help projects reach their objectives more effectively by involving volunteers.

2020 LIFE calls for proposals

The call for proposal pages includes timetables and application packages, listed by project type and sub-program (environment or climate action). For general information on who can apply, how to apply, grant agreement templates, and FAQs, please see the respective sections. The recording and the presentation of the EU LIFE Information Day and Networking event (30 April 2020) is now available. For more information on LIFE funding for climate change adaptation projects, watch now the recording of our dedicated webinar.

Environment sub-programme

Climate action sub-programme

Other calls

https://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/section/life/calls-proposals?ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_3_28_2019_20_56_COPY_01)#inline-nav-1