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Launch of the 2021 LIFE call

Launch of the 2021 LIFE call

What is the LIFE programme?

The LIFE programme, launched in 1992, is the EU fund dedicated to environmental and climate objectives. The new 2021 LIFE –programme has a financial envelope of €580 million for 2021 and it will select projects helping meet the European Green Deal goals in line with EU policies on circular economy.

Projects will be selected that help to achieve the objectives of the European Green Pact by supporting the EU Biodiversity Strategy and the Circular Economy Action Plan, as well as the ecological recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Who?

Funds are open to a wide array of applicants, including, most specifically, private entities (big companies, SMEs and start-ups), public institutions (at a local, regional or national level, e.g. town councils and regional councils), non-profit organisations, universities and research centres.

The European Commission is specifically looking for technologies and solutions ready to be implemented in the market throughout the project at an industrial or commercial scale.

Funds are open to businesses from:

  1. a) Any EU Member State
  2. b) Any members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) included in the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA)
  3. c) EU potential candidates and acceding countries
  4. d) Countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy
  5. e) Members of the European Environment Agency, in accordance with the provisions of Council Regulation n. 933/1999 (1)

Prerequisites

Projects typically have an average fund of €2 million. They are normally made up of 3 to 8 partners in a public-private consortium. Having an international partner, such as Finnova Foundation, represents an added value. Projects commonly last 3 to 5 years.

When?

The stablished timetable is as follows:

July 28th – LIFE 2021 Networking and Q&A Open Day 

 

Finnova Foundation organises on Wednesday 28 July, 2021, at 09:00 (CEST) a session for networking and answering questions about the LIFE 2021-2027 programme for those interested in submitting project proposals in one of the 4 sub-programs under LIFE 2021-2027.

If you are interested in knowing the possibilities that the LIFE program can offer to your project, you can register at the Finnova identification and resolution of doubts day.

From 09:00 – 10:00h (CEST)

LIFE2021 Next Cities Generation challenge: waste, circular economy and water

http://life.nextcitiesgeneration.eu/

From 10:00 – 11:00h (CEST)

LIFE2021 challenge: sustainable mobility

http://life.nextlogisticgeneration.eu/

From 11:00 – 12:00h (CEST)

LIFE2021 challenge: sustainable agribusiness (HIBA Startup Euorpe Accelerathon launch)

http://life.agritechfood.eu/

From 12:00 – 13:00h (CEST)

LIFE2021 challenge: climate change, management and forest fires

http://retoforestal.cilifo.eu/

From 13:00 – 14:00h (CEST)

LIFE2021 challenge: real state, sustainable buildings and bauhaus

http://life.nextproptechgeneration.eu/

14:00 – 15:00 (CEST): LUNCH

From 15:00 – 16:00h (CEST)

LIFE 2021 challenge: sustainable energy

http://life.nextenergygeneration.eu/

From 16:00 – 17:00h (CEST)

LIFE2021 Next Tourism Generation challenge: sustainable tourism

http://life.nextourismgeneration.eu/

Updates for 2021

There will be 4 sub-programmes as opposed to the former 2.

  • Nature and Biodiversity
  • Circular Economy and Quality of Life
  • Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
  • Clean Energy Transition

Co-funding will be raised up to 75%, and up to 95% for Nature and Biodiversity projects.

Finnova Foundation’s participation in LIFE

Finnova has seasoned experts in EU projects and funds. In fact, 35 LIFE projects in which Finnova’s team has actively participated have been approved, one of them being the recent LIFE ECOdigestion.

Similarly, Finnova has a platform called EU Training Platform offering a wide array of courses made by Finnova dealing with EU funding, including two on LIFE (soon available in English):

LIFE – EU Funds for Environment

LIFE – EU Funds for Climate Change