Under this webpage, you will find a set of guidelines related to the contractual and financial management of your grant agreement. Make sure that you check the programming period applicable to your project (either 2014-2020 or 2021-2027), as the grant agreement rules may be different.
How to submit requests
For projects financed under the LIFE 2021-2027 programme
Submission of reports and amendments are exclusively done via the Funding & Tender portal. Please follow the guidance that is available under the Support section and in particular the Online Manual and the IT How To.
For projects financed under the LIFE 2014-2020 programme
Please see the reporting page of the LIFE website for the current submission requirements.
If your project is managed by DG Environment:
For projects that received funding from the LIFE+ programme 2007-2013, please follow the instructions and use the documents published on the Project administration LIFE+ (2007-2013) page.
For Preparatory or European Solidarity Corps projects consult the guidance given in this page however follow the LIFE+ requirements for submission to DG Environment.
Guidelines
For projects financed under the LIFE 2021-2027 programme
For projects receiving funding from the LIFE 2021-2027 programme (Action and Operating Grants), please refer to the templates and guidance under https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/how-to-participate/reference-documents;programCode=LIFE2027.
To help LIFE beneficiaries to comply with financial and contractual rules and to ensure a correct financial reporting of their eligible costs, CINEA has developed in addition the following checklist:
- Financial reporting checklist for LIFE 2021-2027_beneficiaries - Updated on 07/12/22
To help LIFE beneficiaries to calculate the personnel costs (Employees, Natural & Seconded persons, SME owners, Volunteers) over the reporting period, CINEA has developed the following calculation tool (please first read the “Guidance” sheet!).
Please note that the second link provides concrete examples on the use of the tool.
- Template of the Calculation sheet employee costs – Updated on 31/10/23
- Examples of Calculation sheet employee costs - version 31/10/2023
For projects financed under the LIFE 2014-2020 programme
- General guidelines for the presentation of an amendment to the grant agreement
General guidelines for the presentation of an amendment to the grant agreement. Part A gives guidance for traditional projects. Part B gives guidance on how to prepare and submit an amendment to merge the phases in the budget of LIFE Integrated Projects. Part C gives guidance on how to prepare and request a phase update amendment for LIFE Integrated Projects.
- Guidance for Amendments to Grant Agreements via eProposal
- Annex to the cover letter of the Amendment Request Package
Annex to the cover letter of the Amendment Request Package: In order to ensure the completeness and correctness of your Amendment Request Package, this table has been developed to support your checks. It is highly recommended to annex this table to the cover letter introducing your amendment request.
- Amendment request – beneficiary checklist
LIFE amendment beneficiary checklist – Update October 2022: submission requirements have been modified e.g. request Qsigned or on paper with original blue ink signature.
Update December 2022: the links to the Legal Entity File and the Financial Identification Form have been updated.
- LIFE Integrated Project Phase Update Amendment request – beneficiary checklist
LIFE amendment request for an IP phase update beneficiary checklist – Update October 2022: submission requirements have been modified e.g. request Qsigned or on paper with original blue ink signature.
Update December 2022: the links to the Legal Entity File and the Financial Identification Form have been updated.
- Comparative budget table for Integrated Project Phase Update
- Financial and administrative guidelines (annex X to the Model LIFE Grant Agreement)
These financial and administrative guidelines are meant to help proposers and beneficiaries under the LIFE programme understand:
- the financial and administrative provisions of the LIFE grant agreement when preparing their proposal and their future financial reports;
- the administrative guidance for requesting changes to the grant agreement (i.e. amendments).
The main changes to the updates of 07/07/2021 and 25/11/2020 are listed on the 1st page.
Templates
For projects financed under the LIFE 2021-2027 programme
For projects receiving funding from the LIFE 2021-2027 programme, please refer to the templates and guidance under https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/how-to-participate/reference-documents;programCode=LIFE2027.
For projects financed under the LIFE 2014-2020 programme
- Model grant agreement (all except integrated projects) (2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2015-2016 | 2014)
- Model grant agreement for integrated projects (2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2015-2016 | 2014)
- Timesheets
Financial Guarantee templates (pre-financing) for LIFE 2014-20 and LIFE 2021-27 programmes