LIFE operating grants

Next to the action grants supporting various types of environment and climate-action projects, for which any organisation can apply, the LIFE Programme also provides targeted support to European non-profit making entities active in these areas through operating grants.

The legal base for awarding those grants is the LIFE Regulation, which states that:

"Operating grants shall support the functioning of non-profit making entities which are involved in the development, implementation and enforcement of Union legislation and policy, and which are primarily active in the area of the environment or climate action, including energy transition, in line with the objectives of the LIFE Programme set out in Article 3" (Article 11 of the Regulation).

The Programme's main objective, as defined in Article 3, is “to contribute to the shift towards a sustainable, circular, energy-efficient, renewable energy-based, climate-neutral and resilient economy, in order to protect, restore and improve the quality of the environment, including the air, water and soil, and to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and to tackle the degradation of ecosystems, including by supporting the implementation and management of the Natura 2000 network, thereby contributing to sustainable development.”

Why is there a funding programme for European environmental, climate and energy non-profit organisations?

Non-profit making entities play an important role in raising awareness of environmental issues for better governance. They voice the concerns of EU citizens and ensure their democratic representation.

For the development, implementation and proper enforcement of EU environmental or climate policy, there needs to be an open and wide-ranging dialogue with all stakeholders. It is important that organisations are able to take part in such a dialogue, since they represent EU citizens and have a good understanding of public concerns on the environment and climate change. Their presence is important to provide a sound democratic contribution, and a level-playing field with other actors in the EU arena.

For the development and implementation of environmental and/or climate policy, including clean energy transition, they participate in preparatory work and expert groups and conduct research and studies, for instance to give feedback, improve the knowledge base and help shape European policies. Another example of an area where organisations play an important role is awareness raising of the general public and environmental and/or climate education.

The number of organisations funded each year varies depending on the quality of the applications, the amounts applied for, and the total budget available. Between 20 and 40 organisations have typically been selected for funding, following multi-annual calls for proposals. The calls include criteria for the eligibility of organisations and for the evaluation of proposals.

The most recent call was launched in April 2024 to select organisations with which Framework Partnership Agreements (FPAs) were then concluded for funding in 2025 and 2026. Organisations holding an FPA are invited to submit proposals for Specific Grant Agreements on an annual basis.

You can find below the lists of organisations funded since 2018:

The next call for proposals, aiming at the selection of organisations eligible for funding in 2027 and 2028, is due to be published in April 2026.