Energy renovation solutions – Boosting building renovation through effective markets and instruments

Opened

Code: 40117 | Identifier Code: LIFE-2026-CET-BETTERRENO | Programme name: 10710 | Start submission calls: 21/04/2026 | End submission calls: 16/09/2026

This topic contributes to the goals of the EU Renovation Wave strategy and aims to help implement current building policies and strategic plans, notably the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and the elements of the European Affordable Housing Plan of relevance for building renovation. This topic supports energy renovations that provide scalable, high-performance and affordable solutions to massify renovations and improve the energy performance and the affordability of buildings and make buildings active energy system assets.

This topic addresses areas that are key for the achievement of the ambitious EU targets for the decarbonisation of buildings, along with improving the energy security and industrial competitiveness in the EU and the affordability of energy. This topic supports the Better Homes partnerships bringing together stakeholders from a fragmented renovation chain to collaborate, conceptualise and deploy renovation projects on the ground. It aims to deploy approaches that bring together market actors and policy frameworks in order to support the large-scale roll out of renovation solutions. The topic aims to increase the attractiveness and cost-effectiveness of building energy performance upgrades and to reduce the administrative, logistical and financial burden that still goes along with building retrofitting.

The topic also aims to ensure the market uptake and integration to the policy framework of advanced building policy and information instruments, to increase their public acceptance and demonstrate their value for verification and financing of building renovation and upgrade. Proposals should, where appropriate, explore synergies with, build on or complement, and promote the market deployment of the results from projects funded under other EU programmes, notably Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe.

Strategic Integrated Projects – Climate Action

Opened

Code: 40113 | Identifier Code: LIFE-2026-STRAT-CLIMA-SIP-two-stage | Programme name: 10710 | Start submission calls: 21/04/2026 | End submission calls: 03/09/2026

Target the implementation of one or more of the following plans/strategies:

• Final updated National Energy and Climate Plans (NECP) and Long-Term Strategies (LTS) pursuant to Regulation on the governance of the energy union and climate action (EU) 2018/1999.
• National adaptation strategies and plans pursuant to Article 5 of the Regulation 2021/1119 (‘European Climate Law’), or regional adaptation strategies or action plans.
• Urban or community-based action plans pioneering the transition to a climate neutral and/or climate resilient society, – including climate-neutral cities plans and actions, for instance in the context of the EU Mission ‘Climate neutral and smart cities’ and Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans -which would work in parallel with the Commission’s new integrated framework for European climate resilience and risk management expected in late 2026.
• National, regional or industry-/sector-specific greenhouse gas mitigation strategies or roadmaps contributing to climate neutrality.

Strategic Integrated Projects – Environment

Opened

Code: 40110 | Identifier Code: LIFE-2026-STRAT-ENV-SIP-two-stage | Programme name: 10710 | Start submission calls: 21/04/2026 | End submission calls: 03/09/2026

Support the full implementation of the following plans and strategies:

• Circular Economy: National or Regional Circular Economy Action Plans, Strategies, Roadmaps or similar, which are officially approved, and which include specific and measurable actions, or targets, with a clear timeline and are in line with or complement the objectives of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan and, when relevant of the Bioeconomy Strategy.
• Waste: National and regional Waste Management Plans pursuant to Article 28 of the EU Waste Framework Directive and/or Waste Prevention Programmes as requested by article 29 of the EU Waste Framework Directive.
• Water: River basin management plans pursuant to Annex VII to the EU Water Framework Directive, Flood Risk Management Plans pursuant to the EU Floods Directive, Marine Strategies pursuant to the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Drought Management Plans as suggested by Article 13 (5) of the Water Framework Directive.
• Air: Air quality plans pursuant to the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive, National Air Pollution Control Programmes pursuant to the EU National Emission Reduction Commitments Directive.
• Noise: Noise action plans pursuant to the EU Environmental Noise Directive.

Strategic Nature Projects

Opened

Code: 40107 | Identifier Code: LIFE-2026-STRAT-NAT-SNAP-two-stage | Programme name: 10710 | Start submission calls: 21/04/2026 | End submission calls: 03/09/2026

A SNAP will not have to cover all actions foreseen in the strategy/plan or ensure that the strategy/plan will be fully implemented during the lifetime of the SNAP. However, the SNAP shall include strategic actions to catalyse a process and mobilise supplementary commitments and funding that will lead, in due time, to the full implementation of the plan or strategy.

SNAPs should:

1. promote the coordination with and mobilisation of other relevant Union, national or private funding sources for the implementation of the complementary measures or actions outside of the SNAP in the framework of the targeted plan or strategy, giving preference to Union funding. Within the SNAP itself, however, co-funding may not come from other Union funding sources.
2. actively involve the main stakeholders necessary for the implementation of the targeted plan or strategy. They should be involved in both the design and implementation of the given project. This involvement is expected to be achieved by including them – where possible and reasonable – as associated beneficiaries of the SNAP, or through their active participation in the implementation of the SNAP itself and/or of the complementary actions.
3. facilitate and result in the building up of strategic capacities among the competent authorities and stakeholders to ensure a long-term sustainability of project results and actions, and to ensure that they will be able to function as co-deliverers of the targeted plan or strategy after the end of the SNAP.

Nature Governance and Information

Opened

Code: 40104 | Identifier Code: LIFE-2026-SAP-NAT-GOV | Programme name: 10710 | Start submission calls: 21/04/2026 | End submission calls: 22/09/2026

Under this topic, projects shall lead to a smart and outcome-based implementation of the EU nature and biodiversity legislation. Projects should cover one or more of the following general sub-topics:

1. Behavioural change and awareness-raising initiatives
   • The topic supports actions that raise awareness, improve communication and knowledge sharing, and strengthen environmental governance in nature and biodiversity conservation. It promotes stakeholder involvement, including NGOs, in policy development and implementation, and gives priority to proposals highlighting the benefits of nature conservation, particularly the Natura 2000 network.
2. Compliance assurance, as well as public participation and access to justice (Aarhus Convention)
   • The actions aim to strengthen compliance with EU nature and biodiversity legislation by promoting public participation, access to justice, and cooperation among relevant authorities, experts and stakeholders. They also support training, improved professional qualifications, better information systems, innovative tools, and citizen engagement to monitor, promote and enforce compliance, including through environmental liability mechanisms.
3. Enabling actions for the replication and upscaling of proven solutions
   • Proposals should prepare the wider deployment, transfer or replication of proven solutions already demonstrated through LIFE or other EU-funded initiatives, provided they support the objectives of the Nature and Biodiversity sub-programme. The actions should focus only on creating the enabling conditions for large-scale uptake, without implementing the replication itself, and must explain why this was not achieved in previous projects.

Nature and Biodiversity

Opened

Code: 40102 | Identifier Code: LIFE-2026-SAP-NAT-NATURE | Programme name: 10710 | Start submission calls: 21/04/2026 | End submission calls: 22/09/2026

Under this topic, projects shall lead to a smart and outcome-based implementation of the EU nature and biodiversity legislation and the EU biodiversity strategy for 203015. Only wild flora and fauna and natural and semi-natural habitats may be targeted. They shall fall under at least one of the two following areas of intervention:

1. Intervention area: “Space for Nature”
2. Intervention area: “Safeguarding our species”

Technical Assistance preparation of SNaPs

Opened

Code: 40099 | Identifier Code: LIFE-2026-TA-PP-NAT-SNAP | Programme name: 10710 | Start submission calls: 21/04/2026 | End submission calls: 22/09/2026

The SNAPs support the achievement of Union nature and biodiversity objectives by implementing coherent programmes of action in the Member States and third countries associated to the LIFE Programme, in order to mainstream these objectives and priorities into other policies and financing instruments, including through coordinated implementation of the Prioritized Action Frameworks (PAFs) established pursuant to Directive 92/43/EEC.

Technical Assistance preparation of ENV SIPs

Opened

Code: 40095 | Identifier Code: LIFE-2026-TA-PP-ENV-SIP | Programme name: 10710 | Start submission calls: 21/04/2026 | End submission calls: 22/09/2026

The Environment SIP projects support the implementation, on a regional, multiregional, national or transnational scale, of environmental strategies or action plans developed by Member States or third countries associated to the LIFE Programme’s authorities and required by specific environmental, climate or relevant energy legislation or policy of the Union, while ensuring that stakeholders are involved and promoting coordination with and mobilisation of at least one other Union, national or private funding source.

Technical Assistance preparation of CLIMA SIPs

Opened

Code: 40092 | Identifier Code: LIFE-2026-TA-PP-CLIMA-SIP | Programme name: 10710 | Start submission calls: 21/04/2026 | End submission calls: 22/09/2026

The CLIMA SIP projects support the implementation on a regional, multi-regional, national or transnational scale, of climate strategies or action plans developed by Member States or third countries associated to the LIFE Programme’s authorities and required by specific EU environmental, climate or relevant energy Union legislation or policy of the Union, while ensuring that stakeholders are involved and promoting coordination with and mobilisation of at least one other Union, national or private funding source.

Climate Change Adaptation

Opened

Code: 40089 | Identifier Code: LIFE-2026-SAP-CLIMA-CCA | Programme name: 10710 | Start submission calls: 21/04/2026 | End submission calls: 22/09/2026

Projects under this strand should help to achieve the long-term vision of the new EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change that, in 2050, the EU will be a climate-resilient society which is fully adapted to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. Projects should help to reinforce adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience, and reduce vulnerability, in line with the Paris Agreement and the European Climate Law.

Climate Change Mitigation

Opened

Code: 40086 | Identifier Code: LIFE-2026-SAP-CLIMA-CCM | Programme name: 10710 | Start submission calls: 21/04/2026 | End submission calls: 22/09/2026

Projects under the Climate Change Mitigation Priority Area will support the implementation of the European Green Deal by contributing to the objectives and targets set out in the EU Climate Law and to the intermediate Union climate target to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% compared to 1990 levels by 2030.

Climate Governance and Information

Opened

Code: 40081 | Identifier Code: LIFE-2026-SAP-CLIMA-GOV | Programme name: 10710 | Start submission calls: 21/04/2026 | End submission calls: 22/09/2026

LIFE Climate Change Governance and Information aims at supporting the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of the Union legislation and policy on climate change, contributing to climate change mitigation and/or adaptation. This includes improving governance through enhancing the capacities of public and private actors and the involvement of civil society.