Strategic Nature Projects (SNaP)

Type

LIFE Project Grants (two-stage procedure)

About the call

The largest grant size of any project type in the programme: EUR 10-30 million per project, with a call budget of EUR 75 million. SNaPs are designed to mainstream EU nature and biodiversity objectives into other policies and funding mechanisms through coordinated action programmes at national or regional level. In practice, this means implementing national Prioritised Action Frameworks (PAFs) for the Natura 2000 network: the project does not merely restore sites, but restructures the system of nature conservation governance and financing in the country or region.

Objectives

• Ensure full-scale implementation of the PAF or an equivalent national/regional nature and biodiversity strategy.
• Mainstream nature conservation objectives into sectoral policies: agriculture, forestry, water management, spatial planning.
• Build a sustainable nature conservation financing system that continues to operate after the project ends.

What is funded

• Coordination and catalytic actions that trigger implementation of the PAF.
• Practical restoration and site management measures as part of a wider programme.
• Establishment and strengthening of governance structures at national and regional level.
• Capacity building of competent authorities as "co-implementers" of the plan.
• Mandatory element: mobilisation of complementary funding from other European, national or private sources.

Conditions

• Call budget: EUR 75 million
• Grant size: EUR 10-30 million
• Co-financing rate: up to 60%
• Implementation in phases: the project is structured into phases (Phase 1, Phase 2, etc.), each usually at least 3 years
• Applicant: typically the public authority responsible for the relevant plan

Deadlines

• Concept notes: 3 September 2026, 17:00 CEST
• Full proposals: 4 March 2027, 17:00 CET