LIFE Proposal Writing Assistance Scheme

Information about the Scheme:

The LIFE Proposal Writing Assistance Scheme is offered by the Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise (MEEE) to increase participation in LIFE projects by Voluntary Organisations. MEEE understands the challenge faced by voluntary organisations with regard to capacities and the time that can be allocated to the application process for LIFE. Through this Scheme, MEEE is offering eligible Voluntary Organisations the opportunity of a financial grant to outsource the writing of the project proposal to a professional proposal writer to increase the chances of a successful LIFE application.

Priority shall be given to project proposals which cover the priority areas below:

• Measures and Management of Natura 2000 Sites;

• Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation;

• Green Infrastructure;

• Energy Efficiency;

• Renewable Energy

• Waste Management and/or Marine Litter; and/or

• Afforestation

The Scheme offers a maximum grant of up to €5,000 (excluding VAT) for Voluntary Organisations to engage professional assistance to write a project for the upcoming 2022 LIFE proposal calls. The LIFE Proposal Writing Assistance Scheme opens on the 17th May 2022 and closes on the 25th July 2022.

LIFE Background:

The LIFE programme is the EU’s funding instrument for the Environment and Climate Action. The new LIFE programme for the period 2021-2027 will be covering the following fields and sub-programmes:

1. Under the Environment field:

• Sub-programme: Nature and Biodiversity.

• Sub-programme: Circular Economy and Quality of Life.

2. Under the Climate Action field:

• Sub-programme: Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation.

• Sub-programme: Clean Energy Transition.

Calls under the LIFE Programme are launched every year by the European Commission. The next set of EU LIFE calls were published on May 17th 2022 through the LIFE - Calls for proposals (europa.eu).

Applicant Eligibility

This Scheme is offered to voluntary organisations, as a single legal entity, that fulfil the below requirements:

• Applicants must be an established non-Government, non-profit voluntary organisation in the Maltese territory;

• Applicants must be duly enrolled with the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations and must be compliant with the provisions of the Voluntary Organisations Act (Cap 492 of the Laws of Malta) and its subsidiary legislation.

• Applicants must also be the Coordinating Beneficiaries in subsequent submitted proposals under the LIFE Programme.

Funding under this Scheme is made available on the basis that the Applicant has not benefitted, and will not benefit, from any other grant or financial incentive of whatever nature, applied for and/or utilised for the same project proposal as that subject of the funding requested under this Scheme.

The above provisions are applicable to Applicants both at the date of deadline and until such time when funding is due to be granted.

Application Eligibility

An application shall be considered eligible for funding under this Scheme if:

• the duly filled in application form is successfully submitted through the online submission platform and within the established deadline;

• the submitted application form is complete and includes all relevant supporting documentation;

• the submitted application form is coordinated by an eligible voluntary organisation that satisfies the eligibility criteria as set in the Guidelines 2022;

• Applicants requesting assistance under this Scheme are the Coordinating Beneficiary in the proposal;

• consultancy services chosen by the applicant voluntary organisation are those to be rendered from a registered company in an EU country.

Exclusion Criteria

An application shall not be considered under this Scheme if:

• the project proposal has been already granted any EU/national funding, even if in part;

• any of the eligible/applicant criteria are not met;

• the Applicant is bankrupt, subject to insolvency or winding-up procedures; its assets are being administered by a liquidator or by a court; it is in an arrangement with creditors; its business activities are suspended, or it is in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for under EU or national laws or regulations;

• it has been established by a final judgement or a final administrative decision that the Applicant is in breach of its obligations relating to the payment of taxes or social security contributions in accordance with the applicable law;

• it has been established by a final judgement or a final administrative decision that the Applicant is guilty of grave professional misconduct by having violated applicable laws or regulations or ethical standards of the profession to which the applicant belongs, or by having engaged in any wrongful intent or gross negligence, including, in particular:

(i) fraudulently or negligently misrepresenting information required for the verification of the absence of grounds for exclusion or the fulfilment of eligibility or selection criteria or in the performance of a contract, a grant agreement or a grant decision;

(ii) entering into agreement with other applicants with the aim of distorting competition;

(iii) violating intellectual property rights;

(iv) attempting to influence the decision-making process of the MEEE during the award procedure;

(v) attempting to obtain confidential information that may confer upon it undue advantages in the award procedure.

• it has been established by a final judgement that the Applicant is guilty of fraud, corruption, conduct related to criminal organisation, money laundering or terrorism financing, terrorist offences or offences linked to terrorism activities, child labour or other offences concerning trafficking in human beings;

• the Applicant has shown significant deficiencies in complying with main obligations in the performance of a contract, a grant agreement or a grant decision financed by the Union's budget, which has led to its early termination or to the application of liquidated damages or other contractual penalties, or which has been discovered following checks, audits or investigations by an authorising officer, OLAF or the Court of Auditors.

Eligible applicants may wish to contact directly the LIFE NCP within MEEE. Any enquiries can be communicated via the e-mail address life.meee@gov.mt or by calling on 23316232.

Full information can be found in the guidelines hereunder.