Division (b) Award criteria

The merit of all eligible proposals that fulfil the eligibility criteria, will be evaluated and scored according to the following award criteria and scoring system:

• Technical coherence and quality

  This criterion will focus on the clarity, feasibility and sustainability of the actions proposed in the proposal. The sustainability of the project results in the medium and long term is the capacity to maintain them after project implementation. Successful sustainability presupposes a strategy including tasks to ensure the continuation of necessary project actions and the related funding after the end of the project.

• Financial coherence and quality

  The proposed budget and its consistency with the actions proposed and with the applicable rules as well as the cost-effectiveness of the proposed approach will be evaluated.

• EU added value: extent and quality of the contribution to the specific objectives of the priority areas of the two LIFE sub-programmes

  The extent to which each proposal contributes to one or several of the specific objectives of the priority areas of the two LIFE sub-programmes as set out in Articles 10, 11 and 12 of the LIFE Regulation (for the LIFE Environment sub-programme) and Articles 14, 15 and 16 (for the LIFE Climate Action sub-programme) and the quality of this contribution will be evaluated.

• EU added value: multi-purpose, synergies, and integration:

  Projects that, while focussing on a specific area, include a well-conceived multi-purpose delivery mechanism and improve integration of specific environmental objectives in other policy areas and create synergies with the objectives of other Union policies without compromising the objectives pursued by the LIFE Regulation, will receive higher scoring.

• EU added value: replicability and transferability:

  Replicability and transferability is the potential of the project to be replicated and transferred during and after its implementation. Successful replication and transferability require a strategy including tasks to multiply the impacts of the projects’ solutions and mobilise a wider uptake, reaching a critical mass during the project and/or in a short and medium term perspective after the end of the LIFE project. This goes beyond transfer of knowledge and networking, and involves putting the techniques, methods or strategies developed or applied in the project into practice elsewhere.

• EU added value: other aspects

  Transnational: Transnational proposals shall be favoured, if transnational cooperation is essential to guarantee the achievement of the project’s objectives. On the basis of this criterion, additional points may only be given to a proposal if there is sufficient evidence for an added value of the transnational approach.

  Green procurement: Proposals that foresee a clear delivery mechanism to ensure an extensive application of green procurement concepts will receive a higher scoring.

  Uptake of the results of EU Research and Innovation Programmes: Proposals that foresee to take up the results of environmental and climate-related research and innovation projects financed by Horizon 2020 or by preceding Framework Programmes will receive a higher scoring, if there is sufficient evidence for the added value of this uptake for the project.

• Specific criteria and scoring system for Environment projects

  The specific criteria and scoring system under the sub-programme Environment reflect the fact that only under the sub-programme Environment thematic priorities (Annex III to the LIFE Regulation) and the related project topics (Heading 2 above) were defined.

• EU added value: contribution to the project topics

  LIFE proposals clearly falling under the project topics implementing the thematic priorities set out in Annex III for the sub-programme Environment as defined in the multiannual work programme will receive additional points under this criterion.

  A project proposal has to reach at least the minimum pass score for each award criterion and also the sum of scores for criteria for which a minimum score has been fixed has to be equivalent to 55 points or more.
  Award criteria	Minimum pass scoref1	Maximum score
  1. Technical coherence and quality	10	20
  2. Financial coherence and quality	10	20
  3. EU added value: extent and quality of the contribution to the specific objectives of the priority areas of the LIFE sub-programme for Environment	10	20
  4. Contribution to the project topics	—	10
  5. EU added value: multipurpose, synergies, and integration	7	15
  6. EU added value: replicability and transferability	5	10
  7. EU added value: transnational, green procurement, uptake	—	5
  Overall (pass) scores	55	100

• Specific criteria and scoring system for Climate Action projects

• EU added value: Contribution to an increased climate resilience and/or to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

  Projects under the sub-programme for Climate Action need to demonstrate a transformative impact on increased climate resilience and/or on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. This should contribute to the shift towards a resource-efficient, low-carbon and climate-resilient economy. It will be assessed at the level of the project itself and at the level of the potential of wider replication/transferability of the project’s results achieved during the project or in a post-project stage.

  A project proposal has to reach at least the minimum pass score for each award criterion and also the sum of scores for criteria for which a minimum score has been fixed has to be equivalent to 55 points or more.
  Award criteria	Minimum pass scoref2	Maximum score
  1. Technical coherence and quality	10	20
  2. Financial coherence and quality	10	20
  3. EU added value: Extent and quality of the contribution to an increased climate resilience and/or to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions	7	15
  4. EU added value: Extent and quality of the contribution to the specific objectives of the priority areas of the LIFE sub-programme for Climate Action:EU added value: Extent and quality of the contribution to the specific objectives of the priority areas of the LIFE sub-programme for Climate Action:	7	15
  5. EU added value: quality of multipurpose, synergies, and integration	7	15
  6. EU added value: replicability and transferability	5	10
  7. EU added value: transnational, green procurement, uptake	—	5
  Overall (pass) scores	55	100