Researching the technical, social & economic factors impacting the energy performance of Smart Buildings (Built4People Partnership)

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Code: 40131 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL5-2026-09-D4-01 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 05/05/2026 | End submission calls: 15/09/2026

Significant investments have been made in developing hardware and software for smart buildings. There is still limited understanding how smart buildings solutions impact the energy performance of buildings and users’ comfort in practice. Research is required on the technical, social, and economic factors that influence how different groups – defined by their social, educational, age, and financial status – use and interact with smart buildings and systems. The whole-life cycle impacts of smart building have to be better understood, from design and construction to operation, maintenance, end-of-life and circular re-use, to ensure delivery of sustainable and cost-effective smart building solutions.

Facilitating cooperation among energy communities

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Code: 40129 | Identifier Code: LIFE-2026-CET-ENERCOM | Programme name: 10710 | Start submission calls: 21/04/2026 | End submission calls: 16/09/2026

Energy communities have been widely recognised as key actors in the EU energy system for their potential contribution in achieving the Union’s 2030 and 2050 energy and climate targets. As part of the Citizens Energy Package, the European Commission delivered guidance for Member States on measures to unleash the potential energy communities and energy self-consumption and engaged itself to publish an Energy Communities Action Plan.

Some energy communities are already providing professional services to members and other communities at scale. However, most energy communities in Europe remain relatively small and primarily focused on solar photovoltaic projects. While these initiatives have been instrumental in engaging citizens and local authorities in renewable energy generation, many face challenges when attempting to diversify or professionalise their activities, adopt new business models, or scale up their operations. Targeted support is therefore needed to help energy communities evolve beyond first-generation solar projects—for example, towards collective heating and cooling systems, flexibility and storage services, integrated local energy management or one-stop-shop services to other communities.

Energy community initiatives enable citizens, businesses and local authorities to invest directly in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects while promoting local ownership of energy assets. At the same time, energy communities can deliver additional societal benefits, including lower energy costs, local job creation, and enhanced social cohesion and inclusion. Today, more than 8,000 community energy initiatives are active across Europe, yet their development remains uneven among Member States, and several promising business models where energy communities could generate added value are still insufficiently explored.

Project Development Assistance for sustainable energy investments

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Code: 40126 | Identifier Code: LIFE-2026-CET-PDA | Programme name: 10710 | Start submission calls: 21/04/2026 | End submission calls: 16/09/2026

Project Development Assistance (PDA) offers technical assistance to convert sustainable energy project ideas into actual investments. It supports public and private project developers in every step of the way to deliver sustainable energy investments of ambition and scale.

Significant investments in sustainable energy need to be mobilised to achieve the EU’s energy and climate targets, and to support EU competitiveness and energy independence. In order to meet the required level of investments, it is necessary to progressively maximise the mobilisation of private capital, using public funds as a catalyst. PDA projects contribute significantly to the implementation of the Energy Efficiency Directive, Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, Renewable Energy Directive, and the Clean Industrial Deal and Affordable Energy Action Plan, and will help pave the way for a decarbonised and clean energy system. PDA actions significantly contribute to accelerating the clean energy transition, including energy independence, by supporting the phase out of EU fossil fuel imports from Russia in line with the REPowerEU roadmap and the Green Deal Investment Plan, and to EU competitiveness by stimulating market demand for Net-Zero technologies and assisting in their uptake.

Crowding in private finance

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Code: 40123 | Identifier Code: LIFE-2026-CET-PRIVAFIN | Programme name: 10710 | Start submission calls: 21/04/2026 | End submission calls: 16/09/2026

The topic aims to increase the amount of private finance allocated to energy efficiency and renewable energy sources by establishing dedicated financing schemes.

Significant investments in energy efficiency and renewables need to be mobilised to achieve the ambition set by the Energy Efficiency Directive, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, the Renewable Energy Directive, the Clean Industrial Deal and the Affordable Energy Action Plan, and the objective to reduce EU dependence on fossil fuel imports set out in the REPowerEU Plan^[1]. In order to meet the required level of investments, it is necessary to progressively maximise the mobilisation of private capital, using public funds as a catalyst, and to put in place an enabling regulatory framework. This is a central objective of the recently established European Energy Efficiency Financing Coalition, as well as the recently published Commission Recommendation on unlocking private investment in energy efficiency.

In addition, the revised Energy Efficiency Directive and Energy Performance of Buildings Directive aim to increase the cost-effectiveness of public funding and the mobilisation of private investments in energy efficiency measures, including by promoting dedicated financing mechanisms. National Energy and Climate Plans provide a solid framework for Member States to evaluate and report on investment needs and gaps to achieve their 2030 national energy and climate targets, including regarding the mobilisation of private investments.

Supporting the clean energy transition of European industry and businesses

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Code: 40120 | Identifier Code: LIFE-2026-CET-INDUSTRY | Programme name: 10710 | Start submission calls: 21/04/2026 | End submission calls: 16/09/2026

The overall objective of this topic is to support the competitiveness, clean energy transition and decarbonisation of industry by bridging the gap between the demand and supply side of net-zero energy technologies as well as by fostering collaborative approaches among companies operating in physical proximity.

In 2023, the industry sector made up 25% of the total EU-27 final energy consumption, out of which energy-intensive companies account for almost 40%. Exposure to energy prices, increased global competition as well as potential transition risks linked to changing regulation, market demand and buyers/suppliers procurement criteria are increasing pressure on EU companies.

For this reason, modernising and decarbonising the industry sector while enhancing competitiveness remains a top priority to succeed in the clean energy transition, as highlighted in the Future of European Competitiveness report. New business models and financial schemes are needed to boost the decision to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy.

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.