- The deadlines for the submission of projects in three calls have closed: renaturalisation of cities, digitalisation of knowledge and co-financing of LIFE projects and promotion of knowledge generation
- In total, 179 proposals have been submitted requesting global aid of nearly 300 million euros when what is available for these lines of action is set at 54.6 million
The recent calls for grants promoted by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) – for the renaturalisation of cities, the digitalisation of knowledge and co-financing of LIFE projects and the promotion of the generation of knowledge – have been very well received by the potential beneficiary entities, which reflects the commitment to the resilience of Spanish cities. the promotion of green infrastructure through the generation of knowledge and support for LIFE projects and the digitalisation of knowledge of natural heritage.
179 proposals have been submitted within the framework of these three lines of aid, which demonstrates the growing interest in making progress in these areas, requesting a global aid of nearly 300 million, while the total available for these lines of action is set at a total of 54.6 million. For this reason, it will not be possible to cover all of the requested and the selection will be based on strict criteria of quality and relevance in accordance with the requirements and objectives set out in the bases of the published calls.
GREAT INTEREST IN URBAN
RENATURATIONThe submission of applications to the call for the development and consolidation of green infrastructure for the renaturation and resilience of Spanish cities, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) has been a success.
87 proposals have been received, bringing together 109 different entities distributed in 14 autonomous communities, for a total amount requested of 276.1 million, which represents 693% of the available budget (39.79 million). This great reception makes clear the high need for these calls to transform the reality of Spanish cities. In addition, it should be noted that among the applications have been submitted three municipalities affected by the DANA that took place in the Valencian Community.
81 city councils, four provincial councils and two metropolitan areas have been presented. 46% of them have occurred in regions in transition, 33% in less developed regions and 21% of them in more developed regions as established by ERDF.
PROMOTION OF SCIENTIFIC
KNOWLEDGEThe second call is aimed at supporting programmes and projects to promote green infrastructure through the generation of knowledge, endowed with 5.94 million, also co-financed by ERDF. 41 proposals for projects to be executed in 12 autonomous communities have been received, with an overall amount requested of 14.1 million.
A total of 49 different entities participate in these proposals, of which 24 are non-profit organizations, 16 are public universities and nine are technology centers, R+D+i and public research organizations. Seven of these entities participate in more than one proposal.
SUPPORT FOR LIFE PROJECTS AND DIGITIZATION OF HERITAGE
The latest call for this aid package seeks to respond to two needs detected and demanded by the environmental third sector, to support projects approved by the European Union’s LIFE programme and to promote digital transformation through the digitalisation of knowledge of natural heritage.
In total, 51 projects have been submitted: 17 to the LIFE project support line, specifically to the Nature and Biodiversity sub-programme, and 34 to the digitalisation line. The aid requested amounts to 8.9 million, while the available endowment is 8 million.
In the line of digitalisation, most of the proposals address general themes such as biodiversity and natural heritage. Some focus on ecosystems such as forests, grasslands, pastures and seagrass meadows, while others focus on the study of aquatic flora and fauna species such as birds, game species or the brown bear. There are also proposals dedicated to land stewardship, ecosystem services, ecological corridors and ethnobotanical knowledge.
The proposals have been presented by private non-profit entities and organizations in both lines of aid. In addition, public research organisations and public universities have also participated in the line of support for LIFE.
EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS
In the three calls, the selection of projects will be carried out on a competitive basis, with an assessment system based on the technical quality of the proposals, their environmental and social impact and strategic criteria such as their permanence over time and their replicability. In addition, the integration of gender equality and opportunities will be taken into account.
The resolutions of the calls are scheduled for September of this year, and the projects must be completed within a maximum of three years from the date of resolution.
