The MASAF public notice for the “Transhumance Fund” has been published, an important opportunity for Italian municipalities to support traditional pastoral practices through the restoration of their historic infrastructure.
The LIFE Grace project, whose mission is to conserve grassland habitats through sustainable grazing, recognizes this call as a strategic tool for strengthening a livestock farming model that is a key safeguard for the landscape and biodiversity.
What the Call Funds
The call aims to support municipalities in the restoration, maintenance, and enhancement of historic and landscape infrastructure related to transhumance, mountain grazing, and alpine grazing. Eligible interventions, which must involve publicly or collectively owned areas, include:
- maintenance and/or restoration of existing watering points;
- creation of new watering points for animals;
- maintenance, restoration, and/or creation of rest areas for livestock;
- development of mule tracks, small dry stone walls, and paths functional to pastoral practices.
Synergy with the LIFE Grace Project
The purpose of the Transhumance Fund is perfectly aligned with the mission of LIFE Grace. Our project, co-financed by the European LIFE program, works to combat the loss and degradation of grassland habitats, ecosystems rich in biodiversity whose conservation depends on proper grazing.
The Call for Proposals offers a concrete response to this challenge, providing municipalities with resources to maintain and restore the very infrastructure (paths, water points, shelters) that are essential to the sustainability and vitality of extensive livestock farming. Maintaining these routes and structures directly supports the farmers, who are the primary custodians of these lands, and allows them to continue managing pastures effectively.
This support is crucial to achieving the conservation objectives of LIFE Grace, ensuring that extensive livestock farming can continue to play its irreplaceable role in protecting the rural landscape, safeguarding biodiversity, and maintaining an ecological balance in inland areas.
Details and Deadlines
All Italian municipalities are eligible to participate in the call; 57% of the resources are reserved for the Central and Southern regions, including the Lazio Region. A non-repayable grant equal to 100% of eligible expenses is available for projects with a minimum value of €10,000 and a maximum of €80,000.
Funding applications must be submitted between 8:00 a.m. on September 3, 2025, and 8:00 p.m. on September 10, 2025. Work must begin on January 1, 2026, and be completed by December 31, 2027.
For further details, please refer to the dedicated page on the MASAF website: https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/23230
LIFE GRACE (18/06/2025)