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Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat)

Ofwat's Water Innovation Fund is delivered on its behalf by Challenge Works, with funding decisions made by Ofwat and a Sector Implementation Committee.

United Kingdom
Key stats
Annual funding-
Programs7
Active grants1
Total grants7
About

The Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) is the economic regulator for the water and wastewater industry in England and Wales. Through its Water Innovation Fund, Ofwat funds innovation competitions and programmes aimed at solving challenges facing the water sector, such as customer service, environmental performance, and network resilience. Winning projects can progress from early discovery…

Programs & grants under this funder
Water Breakthrough Challenge 7

Funds highly collaborative water-sector innovation projects led by an appointed English or Welsh water company, with up to £50 million available across the round.

1 grant
Water Breakthrough Challenge 7
Between cycles
£50M pool
Water Breakthrough Challenge 5

Paid UK water companies between £150,000 and £10 million to trial and scale big innovations across the water sector.

1 grant
Water Breakthrough Challenge 5
Closed
- pool
Water Breakthrough Challenge 6

Pays UK water companies between £150,000 and £10 million a year to develop bigger, bolder water-sector innovations.

1 grant
Water Breakthrough Challenge 6
Between cycles
- pool
Water Discovery Challenge

Pays up to £450,000 to outside innovators bringing new technology into UK water.

1 grant
Water Discovery Challenge
Closed
£7.5M pool
Water Discovery Challenge 2

Funds early-stage water-sector innovations with staged seed funding for finalists and winners.

1 grant
Water Discovery Challenge 2
Closed
£7.5M pool
Water Efficiency Lab 2 (WEL 2)

Funds UK water-sector innovators tackling customer-side leakage with grants of £150,000 to £1.5 million.

1 grant
Water Efficiency Lab 2 (WEL 2)
Open
£5M pool·39 days
Water Innovation Implementation Programme

Funds water companies to move proven water-sector innovations from trial into routine practice at scale across England and Wales.

1 grant
Water Innovation Implementation Programme
Between cycles
£40M pool
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