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 two streams (Catalyst: £150k-£2m; Transform: £2m-£10m).
The round opens on 7 September 2026, when full details of its Catalyst and Transform funding streams will be published. As in past rounds, the lead entrant must be an appointed water or sewerage company in England and Wales, though the project itself is meant to be highly collaborative. The previous round, Breakthrough 6, made 19 awards totalling £58 million.
Breakthrough 7 is looking for bigger, bolder water-sector innovations than previous rounds, putting more weight on spreading knowledge and getting proven innovations adopted more widely across the sector. It runs through Ofwat's Water Innovation Fund, delivered by Challenge Works with Isle Utilities and Arup.
Sign up free to see the funding breakdown
Sign up free to see the industries in scope
Sign up free to see the full eligibility
Sign up free to see how to apply
Sign up free to see the timeline
Sign up free to see where teams trip up
Guides for this application
All guides →Grant Financials and Co-Funding Evidence: Examples for Startup Applications
See examples of grant financials, match funding evidence, co-funding tables, accountant letters, investor commitments, and budget-to-work-plan checks.
Find grantsGovernment Grants for Startups: What Deeptech Founders Should Know
A practical guide to government grants for startups, including Grants.gov, SBIR/STTR, state programs, eligibility, fit, timelines, and when to apply.
Find grantsStartup Grant Application Process: From Search to Submission
Step-by-step startup grant application process covering grant search, eligibility screening, documents, budgets, portals, review timelines, and submission.
More from Ofwat
All grants from this funder →Water Efficiency Lab 2 (WEL 2)
🇬🇧Ofwat · United Kingdom
Funds UK water-sector innovators tackling customer-side leakage with grants of £150,000 to £1.5 million.
Water Innovation Implementation Programme
🇬🇧Ofwat · United Kingdom
Funds water companies to move proven water-sector innovations from trial into routine practice at scale across England and Wales.
Water Breakthrough Challenge 5
🇬🇧Ofwat · United Kingdom
Paid UK water companies between £150,000 and £10 million to trial and scale big innovations across the water sector.
Water Breakthrough Challenge 6
🇬🇧Ofwat · United Kingdom
Pays UK water companies between £150,000 and £10 million a year to develop bigger, bolder water-sector innovations.
Water Discovery Challenge
🇬🇧Ofwat · United Kingdom
Pays up to £550,000 to outside innovators bringing new technology into UK water.
Water Discovery Challenge 2
🇬🇧Ofwat · United Kingdom
Funds early-stage water-sector innovations with staged seed funding for finalists and winners.
Similar grants
Browse the directory →
Boosting climate-neutral cities through Pre-Commercial Procurement
🇪🇺European Commission · European Union
Funds a public-procurer consortium to take climate-neutral city solutions from demand to market.
Climate-Resilient Urban Wastewater Solutions
🇪🇺European Commission · European Union
Funds €9.5M projects that make city wastewater systems climate-resilient, resource-positive and ready for wider replication.
Cross-Border Climate Resilience Demonstrators
🇪🇺European Commission · European Union
Funds €10–15M projects that help neighbouring regions jointly withstand floods, droughts, wildfires and other climate risks.
Urban Nature Restoration for Climate-Neutral Cities
🇪🇺European Commission · European Union
Funds four €10M innovation actions that restore urban nature, tree canopy and connected green spaces with cities and communities.
Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES)
🇬🇧DESNZ · United Kingdom
Funding to improve underperforming district and communal heat networks.
Restoring Ocean and Waters in waterfront Cities and their Ports
🇪🇺European Commission · European Union
Funds demonstration projects with waterfront cities and ports to restore marine ecosystems, cut pollution and build a circular blue economy in at least eight locations.