Ofwat has announced a £40 million challenge to promote innovation and collaboration between the water sector and partners organisations to drive “transformational change” in the industry.

The Water Breakthrough Challenge, which will open on 6th May 2021, aims to encourage collaborative and innovative initiatives that help tackle the biggest challenges facing the water and wastewater services, such as achieving net zero emissions, protecting natural ecosystems and reducing leakage.

Successful partnerships can win between £1 million and £10 million of funding to develop and implement their initiatives, such as trialling new technologies, commercial models and ways of working or business practices.

Entries must be submitted by water companies in England and Wales but they can enter in partnership with organisations within and outside the water sector, including universities, retailers, start-ups or small businesses in sectors such as energy, manufacturing, health or financial services.

John Russell, Senior Director at Ofwat said: “This competition follows on from the successful Innovation in Water Challenge that we ran earlier this year, when we received dozens of brilliant entries.

“We now want to build on this momentum by encouraging and developing new partnerships and even bigger innovative projects that could make a real and lasting difference to the environment, society and people’s lives – now and well into the future.”

Article source: https://www.energylivenews.com/2021/03/26/ofwat-announces-40m-water-breakthrough-challenge/