Ofwat launches £1.5M Water Efficiency Lab challenge to fund UK water‑saving innovations

Ofwat has launched a competition to back UK innovations that reduce water use and help address a projected long-term supply deficit in England and Wales. The Water Efficiency Lab will award funding to technologies, processes or approaches that improve water efficiency and can be scaled across the water sector.

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Key details

  • Funding pot: up to £1,500,000 in total.
  • Eligible applicants: UK organisations with proposals aimed at the water-efficiency needs of England and Wales.
  • Closing date: 10 March 2026.
  • Programme format: annual, challenge-led competition designed to accelerate solutions for the sector.
  • Policy relevance: water savings can also reduce energy use and emissions across treatment and distribution — applicants are encouraged to quantify these co-benefits.

Practical application tips

  1. Quantify co-benefits (energy and emissions) and show how water savings translate to carbon/operational savings.
  2. Provide realistic deployment timelines and clear scaling pathways that would appeal to operators and funders.
  3. Include measurable success metrics, rapid pilot plans and well-defined evaluation methods.
  4. Present robust cost–benefit modelling and a credible budget with milestones.
  5. Engage potential operators or partners early to demonstrate commercial viability and adoption routes.

How I can help

  • Application strategy and bid structuring.
  • Technical feasibility studies and pilot design.
  • Cost–benefit modelling and quantification of co-benefits (energy/emissions).
  • Designing rapid pilots with clear metrics and scaling pathways.

For full programme and application details, see the source: https://grantfinder.co.uk/ofwat-water-efficiency-lab/.

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