£50m Breakthrough 7 launches

(by Karma Loveday)

Ofwat’s Water Innovation Fund has launched its seventh Breakthrough Challenge, with up to £50m available for collaborative projects tackling the water sector's hardest problems, from forever chemicals and storm overflows to leakage and river health.

The funding will be awarded through two streams – the winners of which will be announced in May 2027:

• The Catalyst stream will award partnerships seeking between £150,000 and £2m. It will close for entries on 5 January 2027.

• The Transform stream will award partnerships seeking between £2m and £10m. First stage entries close on 28 September, with the most promising entries then invited to enter Stage 2 on 16 November. 

As usual, entries must be led by a licensed water company in England or Wales.

Dr Jo Jolly, Ofwat’s director for natural assets, environment and innovation, said: "The record-breaking heat and widespread droughts of summer 2026 are not anomalies. They are a warning of the future arriving faster and harder than expected.

"Since 2020, the Water Innovation Fund has invested £251m in 156 projects. Those projects are already delivering impact, but the scale of the challenge demands far more. Climate change and pollution are not only threatening our rivers, wildlife and natural environment, they are threatening our health, our economic prosperity, and our national security.

"No single organisation can solve these challenges alone. The breakthroughs we need will come from radical collaboration across sectors, bringing together expertise, technology, investment and the power of nature itself. From restoring rivers and tackling forever chemicals to mindset shifts such as nature as critical infrastructure, we are looking for innovators prepared to push boundaries and challenge convention. That is what our Breakthrough Challenges are all about: finding the ideas bold enough to meet the moment and turning them into solutions that repair our environment, strengthen our economy, and help communities thrive."