The second round of the Water Breakthrough Challenge (Breakthrough 2) will open for entries on 11 October 2021.

Water companies and their partners will be able to bid for funding of between £100,000 and £10 million in Breakthrough 2. With two streams of funding, Breakthrough 2 will combine elements of the two competitions Ofwat and partner Nesta ran in early 2021 to provide entrants with an improved process.

In response to feedback from the water sector, Breakthrough 2 will bring together elements from the first rounds of both the Water Breakthrough Challenge and the Innovation in Water Challenge.

In Breakthrough 2, water companies in England and Wales will be able to bid for funding through two streams:

Up to £5 million is available for entries seeking funding of between £100,000 – £1 million. The Catalyst Stream will close for entries at 12 (noon) (GMT), 8 December 2021.

Up to £30 million is available for entries seeking funding of between £1 million – £10 million. The Transform Stream will close for Stage 1 entries at 12 (noon) (GMT) 16 November 2021. Stage 2 entries will open on 2021 and close at 12 (noon) (GMT) 8 February 2021.

The Catalyst stream of the Water Breakthrough Challenge uses a streamlined, single-stage entry process, proportional to the risk and value of the entries being submitted.

The two-stage entry process for the Transform Stream aims to ensure that entrants can invest their time developing proposals that have the greatest chance of being awarded funding, while still providing Ofwat and the judging panel sufficient information.

Both streams will be open to entries from water companies in England & Wales, including NAVs.

Click here to visit the Breakthrough 2 website