Ofwat is today launching the Water Discovery Challenge, a new £4 million competition for innovators outside of the water sector with bold ideas that can help solve some of its biggest challenges.

Ofwat is today launching the Water Discovery Challenge, a new £4 million open-access competition for innovators from outside the water sector with bold ideas that can help solve some of its biggest challenges.

The Water Discovery Challenge, the latest competition from the regulator’s £200 million Innovation Fund, will fund innovation from sectors meeting similar challenges including energy, construction, cities and transport, agriculture, and data.

The competition is the latest from the Innovation Fund, which seeks to generate new ideas to tackle issues including managing leaks, preventing pollution, improving water efficiency, reducing emissions, boosting flood and drought resilience, prioritising sustainable practices, and supporting vulnerable customers.

In contrast to previous Ofwat Innovation Fund competitions which focused innovations from, and led by, those within the sector, the new Water Discovery Challenge is incentivising ideas from, and led by, those outside of the water sector.

It is seeking solutions from industries dealing with similar challenges to those faced by the water sector, or implementing solutions that could benefit water and wastewater services in England and Wales – with no requirement for entrants to partner with a water company.

The goal is to open the sector to new ground-breaking insights and thinking that benefit consumers and the environment.

Up to 20 teams of the most promising innovators will be awarded up to £50,000 to develop their ideas, with expert support and mentoring from water companies. Up to 10 will go on to win up to £450,000 to turn ideas into pilots.

David Black, Chief Executive of Ofwat said:

“It’s no secret that the water sector has faced challenges in the last year. As a regulator we’re constantly pushing the sector to overcome these. Water affects everyone, and it’s time we see what the water sector can learn from astronauts, farmers, data specialists, architects and planners. This is about preparing the water sector for the future, and I look forward to the ideas that come out of it.”

Ofwat is looking for bold and innovative entrants from outside the water sector. It has identified five sectors where it believes there is particularly high potential for innovative crossovers: energy, cities and transport, construction, agriculture and farming, and digital, data and internet of things.

John Russell, Senior Director at Ofwat, said:

“Our £200m Innovation Fund has already supported projects that detect and fix leaks, capture carbon emissions from water processing plants to convert them into fuel, and remove fertilisers from waterways to be re-used in our food system. Now, we’re broadening the opportunity to innovators in any industry that can make a difference to improving the water system for all of us.”

To deliver the competition, Ofwat is working with innovation prize experts Challenge Works, alongside global engineering, sustainability and water sector experts Arup, and Isle Utilities.

In addition to financial incentives, successful teams will benefit from expert mentoring and capacity-building support, including access to insights and mentoring from water companies and support for scaling solutions for the extensive water network in England and Wales.

Holly Jamieson, Director at Challenge Works, said:

“Our experience of nurturing and rewarding innovators across multiple challenge prizes has shown us that it is often the least likely suspects that can provide the solution with the greatest impact. And with the support of Arup and Isle Utilities, we can work closely with innovators from outside the water sector to turn great ideas into real-world solutions.”

Previous examples of Ofwat Innovation Fund winners that showcase the value of cross-sector collaboration include:

• Pipebots – Small robots that can patrol pipes from the inside and use artificial intelligence to monitor for faults and damage to improve repair rates and prevent leaks.
• The Organics Ammonia Recovery project – to recover ammonia in wastewater and turn it into green hydrogen fuel – a first for the industry.
• SuPR Loofah – Removing phosphorous from wastewater using an innovative loofah to capture the chemical that can produce damaging algal-blooms in water ways.
• Support for All seeks to put in place a shared register of financially vulnerable customers, working with the NHS, third sector, and other utility providers, to enable customers to contact one utility or service provide to receive support from all.
• Enabling Water Smart Communities – Designing new housing and urban environments to absorb excess water like a sponge during heavy rain events and cope with sustained drought by recycling “greywater”.
• Stream brings together 15 companies to share data between them – allowing everyone better insights into leaks, customer needs and accountability. The open data system – which will be based on a blueprint being developed – will make it easier to solve complex industry challenges.

The Water Discovery Challenge is open to entries from today at 1200 (GMT) and closes on 5 April 2023. Click here to find out more about the competition and enter