Ofwat Water Breakthrough Challenge 7: Catalyst Stream

Funding Amount

Individual entries to the Catalyst Stream can request between £150,000 and £2 million.

A maximum of 90% of each entry’s total cost will be provided—at least 10% of this grant request must be match funded by the applicant.

Projects should demonstrate a credible innovation opportunity and the potential for meaningful sector-wide impact and learning.

Eligible Applicants

The lead applicant must be an appointed water company operating in England and Wales (water and/or sewerage undertaker or infrastructure provider such as Tideway).

Applications are strongly encouraged to be delivered through partnerships or consortia.

Partners may include:

• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups

• Technology providers

• Universities and research organizations

• Engineering consultancies

• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and charities

• Public sector organizations

• Other private sector organizations

Eligible Activities

Projects may address a broad range of sector challenges, including:

• Water resilience and drought adaptation

• Leakage reduction and network efficiency

• Pollution prevention and water quality improvement

• Tackling PFAS and other emerging contaminants

• River, coastal, and ecosystem restoration

• Nature-based and net-zero solutions

• Water efficiency and demand management

Program Deadline

There is a two-stage application process:

• Catalyst Stream entrants must complete a form to express their interest in applying by November 30, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. (GMT).

• The deadline for the full application is January 5, 2027, at 12:00 p.m. (GMT).