The sixth round of the Water Breakthrough Challenge (‘Breakthrough 6’) will make up to £50 million available to highly collaborative water-sector innovations, aiming to deliver benefits for customers, society and the environment.
In Breakthrough 6, Ofwat is eager to hear even bigger and bolder ideas, with a greater focus on generating and sharing knowledge, and rolling out successful innovations.
As in previous rounds of the Water Breakthrough Challenge, the lead entrant to Breakthrough 6 must be an appointed ‘Water Company’ (a water and/or sewerage undertaker or infrastructure provider (i.e. Tideway) in England and Wales.
If you’re new to the water sector, but would like to participate in our future challenges, you’re encouraged to begin reaching out to water companies and Spring, the water sector’s centre of excellence for innovation.
Water companies who would like help to brief their staff or supply chain about the opportunities presented by Breakthrough 6 can email the delivery team ([email protected]).
The previous round, Water Breakthrough Challenge 5, concluded in 2025, with 16 winners awarded a total of £40 million. Learn about the previous challenge and the winning innovations.
In Breakthrough 6, water companies in England and Wales can bid for funding through two streams:
Funding request: Individual entries can bid for £150,000 – £2 million.
Details: A one-stage entry process
Lead entrant: The lead entrant to Breakthrough 6 must be an appointed ‘Water Company’ (a water and/or sewerage undertaker or infrastructure provider i.e. Tideway) in England and Wales. We strongly encourage lead entrants to enter Breakthrough 6 in partnership or consortia.
For the Catalyst Stream, partners other than the lead entrant can submit the entry form on Submittable.
Open: 8 September 2025 at 12 noon (BST)
Close: 6 January 2026 at 12 noon (GMT)
Following the closing date on 6 January 2026, entries will be checked for eligibility and assessed. A diverse portfolio of shortlisted entries that best meet the relevant assessment criteria will then be shared with an independent judging panel for its review. If you are successful in winning funding, you can expect to be notified by mid-April 2026.
Funding request: Individual entries can bid for £2 million – £10 million. Subject to certain conditions, Ofwat are open to accepting entries requesting greater than £10 million.
Details: A two-stage entry process
Lead entrant: The lead entrant to Breakthrough 6 must be an appointed ‘Water Company’ (a water and/or sewerage undertaker or infrastructure provider i.e. Tideway) in England and Wales. We strongly encourage lead entrants to enter Breakthrough 6 in partnership or consortia.
For the Transform Stream, only the lead entrant can submit the entry form on Submittable.
Open: 8 September 2025 at 12 noon (BST)
Close: Stage 1 closes on 29 September 2025 at noon (BST).
Following the closing date on 14 January 2026, entries are checked for eligibility and assessed by a pool of technical assessors, who recommend the most promising entries that align with the assessment criteria to Ofwat. Following Ofwat’s ratification, the shortlisted entries are invited to enter Stage 2, which closes on 14 January 2026 at noon (GMT). A diverse portfolio of shortlisted entries that best meet the relevant assessment criteria will then be shared with an independent judging panel for its review. If you are successful in winning funding, you can expect to be notified by mid-April 2026.
