The Catalyst stream will award innovative water company-led entries between £150,000 and £2 million per entry through a single-stage entry process. Solutions can be of any level of development, provided they are innovative. Due to its smaller funding amounts, the Catalyst stream can provide a pathway to test early-stage innovations, developing their value proposition before seeking further funding elsewhere (for example, future rounds of the Transform stream).
More information about the Catalyst Stream is available below:
Please review the below materials prior to submitting your entry:
Entries must have been submitted online via Submittable no later than 6 January 2026 at 12 noon (GMT).
The Catalyst Stream of Breakthrough 6 uses a single-stage entry process, proportionate to the risk and value of entries being submitted.
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The Catalyst Stream entry period opened on 8 September 2025 at 12 noon (BST) and closes on 6 January 2026 at 12 noon (GMT).
Following the closing date on 6 January 2026, entries are to 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.
A single, unified judging panel will review entries to the Catalyst and Transform streams. This increases visibility across the streams and ensures a streamlined approach to portfolio recommendations based on gaps in the market and various levels of innovation risk.
The judging panel will convene in late March 2026. Shortlisted entries will be invited to a live Q&A session with the judges during the judging days. Please note that entrants will not be requested to pitch to the judges during these sessions.
The judging panel will recommend to Ofwat a diverse portfolio of entries for funding that they consider best meets the relevant assessment criteria and has the potential to deliver tangible positive benefits for customers, communities, and the environment. Ofwat will then make the final decision on whether to award funding.
If you are successful in winning funding, you can expect to be notified by late April 2026. Winners will be announced publicly in mid-May 2026.
In this round, individual entries to the Catalyst Stream can bid for funding between £150,000 and £2 million. Requests for more than £2 million are available through the Transform Stream.
As such, we expect to receive entries into the competition with a total financial cost of from £165,000 to approximately £2.2 million, inclusive of the 10% mandatory financial contribution.
There are four main categories of eligibility criteria to the Catalyst Stream of the Water Breakthrough Challenge, detailed below:
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. If entrants wish to work on more than one draft on the online entry platform during the entry period, please contact [email protected] for assistance.
Funding requested:
The minimum amount of funding that can be requested from the Catalyst Stream is £150,000, and the maximum that can be requested is £2 million.
Financial requirements:
A maximum of 90% of each entry’s financial costs will be provided by funding from the Ofwat Innovation Fund. Entry partners must provide the remaining 10% of the entry’s total financial costs as a mandatory 10% financial contribution.
In Breakthrough 6, we continue to look for further granularity in the financial information provided. Entrants need to specify the source of funds for their contributions in the entry form, divided between:
We do not consider that customers should bear all the risk of initiatives funded through the competition and believe this encourages strong project management. Entry partners can decide how the remaining 10% is funded, as long as it is not funded by charges to water customers in England and Wales (i.e. it must be from the organisation’s own funds). There is no requirement for this contribution to be shared equally between partners. Entry partners may also consider how they could bring funding from other sources.
Entrants need to specify the source of funds for their contributions in the entry form. We welcome any additional financial and/or non-financial contributions beyond the minimum 10% and have seen many entries do this in previous rounds. Non-financial contributions should be excluded from the total financial cost of the entry.
We are open to initiatives that have secured additional external public or private funding. Entrants must confirm that there is no duplicative or double funding and that they are not restricted by their current funding source when applying for additional and alternative funding through this Fund.
Terms & conditions:
All entry partners must agree to abide by the terms & conditions.
Areas for innovation
We are looking for your ideas that address the big challenges facing the water sector and deliver benefits for customers, communities and the environment. We aim to fund a wide range of entries that will showcase a diverse mix of innovative ways of working and solutions.
We have published more detailed policy statements on Ofwat’s position around Open Data and customer vulnerability since the start of the Ofwat Innovation Fund. We believe that the breadth of the broader theme allows for greater freedom in proposing improved ways of working and could deliver greater benefits.
We also invite entries which can enable and accelerate further innovation in the water sector. These kinds of initiatives will support the Fund’s ambition to embed innovation practices and knowledge within water companies, and the broader sector, for the long term.
We have identified a number of innovation enablers that will be particularly critical to growing and sustaining the water sector’s capacity to innovate. The Fund will consider supporting initiatives that demonstrate and further strengthen these enablers, including but not limited to:
Benefits to customers
One of the priorities for Ofwat’s Innovation Fund is enabling the water sector to better meet the evolving needs of its customers. This is focused on household customers because the Fund is financed by household water and wastewater customers in England and Wales.
Benefits to non-household customers are also encouraged. All entries that propose primarily to benefit non-household customers must also demonstrate how the proposal can benefit household customers. Entries should clearly explain how the proposed innovation will make a difference for customers – for example, by lowering costs, giving them insights to help them plan their water use, or improving their experience of their local water environments.
Entry delivery timelines
We are open to a wide range of project delivery timelines, from delivery periods of less than a year to multi-year periods which continue beyond 2031. There is no requirement for project delivery to be completed within the current asset management plan (AMP) period.
We expect entries to the Catalyst Stream that are awarded funding to start within six months of being notified of the award. However, we recognise that particularly complex entries may require a longer mobilisation period.
Based on past winners’ experience and feedback, we strongly encourage entrants to consider the following points in advance of the project start to avoid delays if the entry is successful:
Approach to risk
We are seeking truly innovative solutions that deliver greater value than current practices in the sector; advance the water sector’s understanding; and could not otherwise be funded (see our definition of innovation for more information). We encourage water companies to adopt an open risk appetite within their Fund entries, supported by strong risk management with a clear plan to share data and learning, regardless of the outcome. We recognise that some projects may not deliver the expected direct benefits, but by taking proportionally mitigated risks and sharing learning across the water sector in a regular, timely and accessible manner, customers will stand to benefit.
Further detail about the Fund-level risk principles can be found on our website but for Breakthrough 6 entrants should demonstrate that they are able to recognise and respond appropriately to issues and opportunities as they arise. This may include:
We actively encourage entrants whose projects move across several innovation stages to use stage gates as part of their governance plans to mitigate innovation risks. This is an established approach to innovation and project management. Entrants will be responsible for managing delivery against milestones and adapting delivery to realise the intended impact most efficiently and effectively, with the support of Ofwat and the Breakthrough 6 delivery partners. Please note we are unable to offer partial funding, so the decision to fund or not fund is made against the entire entry.
Monitoring and risk management
Entrants will be asked to provide information on their approach to risk in their entry. Entrants will be responsible for:
Ofwat and its delivery partners will monitor the progress of successful entries, including seeking updates at delivery milestones. The monitoring and involvement of Ofwat and its delivery partners will be proportionate to the size and risk of initiatives. In all cases, winning entrants will be responsible for reviewing progress and deciding the best course of action for their entry to deliver its intended impact.
In exceptional circumstances, Ofwat and its delivery partners may intervene if we have concerns that a project is moving materially away from delivering on its intended impact or if there are any concerns about misuse of funds.
Entry value and delivery costs
Entrants to the Catalyst Stream can bid for between £150,000 and £2 million.
We expect entries to demonstrate cost efficiency and good use of customer money, with a clear case for any costs included in the budget.
Reasonable costs are eligible to be funded, including dedicated staff time and fair associated overheads.
The budget, set out in the entry form, should include inflation allowances and applicable taxes, which are not recoverable, reflecting the actual costs of the initiative. Where taxes are fully recoverable, such as VAT, costs should be shown net of the recoverable amount. Taxes that are not recoverable should be included, for example, customs duties payable on goods imported into the UK.
Partnerships and collaboration
We particularly encourage entries that involve partnerships and collaboration between water companies, including small water and sewerage undertakers and Infrastructure Providers (i.e. Tideway), as well as with organisations in the water sector supply chain and beyond.
Collaboration agreement template
Where relevant, entries that are successful will need to develop agreements with partners (commonly referred to as ‘collaboration agreements’). The Fund does not require the use of any particular template for collaboration agreements. However, should you wish to refer to an example, you can consider the one available via the website. It is suggested that the collaboration agreement is shared between partners even before it is known if the project has been successful. This will aid the development of collaboration agreements in advance of the project start (which is strongly recommended) to avoid delays if the entry is successful.
Note: The example collaboration agreement linked above is a cross-water company effort between the legal and innovation teams of water companies including Anglian Water, Thames Water, United Utilities, Severn Trent, Affinity Water, Welsh Water, Northumbrian Water and Southern Water. This agreement is flexible and therefore it is a basis for early discussion between water companies and other project partners. It may be adapted over time. The Ofwat Innovation Fund and any of the above organisations cannot provide any legal support or advice, nor be legally liable, in the event of any issues relating to a project’s collaboration agreement.
All eligible entries will be assessed by assessors against each of the following three assessment criteria categories, weighted equally. More details of these can be found in the Catalyst Stream Entrant Handbook (Key Materials).
1. Positive impact for water customers, communities, and the environment
Under this assessment category, we are looking to understand the benefits entries seek to deliver for customers, communities, and the environment. Strong entries to Breakthrough 6 will address a well-evidenced, important need or opportunity in the water sector in England and Wales for water customers, communities and/or the environment.
2. Innovation enablers and innovative solutions
Under this assessment category, we want to understand what novel about the proposed approach and solution is and how it could deliver a positive sector-wide innovation legacy.
Strong entries will demonstrate how the proposed entry goes beyond the entrant’s business-as-usual approach to innovation and how it may draw inspiration and/or talent from other sectors. This is both in terms of what the entrant proposes to deliver (innovative solutions) and how they propose to deliver it (innovation enablers).
Innovation enablers are the innovative approaches the entry is proposing, which may include how entrants are working internally and externally with collaborators within and outside of the water sector for the benefit of water customers in England and Wales. Entries could include testing new ideas, adapting ideas or practices that have established themselves in other sectors, or adopting proven approaches that haven’t been tried at scale.
3. Capacity, capability, and commitment to deliver
Under this assessment category, we are looking for a clear narrative, demonstrating strong evidence that the proposed entry is feasible and that appropriate resources and governance will be in place for its delivery.
We have worked to ensure the entry process is as efficient and practical as possible, allowing for easy access for all water companies, particularly smaller ones.
Winning entries will be selected following the assessment process outlined below:
A. Entry Period
The Catalyst Stream opened for entries on 8 September 2025 at 12 noon (BST) and closes on 6 January 2026 at 12 noon (GMT).
Changes to the entry form
Based on feedback from the previous round, we have updated the entry form to improve entrant experience and improve the gathering of information about entries to aid assessors and judges in their decision making. The main changes to the entry form are detailed below.
Terminology change: Going forward entries will need to demonstrate how they benefit ‘customers, communities and the environment’ (a change from ‘customers, society and the environment’)
Updates to entry questions and criteria
Entry form guidance has been updated and the flow of the questions has been strengthened based on feedback from previous rounds, to enable smoother completion of the form.
Unassessed Questions
Further guidance has been included on responsibilities of the main contact to ensure that the right person is chosen for this role.
Columns have been added to the partner contacts template to gather information on whether partners count as a Small and Medium Sized Enterprise, and whether they are a UK Incorporated Entity. Guidance has been added to the entry form to support this. This data is for reporting use only and has no bearing on the assessment of the entry.
Assessed Questions
You can now upload pitch decks separately from the main submission, and the guidance on providing visuals has been made clearer.
Assessed Criteria
Criterion 1: A new question 1.2.2 has been added about the intended outputs of the entry (see definitions below). The strategic themes have been removed, and the associated criterion has been eliminated. Due to these changes, the word count for this criterion has increased by 50 words.
Criterion 2: A new sub-criterion (2.2) now focuses on how the lead entrant and their partners plan to develop and implement the innovation, separate from its wider adoption in the water sector. Because of this and some other minor changes to questions, the word count for this criterion has increased by 600 words.
Criterion 3: The guidance for 3.1 has been updated to clarify what is being assessed, with additional guidance about this included in this handbook under the section Senior sponsorship of the entry and innovation. A question around plans for dissemination has been moved from 3.2 into 2.3. A word count has now been added to question 3.5.1. As a result of these changes and some other minor changes to questions in this criterion, the word counts has increased slightly by 100 words.
Criteria Weighting
Although the above changes have not resulted in a change to the weighting across the main criteria 1, 2 and 3. there are changes to the weighting of some of the sub-criteria. Please review the criteria weighting carefully when completing your entry.
Inputs, Outputs, Outcomes and Impacts
This round, the entry form makes more mention of these, and their definitions are as follows:
Water cycle tags
Water Cycle Tags refer to specific parts of the water cycle. These have been updated in this round and you can see more information about them in this diagram:
We set out the questions that should be answered, along with guidance on completing the entry process in the Catalyst Stream Entrant Handbook (Key Materials).
All entries must have been submitted by 6 January 2026 at 12 noon (GMT) using the Catalyst online entry form available via the website. Any entry partner can submit this form, but it must include the details of the lead entrant. The lead entrant will be asked to verify the entry is theirs and confirm they have accepted the terms and conditions during the eligibility screen.
The entry form is available as a Word document (Entry drafting form) along with the entry template (budget) as an Excel document via the website to help you develop and collaborate on your answers before completing the online form.
If entrants wish to work on more than one draft on the online entry platform during the entry period, please contact [email protected] for assistance.
Before submitting your entry, please ensure that:
B. Eligibility Screening
Entrants must meet the eligibility criteria set out in the Who can be involved section above.
When entries close, an eligibility screen will be conducted to ensure entries meet all the eligibility criteria.
C. Assessment
All eligible entries will be assessed by assessors against each of the following three assessment criteria categories:
Assessors will be matched to entries relevant to their area of expertise.
Scoring will be between 1 and 5 (5 being the highest). These scores are then weighted. The assessed entry questions, assessment criteria and weighting are set out in the Catalyst Stream Entrant Handbook (Key Materials).
A moderation meeting will be held to discuss and recommend shortlisted entries to put forward to judges. This moderation meeting will ensure that all assessors’ opinions have been captured and that a consistent view on the merits of each entry is provided.
Whilst scoring will form part of this process, in making its decision on whether to put forward an entry to judges, Ofwat will also consider the opinions of the assessors and will seek to ensure a diverse portfolio of entries in terms of entry themes, types, entrants and geographic location.
Pitch recordings
All entrants to the Catalyst stream are required to book a slot to record a 3-minute pitch video. The purpose of the pitch recording is to provide a video explainer to help assessors and judges quickly understand your entry.
Pitches should outline:
Please note that the booking window is from 17 November to 18 December 2025. Slots are available from 18 November to 18 December 2025. Please book a slot via Calendly.
To promote equity, diversity and inclusion and reduce any potential bias in the entry process, we will continue to exclude speaker videos in pitch recordings for Breakthrough 6. Entrants are asked to present slides or other visuals whilst talking.
Drinking Water Inspectorate involvement
Entries that align with the Water Cycle tags Water Abstraction, storage, Clean water Treatment, or Water network (as selected by entrants in the entry form) may be referred to the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) for additional review. Entries that do not select these categories but still relate to drinking water may be flagged by assessors for DWI review. DWI’s views may in turn be provided to judges and Ofwat to aid their decision-making. All funding decisions will be made in accordance with the published assessment criteria.
Further information on the Water Cycle can be found under ‘More information and support for your entry’ in the Catalyst Stream Entrant Handbook (Key Materials).
Environment Agency involvement
Building on the work we have done with the DWI in Breakthrough 5, entries in Breakthrough 6 may be passed to the Environment Agency for review. This is to allow the Fund to make informed funding decisions and ensuring policy coherence. The Environment Agency’s views may in turn be provided to judges and Ofwat to aid their decision-making. All funding decisions will be made in accordance with the published assessment criteria.
D. Judging
An independent panel of judges will review the shortlisted entries put forward through the assessment. The judging panel will review the entries individually, scoring the entries using the same criteria as the assessors. The judging panel will then convene to discuss entries and recommend to Ofwat which entries they agree best meet the assessment criteria and offer a diverse portfolio for funding.
Breakthrough 6 will continue to offer the opportunity of a live Q&A session for the entrants to respond to judges’ questions as part of the entry process. Please note entrants will not be requested to pitch to the judges. Questions will not be provided to entry teams in advance to enable a more dynamic conversation.
Judges will ask questions relating to shortlisted entries during the judging days between 9 am and 5.30 pm (GMT) on 24, 25 or 26 March 2026. Q&A slots will be allocated to shortlisted entries no later than 11 March 2026, but where possible, we will endeavour to provide as much notice as possible.
If teams are not able to attend the live Q&A, they should notify the delivery partners at [email protected] as soon as possible, for a chance to answer the judges’ questions in writing. No other opportunities for questions and answers will be provided, with the exception of clarifying conflicting entry answers.
E. Ofwat Decision
Ofwat will make the final decision on which entries should receive funding. In making its decision, Ofwat will consider the views of assessors and judges on which entries best meet the assessment criteria and offer a diverse portfolio for funding.
Ofwat intends to publish this decision and its reasons for awarding funding. Ofwat will take account of entrants’ preferences regarding the confidentiality of their entries.
F. Award
Entries should expect to be notified if they have been awarded funding by late April 2026.
Winner’s Agreement
When notified, successful entries will receive a copy of their draft winner’s agreement. This winner’s agreement will be based on the standard template available via the website. Please note that this template is only provided for information purposes and may be subject to changes. Winning teams must sign these agreements no later than 5 pm (GMT) on 15 May 2026 to be paid by late June 2026.
A winners’ onboarding event will be held online on 9 June 2026, 1-3 pm (GMT).
Further information and a joining link will be shared with winning entries in the weeks ahead of the event.
G. Feedback
After winners have been announced, feedback will be provided to the main contacts and lead entrants who did not win funding, outlining why their entry was unsuccessful.
Feedback will be provided on each entry, in line with the assessment criteria and, where relevant, provide guidance on areas of improvement. The feedback will not include scores provided by the assessors and the judging panel. As mentioned above, scoring forms only a part of the overall assessment process.
Feedback will not be provided to winning entries.
All participants in the Catalyst stream of Breakthrough 6 will be required to adhere to the full terms and conditions of participation. Please ensure you and your partners read and understood these before submitting your entry.
If your entry is selected to win, you must sign a winner’s agreement outlining arrangements for monitoring and reporting based on your specific winning entry.
In particular, the key requirements of winners will include:
Entrant Support
Please review the frequently asked questions (FAQs) if you have any questions. If you still have questions after doing so, please email us at [email protected].
On Tuesday 9 September 2025, at 11.30 am (BST), we hosted a live online session for potential entrants and partners to clarify their understanding of Breakthrough 6. The session covered the key information for prospective entrants:
You can watch a recording and access other assets from the webinar here.
If you require any clarification on the entry process or the terms and conditions, you can book a 15-minute surgery session. The surgery sessions will be run by the Breakthrough 6 delivery partners. Entrants can book a slot on Calendly, please access the Catalyst booking page or the Transform booking page based on which stream you are entering. You will be asked a few questions during the booking process to better help us answer your queries.
Recordings of the entry writing workshops we ran in previous rounds are available to all entrants on our website. These are intended to help you develop entry-writing skills, ensure your answers are clear, and answer the questions in line with the assessment guidance.
Default platform for online events, including surgery sessions, live Q&A and pitch recording
We currently use Zoom for all of these, although this is subject to change. Please ensure you have downloaded the desktop version of Zoom to enable full functionality. You can find advice on joining a test call here.
Reasonable adjustments and accommodations
If there are any reasonable adjustments that would support your entering, catering for any additional needs you may have, please contact [email protected].
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
We need to collect relevant data and evidence to monitor the impact of and promote equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). For the Water Breakthrough Challenge, this means that entrants are asked to:
EDI considerations are highly encouraged where appropriate in the proposal. Entries will continue to be assessed on their merit against the assessment criteria.
Feedback and Learning
If you have any feedback or concerns relating to Breakthrough 6, the Ofwat Innovation Fund or any of the winners of previous rounds, please feel free to contact us directly at [email protected] or submit your feedback or concerns anonymously here. We welcome and support feedback from entrants via email and via entrant surveys sent out after entering one of our competitions.
If you would prefer to contact Ofwat directly, you may do so by emailing [email protected]. Ofwat also has a range of materials available relating to whistleblowing and making a complaint.
