The Water Innovation Implementation Programme is designed to help move innovations from successful trials to be implemented at scale.
The Programme focuses on turning proven tools, technologies and approaches into routine operations across England and Wales – delivering better outcomes for customers, communities and the environment.
The programme is being run as a trial to understand what best supports innovation implementation at scale. The Water Innovation Implementation Programme will run to 2030 and will initially invest up to £40 million across two complementary streams of activity.
We held a Launch Webinar on Monday 2 March 2026 at 1.00 – 2pm (GMT), for potential applicants and suppliers to learn more about the Water Innovation Implementation Programme, its aims and the application process, and ask their questions to the delivery team. You can watch the recording and access other assets from the webinar on the Early Adopter & Fast Follower stream page.
Innovation activity across the sector has grown significantly in recent years, supported by the Water Innovation Fund.
We’ve seen the potential for innovation in the water sector to progress from pilots, demonstrations, and early deployments into routine operations and replicated across different regions, asset types, and company contexts.
The Water Innovation Implementation Programme is designed to help by:
The Programme includes two complementary streams of activity:
Funding:
Applicants can request £100,000 – £1 million in 50:50 match-funding to implement a proven innovation, with a maximum of £5 million in total match-funding per innovation across an Early Adopter and cohort of Fast Followers, plus up to an additional £50,000 for Early Adopters to support Fast Followers.
Details:
A multi-stage process, with an Early Adopter leading the initial implementation and then sharing learning to support a cohort of Fast Followers.
Lead entrant:
The lead entrant must be an eligible water company in England and Wales (water and wastewater companies, water-only companies, new appointees, or Infrastructure Provider Project Licensees). To support equitable access, two Fast Follower places per project are reserved for companies serving fewer than 3 million customers.
Open: Monday 2nd March 2026 at 1pm (GMT)
Close: The stream will run until 2030, with a formal review of the trial phase by Tuesday 31 March 2027 at 1pm (BST).
Throughout this period, applications will be checked for eligibility and assessed on a rolling basis. Early Adopter proposals that meet the minimum requirements will be shared with other water companies, who will have three months to submit Fast Follower applications. Projects that secure at least two eligible Fast Followers will be considered for funding, with final decisions taken by Ofwat.
Funding:
Funding is flexible and needs-based, drawn from up to £10 million available for the stream. Individual sprints, calls and commissioned activities will set out their own funding envelopes and the type of support on offer.
Details:
A collaborative process built around cycles of barrier identification, solution development and solution selection. The stream uses end-to-end sprints, workshops and targeted calls to industry to design and support practical solutions that address shared barriers to implementation across the sector
Lead entrant:
Activities funded through this stream may be led by different types of company including water companies, suppliers, academics, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other sectors. Wider stakeholders – including regulators and industry bodies – will also be invited to participate in barrier identification, sprints and solution development.
Open: From early 2026, with priority barriers, sprints and calls announced periodically on the Programme website.
Close: The stream will run until 2030, with a formal review of the trial phase by 31 March 2027.
Following the closing date for each sprint or call, proposals will be reviewed by the Sector Implementation Committee and Ofwat. Solutions that best address the agreed barrier and show clear benefits for customers, communities, the environment and the wider sector will be recommended for funding, with Ofwat making the final decision.
The Water Innovation Implementation Programme – including both streams – is being run as a trial to understand what best supports innovation implementation at scale.
The Early Adopter & Fast Follower stream is expected to remain open for applications until 31 March 2027. Ofwat may, however, close or pause the programme earlier if required – for example, in response to demand, available funding or learning from the trial phase. After 31 March 2027, Ofwat and the delivery team will review Programme performance, feedback and impact before deciding whether and how to extend or refine the approach.
Throughout this period, processes, tools and guidance may be refined in response to learning, while maintaining a robust, transparent, and fair approach to decision-making.
