{"id":93508,"date":"2021-05-18T07:30:55","date_gmt":"2021-05-18T06:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=93508"},"modified":"2021-05-17T15:06:10","modified_gmt":"2021-05-17T14:06:10","slug":"water-sector-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/planning-construction-news\/water-sector-innovation\/93508\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00a340m Breakthrough Challenge: Driving innovation in the water sector"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first round of the \u00a340m Water Breakthrough Challenge has opened for entries, inviting innovations that can drive far-reaching and long-lasting benefits to customers, society and the environment<\/h2>\n

The \u00a340m Water Breakthrough Challenge<\/a> opened for entries on 6 May. It aims to spark ambitious innovation in the sector by providing funding for initiatives led by water companies, working in partnership with other organisations, that go beyond “business as usual” and deliver lasting, tangible benefits for customers, society and the environment.<\/p>\n

The challenge is the second competition funded through the Ofwat Innovation Fund and is being run by Ofwat, the water services regulation authority for England and Wales, and Nesta Challenges<\/a>, supported by Arup<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Individual entries can bid for between \u00a31m and \u00a310m, though smaller value bids from small water companies, including new entrant water companies, will be considered.<\/p>\n

Areas for innovation<\/h3>\n

The challenge is looking to fund a wide range of entries that will showcase a diverse mix of innovative ways of working, guided by five strategic themes:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Responding and adapting to climate change<\/a>, including how to meet the sector’s ambition of net zero emissions.<\/li>\n
  2. Restoring and improving the ecological status of our water environments, protecting current and future customers from the impacts of extreme weather and pollution.<\/li>\n
  3. Understanding long-term operational resilience and infrastructure<\/a> risks to customers and the environment, finding solutions to mitigate these in sustainable and efficient ways.<\/li>\n
  4. Testing new ways of conducting core activities to deliver wider public value.<\/li>\n
  5. Exploring the opportunities associated with open data, stimulating innovation and collaboration; for example, encouraging new business models and service offerings that benefit customers, including those in vulnerable circumstances.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The challenge has identified a number of “innovation enablers” that will support the sector’s capacity to innovate. The fund will look to support initiatives that demonstrate and further strengthen these enablers, including:<\/p>\n