UK Water Security

The government is to stimulate innovation in the UK water industry by funding research and development that will address overseas and UK water security challenges.

The Technology Strategy Board, Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) are to invest up to £4 million to support new market entry or business innovation in step-change solutions.

Up to £1 million will be available for feasibility projects, which must be led by a small or medium-sized business (SME) while up to £2.5 million will be available for collaborative R&D projects, which must be led by a UK business and include an end-user. A further £0.5 million will be provided for specific projects incorporating a space-related solution, such as satellite derived data.

The competition opens on 19 March 2012 and the registration deadline for both strands of the competition is 25 April 2012. Applications for feasibility study funding, and expressions of interest for collaborative R&D funding, must be submitted by 2 May 2012. A briefing day for potential applicants will take place on 28 March 2012.

A step change is defined as being a product, process, service or business model that has the potential to save or make available for use 1,000 Ml/d water, within a global context but defined market, from the blue water cycle. Proposals must clearly describe their potential for attaining the 1,000 Ml/d target.