The seventh round of the Water Breakthrough Challenge (Breakthrough 7) will make up to £50m available to collaborative water-sector innovations.

Following on from the previous round, Water Breakthrough Challenge 6, that concluded earlier in 2026, with 19 winners awarded a total of £58m, Breakthrough 7 will again require a lead entrant to be a water and/or sewerage undertaker or infrastructure provider in England and Wales.

There are again two, aptly named, streams: Catalyst and Transform.

For the Catalyst Stream the closing date is 5 January 2027, after which entries will be checked for eligibility and assessed. shortlisted entries that best meet the relevant assessment criteria will then be shared with an independent judging panel for its review.

For the Transform Stream, Stage 1 closes on 28 September 2026.

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