Towards the water infrastructures of the future
EU funding for the development of flexible, digitally supported, and climate-resilient water infrastructures with a focus on drinking water and wastewater systems. Submission deadline: 14.04.2026.
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Grant criteria
Funding objective
Funding of research and innovation projects for the development of modular and adaptable processes and digital solutions (smart sensors, IoT, digital twins, AI) for drinking water and wastewater systems, including cybersecurity, nature-based solutions, and predictive analytics to enhance efficiency, resource recovery, and resilience against climate change and pollution pressure.
Eligible expenses
- Personnel costs
- Material costs
- Travel expenses
- Subcontractor costs
Non-eligible expenses
- Retroactive costs
- Real estate acquisitions
Eligible to apply
- Companies
- Non-profit Organizations
- Educational Institutions
- Public Institutions
Funding requirements
- Legal entity in an EU Member State or associated country
- Compliance with ethical guidelines and security regulations
- Specification of the Gender Equality Plan (GEP) for public research institutions
Documents required for application
- Application form (Part A & Part B)
- Detailed project description
- Financial plan
- CVs of key personnel
- Gender Equality Plan (if applicable)
Evaluation criteria
- Innovative content and ambition (Excellence)
- Potential for expected impact (Impact)
- Quality of implementation and consortium (Implementation)
Description
With "Towards the water infrastructures of the future," the European Union supports research and innovation projects aimed at developing adaptable, digitally supported, and climate-resilient drinking water and wastewater systems. The goal is to design modular processes and nature-based approaches that flexibly respond to fluctuations in hydraulic flow and emerging contaminants. Smart sensors, IoT applications, digital twins, and AI are employed to enable predictive analytics and enhance efficiency, resource recovery, as well as resilience against climate change and pollution pressures. Explicitly funded are cybersecurity measures to protect critical infrastructures, as well as concepts for emission reduction and comprehensive water cycle monitoring. The project duration is up to 36 months, with a maximum funding amount of €5 million per project. The application deadline is April 14, 2026, and the funding guideline mandates 100% co-financing of eligible expenses (personnel costs, material costs, travel expenses, subcontractor costs). Retrospective costs and real estate acquisitions are excluded.
Interested universities, research institutions, innovative SMEs, start-ups, water and energy suppliers, as well as environmental NGOs are invited to submit applications. Consortia must consist of at least three partners from different EU Member States or associated countries. Public research institutions are required to provide proof of a Gender Equality Plan. Awarding is based on the criteria of innovation content (Excellence), expected impact (Impact), and quality of implementation (Implementation). A focus lies on embedding the results into standardization processes and open-access data platforms. By combining digital tools and nature-based solutions, holistic strategies for a sustainable water infrastructure are created.