Now closed: Nominate judges for the Ofwat Innovation Fund

Nominations are now closed. Keep up to date as our competitions progress!

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We are seeking nominations for the Ofwat Innovation Fund judging panel until Friday 25 August 2023. The judges will be an integral part of the selection process, and their expertise will make recommendations to Ofwat on which innovations are most likely to deliver a long-term impact for the sector.  

Our next judging panel will support Ofwat across two competitions:  

• The upcoming fourth round of the Water Breakthrough Challenge (Breakthrough 4), launching on 5 September 2023 with approximately £40 million available.  
• The first Water Discovery Challenge (Discovery), where up to 10 winners will be selected from the pool of finalists to receive up to £450,000 each. 

We see these competitions as a real opportunity for the water sector to showcase the breadth and ambition of innovation and to shape the Fund’s future.   

What we are looking for

We have identified a strong shortlist of judges, but are particularly keen to build on this with nominations from candidates with the following experience:  

• Knowledge of the Welsh water sector and its challenges and opportunities, and of Welsh customers 
• Expertise in water company operations (e.g. have previously worked within the water sector, and specifically for a water company).  
• Understanding of nature-based solutions  

We are committed to ensuring a diverse and inclusive panel, in addition to the above we encourage nominations from:  

• People with a disability (please reach out to us for any adjustments needed)  
• Asian or Asian British candidates  
• Black, Black British, Caribbean, or African candidates 
• People from mixed or multiple ethnic groups 

Judges will need to be to commit at least 6.5 days of their time to this process and be available for at least 2 full days on 16-17 January (Discovery) and / or 26-27 March (Breakthrough 4).  

Please note that nominations are not binding, and do not guarantee a candidate a place on a judging panel.