Global Prize for Innovation in Water (GPIW) 2026

Deadline: September 30, 2026

Applications for the Global Prize for Innovation in Water (GPIW) 2026 are now open. The Global Prize for Innovation in Water (GPIW) is the largest of its kind in the world. It was launched in 2023 as an initiative by the Saudi Water Authority, reaffirming the Kingdom’s pioneering role in promoting research, fostering innovation, and adopting new breakthroughs in the water sector. The prize aims to honor participants and support pioneers from around the globe.

Categories

The Global Prize for Innovation in Water honors innovative solutions that drive the water sector toward sustainability and efficiency, covering 6 main categories:

Advanced Water Production and Desalination Technologies

Water Reclamation, Circular Economy, and Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD)

Water Efficiency, Conservation, and Consumption Management

Digitalization, Automation, and Smart Water Management

Environmental Sustainability and Water Resource Conservation

Accessible and Cost-Effective Wastewater Solutions

Awards

The GPIW offers a financial prize purse, dedicated recognitions, and selected piloting support to advance the development, validation, and market adoption of high-potential water innovations. Awards are distributed as follows:

Grand Prizes – USD $100,000 per winner: Two winners in total, one winner from Track A (TRL 1-3) and one winner from Track B (TRL 4-7)

Impact Medals – USD $50,000 per winner: Twelve winners in total, six winners from Track A (TRL 1-3) and six winners from Track B (TRL 4-7)

Special Mentions – non-monetary recognition: Up to 6 winners in total under Track C (TRL 8–9), with up to two recognitions in each category.

Eligibility

The GPIW is designed to be open, inclusive, and accessible to a broad range of applicants working to advance innovation in the water sector. Applications are welcomed from, among others:

Early-stage startups and venture-backed scale-ups;

Multinational corporations and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs);

Universities, public or private research institutes, and laboratories;

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and civil society groups;

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), municipal water utilities, and utility consortia;

Individual innovators, research teams, and project teams.

Applicants must ensure that their submission is aligned with at least one Prize track and category and complies with all eligibility requirements set out in these Guidelines.

Application

The application is organized into 8 sections and can be completed at your own pace: your progress can be saved as a draft, allowing you to leave the form and return at any time before the submission deadline. Applications are only considered once formally submitted; saving a draft does not constitute submission.

Before beginning, applicants are encouraged to prepare the required supporting materials and to review the relevant track and category guidance in this document, as the questions presented will vary according to the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) track selected.

The application is structured as follows

Applicant Information — Contact details and information about the applicant and their organization.

Innovation Overview — A high-level description of the innovation, the selected TRL track and prize category, and the water challenge addressed.

Technical Questions — Questions on the scientific, technical, and developmental basis of the innovation, tailored to the selected TRL track.

Impact & Market — The scale of the challenge, expected or demonstrated impact, target beneficiaries, competitive landscape, and barriers to adoption.

Team & Organizational Maturity — Team expertise, intellectual property status, funding history, and development milestones.

Supporting Materials — Upload of the required documents and video presentation (see below).

Review — A summary of all responses, which applicants can review and edit before proceeding.

Declaration & Submit — Confirmation of accuracy and agreement to the Terms and Conditions before final submission.

Click here to apply

For more information, visit Global Prize for Innovation in Water.