Grant Opportunity for Adaptive Capital Improvement Planning in Utilities

Deadline: 05-Oct-2026

The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is seeking research proposals to develop a practical Adaptive Capital Improvement Planning (CIP) Playbook for water utilities facing deep uncertainty. The project will help utilities identify when flexible investment strategies are appropriate, evaluate their benefits and risks, and incorporate adaptive decision-making into long-term capital planning. Applicants may request up to $250,000 in WRF funding for a project expected to run for 24 months. What Is the Adaptive CIP Playbook Research Project? Water utilities make long-term capital investments in infrastructure despite uncertainty about future conditions, including changes in climate, regulations, demand, technology, finances, and asset performance. Traditional capital improvement planning can create investment lock-in, where utilities commit substantial resources to infrastructure that may become less suitable as future conditions change. This WRF research project aims to develop a practical framework that enables utilities to use adaptive and flexible capital investment strategies instead of relying exclusively on fixed long-term plans. The final playbook will provide utilities with practical tools, examples, and decision-making guidance for incorporating adaptive approaches into capital improvement programs. What Is Adaptive Capital Improvement Planning? Adaptive Capital Improvement Planning is an approach to infrastructure investment that allows utilities to adjust capital projects and investment decisions as conditions, risks, or new information change. Instead of treating a long-term capital plan as fixed, adaptive planning identifies: Decisions that can be postponed until better information becomes available Investments that can be staged or implemented incrementally

Conditions that should trigger a change in investment strategy

Projects that are particularly vulnerable to future uncertainty Governance structures needed to revise investment decisions Financial and risk implications of flexible investment approaches This approach can help utilities reduce the risk of making large, irreversible investments based on uncertain assumptions. What Is Deep Uncertainty? Deep uncertainty occurs when utilities cannot reliably predict future conditions or agree on the probability of different future outcomes. The research will develop criteria that utilities can use to determine which investments are appropriate for adaptive approaches. Not every capital project will require adaptive planning. The playbook should help utilities distinguish between investments that can be staged or modified and those that require more immediate or fixed commitments. What Will the Final Playbook Include? The central outcome of the project will be a practical Adaptive CIP Playbook for water utility professionals.

The playbook is expected to include:

Case studies from water utilities Decision trees Vulnerability assessment tools Financial analysis considerations Risk assessment guidance Criteria for selecting adaptive investments Governance recommendations Institutional process guidance Examples of adaptive capital strategies Approaches for comparing adaptive and traditional investments Guidance for incremental implementation The goal is to create a resource that practitioners can use directly rather than producing research that remains primarily theoretical. Who Is Eligible to Apply? WRF accepts proposals from both U.S.-based and non-U.S.-based organizations.

Eligible applicants may include:

Universities and educational institutions Research organizations Governmental agencies Consultants For-profit organizations Other qualified research entities Applicants should have the technical and organizational capacity to conduct the proposed research and develop practical guidance for water utilities. Important Eligibility Restriction Researchers who are late on ongoing WRF-sponsored studies without approved no-cost extensions are not eligible to participate in proposals for this project. Applicants should therefore confirm that all relevant WRF-funded research commitments are in good standing before submitting a proposal. Grant Amount and Project Duration

The key funding details are:

Maximum WRF funding: $250,000

Expected project duration: 24 months

Applicant location: U.S. and international applicants may apply

Project focus: Adaptive and flexible capital improvement planning

Primary users: Water utilities and infrastructure planning professionals

How the Research Should Approach the Problem A strong research proposal should address both the technical and institutional dimensions of adaptive capital planning.

Step 1: Review Existing Practices

Researchers should examine existing approaches to adaptive and flexible capital investment used by water utilities and related infrastructure sectors.

Step 2: Identify Critical Uncertainties

The research should identify the types of uncertainty that can significantly influence capital investment decisions.

Step 3: Map Decision Points

Researchers should determine where uncertainty has the greatest potential to affect CIP decisions.

Step 4: Evaluate Adaptive Strategies

Potential adaptive approaches should be evaluated against conventional capital planning methods.

Step 5: Analyze Financial and Risk Implications

The research should consider how adaptive investments affect: Capital costs Financial exposure Risk Timing Asset performance Long-term resilience

Step 6: Examine Governance

Researchers should identify organizational structures and processes that allow utilities to revise investment decisions when conditions change.

Step 7: Develop the Playbook

The final research findings should be translated into practical tools, decision trees, case studies, and guidance that utilities can apply to their own CIP processes. Why This Research Matters Water utilities are responsible for infrastructure that often has a useful life measured in decades. However, the assumptions used t