Water4All Call for Sustainable Water Management (United Kingdom)

Deadline: 06-Apr-27

UKRI is inviting UK-based researchers to apply for funding to collaborate with international partners on innovative projects focused on sustainable water management under the Water4All 2026 Joint Transnational Call. The initiative supports collaborative research and innovation addressing challenges related to water resource management, resilience, monitoring, and infrastructure. UK funding is available for projects addressing three specific research topics under the call. The Water4All 2026 Joint Transnational Call is part of a European partnership focused on advancing sustainable water management through international research and innovation. The call brings together UK researchers and international partners to address pressing challenges in water management and develop solutions that can strengthen water resilience and infrastructure.

The broader research focus includes:

Projects must address at least one of the three eligible topics. This topic focuses on research and innovation that can improve the monitoring and assessment of water resources and support more sustainable water management. This topic supports nature-based approaches designed to strengthen resilience and address challenges associated with sustainable water management. This topic focuses on developing water infrastructure that is smart, secure, and capable of adapting to changing water management needs. UK funding is available only for projects addressing these three topics. The total requested budget from all UK partners on a project can be up to €312,500.

The funding details include:

Applicants should ensure that their budgets are clearly presented and appropriately justified. The maximum duration for funded projects is 36 months. The latest start date for UK awards is 31 March 2028. Proposed projects should therefore be structured to remain within the maximum project duration and applicable start-date requirement. The call is open to eligible UK-based researchers working at UK research organisations that are eligible for UKRI funding. Applicants must participate in a qualifying transnational research consortium that meets the international collaboration requirements of the call. Transnational research consortia must include teams from at least three countries financially participating in the call. The consortium must also include teams from at least: Applicants should ensure that their proposed consortium satisfies these requirements before submitting an application. International researchers cannot be included as UK project co-leads under the call. However, international researchers may participate as project partners. This allows UK researchers to collaborate with international research teams while maintaining the specific UK leadership and funding requirements. Applicants must carefully follow the call’s budget requirements. The combined funding request from all UK partners on a project can be up to €312,500. Any UK budget request above this amount requires additional justification. All costs must be presented in euros, together with the equivalent GBP amount and the exchange rate used in the application. UKRI will provide funding equivalent to 80% of the full economic cost. Sustainable water management requires innovative approaches that can address resource pressures, environmental challenges, resilience, monitoring, and infrastructure needs. The Water4All 2026 call provides UK researchers with an opportunity to work with international partners on collaborative research and innovation addressing these challenges. The three eligible topics provide a specific focus on improved water monitoring and assessment, nature-based approaches, and smart and adaptive water infrastructure. It is a collaborative international research and innovation funding call focused on sustainable water management and involving UK-based researchers and international partners. The total requested budget from all UK partners can be up to €312,500 per project. UKRI funds 80% of the full economic cost. The total fund available is €1,875,000. UK budget requests exceeding €312,500 require additional justification. Funded projects can last for a maximum of 36 months. Projects must address at least one of the following: integrated monitoring and assessment for sustainable water management; nature-based approaches for resilient water management; or smart, secure, and adaptive water infrastructures. Applicants must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for UKRI funding and participate in an eligible transnational research consortium. The consortium must include teams from at least three countries financially participating in the call, including at least two different EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries. Yes. International researchers may participate as project partners. No. International researchers cannot be included as UK project co-leads. Project costs must be stated in euros, with the GBP amount and exchange rate also included in the application. The Water4All 2026 Joint Transnational Call provides UK-based researchers with an opportunity to collaborate with international partners on innovative solutions for sustainable water management. With up to €312,500 available for UK partners per project and UKRI funding covering 80% of the full economic cost, the call supports research addressing integrated water monitoring and assessment, nature-based resilience, and smart, secure, adaptive water infrastructure. Projects can run for up to 36 months, with UK awards required to start no later than 31 March 2028. For more information, visit UKRI.