Saudi Water Authority (SWA)
Applications are now open for the Global Prize for Innovation in Water (GPIW) 2026, an international competition that recognizes innovative technologies and solutions addressing some of the world's most urgent water challenges. The initiative provides an opportunity for researchers, innovators, startups, universities, companies and organizations to showcase their work and compete for significant financial awards and international recognition.
The Global Prize for Innovation in Water was launched in 2023 as an initiative of the Saudi Water Authority. It was created to encourage innovation, promote research and support the development of practical solutions that can improve water security and sustainability around the world.
The 2026 edition is open to innovators working across several areas of the water sector, including desalination, water reclamation, conservation, smart water management, environmental sustainability and wastewater solutions.
Water scarcity and water security are increasingly important global issues. Population growth, climate change, industrial development and increasing demand for freshwater are putting pressure on existing water resources. At the same time, many communities and industries face challenges related to wastewater treatment, water losses, inefficient consumption and access to affordable water technologies.
The competition recognizes innovations at different stages of development, allowing both emerging technologies and more advanced solutions to participate. Applicants can present technologies, research-based innovations, products, processes or approaches that have the potential to improve the production, treatment, reuse, conservation or management of water.
For the 2026 edition, innovations can be submitted under six main categories:
One of the major benefits of the GPIW 2026 is the opportunity to receive substantial financial awards.
The competition offers two Grand Prizes of US$100,000 each. One Grand Prize is available for innovations at Technology Readiness Levels 1 to 3, while another is available for innovations at Technology Readiness Levels 4 to 7.
In addition, the competition will award 12 Impact Medals worth US$50,000 each. Six Impact Medals are available for innovations at TRL 1 to 3, while another six are available for innovations at TRL 4 to 7.
The Global Prize for Innovation in Water is open to applicants from around the world.
Potential applicants include:
Interested applicants should begin by reviewing the official Global Prize for Innovation in Water 2026 requirements and identifying the category that best matches their innovation.
Applicants should then determine the Technology Readiness Level that most accurately reflects the current stage of their solution. Providing the correct information about the technology's development stage is important because the competition uses different tracks for innovations at different levels of maturity.
The application should provide clear information about the innovation, the problem it addresses and its potential impact. Applicants should explain what makes their solution different from existing approaches and provide relevant evidence of its technical performance or development where available.
Applicants should also prepare any supporting materials required for their submission. Technical information, research results, pilot data, demonstrations and other evidence can help evaluators understand the value and potential of the proposed innovation.
Saudi Water Authority (SWA)
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