EIT Water Secures €5 Million Grant for Its Start-up Phase

The Start-up Grant Agreement (SUGA) governing the start-up phase of EIT Water has now been signed, with the consortium set to receive €5 million to get EIT Water up and running for 2027.

The consortium will now focus on building EIT Water, putting in place its strategic, organisational and operational framework, with full operations expected to begin in 2027, as the SUGA period concludes at the end of 2026.

Building the Foundations

The €5 million allocation will support the start-up phase of EIT Water, enabling the development of its governance, operations, strategy and first business plan, supporting its long-term activities. During this period, EIT Water, with additional support from the Grundfos Foundation, will also carry out early pilot activities.

Driving Innovation Across Europe

The start-up phase’s main objective is to establish strong governance structures and lay the foundations for long-term financial sustainability through impact-driven business planning and a diversified funding approach, in line with the EIT’s model. Through the integration of the EIT model’s ‘knowledge triangle’ (business, research and academia), EIT Water will deliver entrepreneurial education, support business creation and acceleration, and advance innovation-driven research to address Europe’s most pressing water challenges. EIT Water will also develop its Strategic Agenda and build a growing pan-European network of partners across the water, marine and maritime sectors, expanding its current partnership.

EIT Water currently brings together 140 core partners across 29 countries. As part of its start-up phase, it is developing a network of Co-Location Centres across Europe, providing access to its services and the EIT’s Europe-wide network for innovators, students, and entrepreneurs. These centres are located in:
 • Headquarters – CLC North: Aarhus, Denmark
 • CLC United Kingdom and Ireland: Leeds, United Kingdom
 • CLC Central and Baltic: Berlin, Germany
 • CLC West: Antwerp, Belgium
 • CLC Central and Danube: Vienna, Austria
 • CLC South: Sibenik, Croatia
 • CLC Iberian Peninsula: Malaga, Spain
 • CLC Black Sea: Varna, Bulgaria

Together, these efforts lay a strong foundation for EIT Water to play a central role in strengthening Europe’s innovation ecosystem and addressing water-related challenges across the continent.

Consortium Partners

TIWAG-Tiroler Wasserkraft; BOKU University; Vienna University of Technology; Aquafin; Blue Cluster; Jan De Nul Group; North Sea Port Flanders; Marine Cluster Bulgaria; Tech Tour Global; Digital Innovation HUB Innovamare; Ruđer Bošković Institute; Limassol District Local Government Organisation; University of Helsinki; French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment; Toulon Var Technologies; BRYCK; RWE Offshore Wind; Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (DECHEMA); SUBMARINER Network for Blue Growth; Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; Igoumenitsa Port Authority; Region of Central Macedonia; BIOEAST HUB CZ; Aarhus University; Danfoss Power Electronics; Grundfos Holding; UNICEF Denmark; Water Valley Denmark; University of Tartu; MAHART-Freeport; University College Dublin; Deltares; Wageningen University; Akvaplan-niva; Elbląg Seaport Authority; Warsaw University of Life Sciences; University of Coimbra; FCC Aqualia; Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA); Navantia; Port Authority of Vigo; Ricardo Valle Innovation Institute Foundation; Stockholm International Water Institute; Entertech Istanbul Teknokent; National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine; Second Degree Irrigation Consortium for the Emilia Romagna Canal (CER); International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM); The James Hutton Institute; PepsiCo; University of Leeds

Learn more about EIT Water