Bridge4Water 2026 funding call is now open

Bridge4Water 2026 funding call is now open! Applicants are invited to submit applications for open and precompetitive projects by 16th June 2026.

About Bridge4Water
Bridge4Water is a research and innovation platform supporting early-stage, use-inspired research addressing key challenges in industrial and urban water systems. The programme is a pilot initiative in 2026 and aims to stimulate new collaborations between universities, industry, and other stakeholders working with water technologies and water management solutions. Projects must address shared challenges, generate open knowledge, and enable downstream innovation across the sector. This means that projects must generate knowledge with broad relevance beyond individual partners.
Details about the call
Total budget available: DKK 10 million
Max budget per project: DKK 2 million
Max project duration: 16 months (lastest end date 31. december 2027).

Two step process
STEP 1: Share your project idea
Post a project idea or resource on Worldlabs 
Anyone who is interested in submitting an application must engage in the Bridge4Water Marketplace on WorldLabs. You can post an idea, challenge, or resource yourself or become involved in a project posted by someone else. Project ideas or resources must be submitted before 1st June.

By sharing your ideas early, you make it visible to companies and researchers who are actively looking for collaboration opportunities.

The Marketplace adds value in several ways, it:
Increases your reach: Your idea is exposed to a broad, international community that extend beyond your current professional network
Accelerates matchmaking: Others can quickly assess whether your idea aligns with their expertise, needs, or strategic interests.
Strengthens project quality: Early feedback and co‑creation help refine ideas before you submit an abstract.
Supports transparency: Openly posting ideas is part of the OIS approach, which ensures that the initiation of project happens in an open environment rather than behind closed doors.
For OIS platforms, openness is a core principle. Applicants are therefore required to upload their ideas to the Marketplace before developing them into full project applications. Sharing your idea is not only a way to find partners, but also a contribution to the collective knowledge base of the community and an invitation for others to build on, challenge, or complement your ideas.

STEP 2: Submit a full-length application
All teams must submit a full-length application via WorldLabs ‘Opportunities’ before 16th June.

The team’s main applicant will submit the application, which 

Must be relevant to track 1 (Industrial Water Efficiency and Circularity) or track 2 (Water Efficiency and Circularity in Urban Built Environments)
Must include all required documentation (and signatures when necessary) e.g. budget, GANTT chart, letter(s) of support from company partners, CVs, figures. All projects must be anonymized of names and pronouns, as it is subject to blinded review.
The main applicant is responsible for contacting their local advisor to discuss the precompetitiveness nature of the project ahead of submission.

Scientific Scope
Applicants may apply for one of the following two tracks.

Track 1: Industrial Water Efficiency and Circularity
Projects addressing water efficiency, reuse, and resource recovery in industrial systems.

Track 2: Water Efficiency and Circularity in Urban Built Environments
Solutions enabling efficient and circular water systems across cities and urban infrastructure on a building/district scale.

Who can be main applicant?
The main applicant must be from Aarhus University (AU), Aalborg University (AAU), University of Southern Denmark (SDU) or VIA University College.

What are the consortium requirements?
Each project must consist of at least one Bridge4Water partner university and at least one company partner, but we invite you to include additional partners for your project.

Eligible partners for funding are:

Researchers from universities or knowledge institutions, and
Registered non-profit organisations

Companies cannot receive funding but can contribute in-kind.

For questions  - Contact the secretariat: martin.andersen@au.dk