13 Apr 2026
EIT Water receives € 5 million grant for its start-up phase
EIT Water has recently signed the Start-up Grant Agreement (SUGA) until the end of 2026. The grant amounts to € 5 million and 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.
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.
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