Explore our challenge prizes
Want to help solve some of society’s biggest problems? You’re in the right place
This could be your opportunity to help solve some of the world’s biggest problems.
Challenge Works supports smart ideas and ingenious solutions, wherever they come from. We believe inventors can come from any background or sector, so we work to break down barriers, support long-term success and nurture innovation talent every step of the way.
We have worked with thousands of innovator teams and dozens of funders to find solutions to problems, draw attention to societal issues, and bring about real change.
Read on to find out more about our current and past portfolio of challenge prizes.
Water Efficiency Lab 2
The Water Efficiency Lab (WEL) is a challenge-led competition to attract innovative solutions to specific water efficiency challenges and unlock progress on water efficient technology, processes and approaches.
Water Discovery Challenge 2
The Water Discovery Challenge 2 is a £7.5 million competition to accelerate the development and adoption of new innovations for the water sector.
Water Breakthrough Challenge 6
The fifth round of the Water Breakthrough Challenge ‘Breakthrough 5’ is part of the Ofwat Innovation Fund, a pioneering programme unleashing waves of innovation in the water sector.
Water Efficiency Lab 1
The £25 million Water Efficiency Lab’s first competition, WEL 1, seeks data-driven innovative solutions to give households and businesses actionable insights and tools to cut their water consumption.
Water Breakthrough Challenge 5
The fifth round of the Water Breakthrough Challenge ‘Breakthrough 5’ is part of the Ofwat Innovation Fund, a pioneering programme unleashing waves of innovation in the water sector.
Water Discovery Challenge
The Water Discovery Challenge (‘Discovery’) was a £4 million competition for bold and ingenious innovation that can help solve the biggest challenges facing the water sector today and in the future.
Water Breakthrough Challenge 4
The fourth round of the Water Breakthrough Challenge ‘Breakthrough 4’ was part of the Ofwat Innovation Fund, a pioneering programme unleashing waves of innovation in the water sector.
Afri-Plastics Challenge
Helping communities through Sub-Saharan Africa to reduce marine plastics by developing and scaling innovative solutions to plastic mismanagement.
Water Breakthrough Challenge 3
The fourth round of the Water Breakthrough Challenge ‘Breakthrough 3’ was part of the Ofwat Innovation Fund, a pioneering programme unleashing waves of innovation in the water sector.
Mombasa Plastics Prize
The Mombasa Plastics Prize encouraged young innovators in Mombasa County to develop solutions that tackle the problem of marine plastic waste mismanagement within informal settlements.
Zero Power Water Monitoring Horizon Prize
The Zero Power Water Monitoring Prize aimed to empower water distributors to promote the transition of ICT technologies in the water sector.
Homegrown Innovation Challenge
A $33 million prize which aims to identify teams and support the development of tools and technologies that enable Canadian farmers and producers to sustainably and competitively grow berries out of season.
Challenge prizes
Discover how challenge prizes work, why they attract the right innovators and how they can help solve urgent problems where solutions are lacking.