Dreampipe II launched at the International Water Association Water Ideas 2016 Conference in Bologna. The objective of Dreampipe II is to encourage the development of workable and replicable ideas for how to expand the financing available for non-revenue-water (NRW) reduction activities in developing countries – beyond the conventional sources ( which are predominantly development banks, agencies and governments). The key will be to find ways to reduce perceived risk for the new sources, especially (but not only) for commercial lenders.

Up to 10 winners for Phase 1 can win £30,000 each. Up to £1,000,000 of prize money is available over the course of the challenge.

Dreampipe II is open to applicants from around the world. Proposed solutions will also have to be applicable in one (or several) of the 28 DFID target countries.

Every year 32m cubic metres of treated water physically leak from urban supply systems. Additionally 16 million cubic metres of water is delivered to customers for zero revenue. This puts a significant strain on government resources and their ability to deliver to the public.

“Reducing water losses and illegal connections is a key challenge in developing countries. Expanding the financing available for these efforts will help bring clean water at lower cost to more of the world’s poor”. – Prize Director, Chris Shugart.

This prize call is part of the Ideas to Impact programme, implemented by IMC Worldwide, which seeks to find innovative solutions to development challenges in the areas of climate change, energy access and WASH.

Dreampipe II is targeted at water utility experts, financial experts and transaction advisors who may or may not have prior experience in the water sector. Interested innovators are encouraged to register at www.dreampipe.org by February 15, 2017. The deadline for entries for stage one of the challenge is March 15, 2017.

To learn more about the programme please visit www.dreampipe.org

Contact: Froeydis Gording, Prize Manager, IMC Worldwide: froeydis.gording@imcworldwide.com