Dear members and partners,

We are pleased to inform you about the launching of a new prize competition focusing on Non-Revenue water (NRW) reduction that may be of interest to water utilities, to consultants and NGOs that work in the water supply sector.

The competition under the denomination Dreampipe II prize competition, is funded by DFID, with focus on efforts to reduce non-revenue-water in developing countries. The cash prizes to be awarded total GBP 1,000,000 for not more than ten (10) winners expected.

To upload the flyer for a brief description of the contest, please click HERE. Further details may be found at the Dreampipe website: www.dreampipe.org.

Indeed, the main objective of Dreampipe II is to find ways to bring financing from non-traditional sources (i.e. not from IFIs, bilateral development agencies or governments). There is financing out there, and the top-priority NRW-reduction interventions can pay for themselves in three to seven years. The potential for more commercial financing is there, but it’s not being realized.

Dreampipe II is structured as a tournament in three distinct phases, with prizes to be awarded to the winners of each phase.

• Phase 1 (open for applicants now): Contestants will need to prepare a business plan (there will be up to 10 winners, for a prize of GBP 30,000 each).
• Phase 2 will involve implementing a small NRW-reduction demonstration project in a selected water utility in a developing country.
• Phase 3: Contestants will need to negotiate a fully structured deal for an expansion project in the same utility company – with much of the financing coming from non-traditional sources.

The deadline to register for Phase 1 is 15 February 2017. We urge you to take a look at the website (and especially the Applicants’ Guidance Document found there) and to consider applying – and please pass the word along to others, including consultants and NGOs who you think might be interested.