IWA & Grundfos Youth Action for SDG 6 Fellowship

The International Water Association (IWA) and Grundfos are pleased to announce the call for applications for the third cohort of the IWA & Grundfos Youth Action for SDG 6 Fellowship. Established in 2022, the Fellowship supports Young Water Professionals (YWPs) to strengthen their leadership, professional capabilities and contribution to global water challenges.

Building on the experience of the first two cohorts, the 2027–2028 Fellowship will place a stronger focus on innovation and on increasing the uptake of technology and innovative solutions in the water sector. The programme will support YWPs who are already exploring or developing an idea, solution or innovative approach to a clearly identified water challenge and who would benefit from a structured journey to refine, test, strengthen and position that work for wider uptake.

For IWA, YWPs are individuals aged 18 to 35 years old. The Fellowship will remain a global programme and will seek a cohort that reflects gender, geographical and professional diversity.

The Fellowship

The third cohort will combine online and in-person activities over approximately two years. Selected Fellows will participate in structured capacity development, peer learning, project-sharing and review, engagement with IWA and Grundfos experts and networks, and selected international water-sector events.

The programme is expected to include:

• Online onboarding and regular monthly meetings (February 2027 to December 2028);

• An initial in-person gathering involving activities with IWA and Grundfos during the first semester of 2027 (London/United Kingdom, and Bjerringbro/Denmark);

• Tailored capacity-development sessions related to innovation, entrepreneurship, adoption and implementation;

• Thematic peer-learning groups and project progress reviews;

• Engagement with practitioners, utilities, researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs and other relevant experts and partners;

• Participation in selected IWA activities and international water-sector events (second semester 2027);

• Opportunities to communicate, showcase and strengthen the visibility of Fellows’ work;

• Continued engagement with alumni from previous Fellowship cohorts;

• Participation at the 2028 IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition in Malaysia.

The precise programme and capacity-development activities will be further tailored to meet the needs and profiles of the selected Fellows. Participation in the Fellowship requires active and sustained commitment throughout the programme.

Focus of Cohort 3: innovation and uptake

Cohort 3 will focus on increasing the uptake of technology and innovation in the water sector. Innovation is understood broadly and may involve a new or significantly improved technology, product, service, process, financing approach, capacity-development model or other solution addressing a water-related challenge.

Applicants will be asked to identify the area that most closely reflects their proposed work:

• Applied research and product/solution innovation: Translating research, technical knowledge or emerging technologies into practical products, services or solutions that respond to real water-sector needs.

• Innovative financial mechanisms and business models: Exploring financing approaches and business models that can enable the development, adoption or scaling of water solutions.

• Capacity building and enabling approaches: Developing innovative approaches that strengthen the capacity of people, organisations, utilities or communities to adopt, implement and benefit from water solutions.

These areas are intended to guide applications and the selection process. They are not rigid programme tracks; the final thematic and peer-learning groups will be shaped by the profile of the selected Fellows and their projects.

Important: The Fellowship supports participation, professional development and capacity building. It does not provide direct funding, investment or grants for the implementation of Fellows’ innovations or projects. All intellectual property rights relating to innovations, solutions or projects developed or further advanced by Fellows through the programme will remain with the respective Fellow(s). The Fellowship aims to provide Fellows with the knowledge, skills, networks and exposure needed to strengthen their solutions and become better positioned to pursue appropriate partnerships, implementation opportunities, accelerator programmes or external financing.

Who should apply?

We welcome applications from students, researchers, entrepreneurs and professionals working in utilities, companies, public institutions, non-governmental organisations and other water-related organisations. Applicants should bring an existing innovation, solution or approach that they intend to develop through the Fellowship.

The proposed work should:

• Respond to a clearly identified water-related problem or opportunity;

• Have a defined concept or proposed approach;

• Identify intended users, beneficiaries or customers;

• Demonstrate that the applicant has already taken tangible steps to explore, develop or validate the solution;

• Be sufficiently developed to benefit from testing, technical input, capacity development, peer exchange and professional networks; and

• Remain at a stage where participation in the Fellowship can meaningfully influence its development and pathway towards implementation or wider uptake.

Indicative maturity: The Fellowship is particularly suited to solutions at the idea/concept, prototype or early-pilot stage. An idea alone is not sufficient: applicants at concept stage must demonstrate tangible action towards developing or validating the proposed solution. Applicants do not need to have established a company or start-up.

Application

Applications must be submitted in English through the online application form. Candidates will be asked to complete the form, upload all required documents, and accept the terms of the selection process. There are two application routes, depending on the applicant's eligibility:

• IWA Young Water Professional members: Applicants who are IWA Young Water Professional members must log in to IWA Connect Plus using their active IWA membership credentials before accessing the application form. The IWA Secretariat will verify membership status.

• Grundfos employees: Eligible Young Water Professionals employed by Grundfos can apply through a dedicated application form and are not required to hold an IWA membership. The dedicated application link is distributed through Grundfos' internal communication channels. Grundfos employees interested in applying should refer to the internal Fellowship announcement or contact the relevant Grundfos team to obtain the application link.

Important: The standard IWA application form requires applicants to be logged in to IWA Connect Plus. Grundfos employees who do not hold an IWA membership should use the dedicated Grundfos application route rather than the standard IWA member application form.