WATER TECHNOLOGIES DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMME (A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND THE WATER RESEARCH COMMISSION)
WATER ACCELERATOR: OPEN CALL
Innovative Water & Sanitation Technologies and Solutions Contributing to the objectives of the Research Development and Deployment (RDD) programme of the National Water Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Roadmap
The Water Technologies Demonstration Programme (WADER) invites Expressions of Interest (EOI) from technology developers/vendors in response to the annual WADER Water Accelerator Call focusing on technologies/solutions that would contribute to key objectives of the National Water Roadmap.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST), in collaboration with the Water Research Commission (WRC), has established WADER to pull together the applied research and development and commercialisation stages of the water innovation continuum. Acting as an innovation intermediary, the Programme’s mission is to facilitate high-level, collaborative technology demonstrators from the public and private sectors to maximise the potential of the water innovation value chain.
The objective of the WADER Water Accelerator is to promote the early adoption of promising technologies and accelerate innovation in the water sector by showcasing technologies that have gone through a credible assessment process. Through a series of open calls for water technologies - which are in the emerging, pre-commercial or newly commercialised stages of diffusion - innovative water and sanitation technologies will be identified, evaluated and showcased to various interested parties such as municipalities and industry.
The National Water Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) Roadmap provides a structured framework to focus the contribution of RDI activity to the implementation of national policy, strategy and planning in water resources management in South Africa. This has been achieved by means of a National Water Research, Development, and Deployment (RDD) Programme focused on: delivery of at least one breakthrough technology every five years; increasing the number of small and medium sized enterprises operating in the water sector; increasing access to water for rural communities, including provision of sanitation for all in a sustainable manner resulting in significant economic, health, social and environmental benefits.
The RDI Roadmap can be found on the WRC website (www.wrc.org.za, Knowledge Hub/Research Report-search using keywords “National RDI Roadmap”. User Login registration is required to access the report, No. 2305/1/15)
The call is looking to identify highly innovative technologies and practices in the following categories:
- Water related alternative energy sources
- Alternative sources of water
- Non-Revenue Water
- Water Reuse (Industrial/Domestic Wastewater/Greywater/Mine Water)
- Innovative low energy technologies to store/or treat water at households and local scales.
- Innovative decentralised low energy sanitation systems.
- Smart Water Conservation Demand Management (WCDM) devices for commercial buildings and/or households.
- Smart apps to support behavioural change and practice for consumers and their municipalities.
- Smart technologies to manage water distribution and sewerage systems.
The intention of this annual accelerator call is to identify and ultimately showcase innovative water and sanitation technologies and solutions that will contribute to achieving the objectives of the RDD programme. Submissions should provide sustainable water and sanitation solutions to urban, peri-urban and/or rural areas and take into account operational effectiveness, social preferences, water resource availability, affordability, possible beneficiation of waste products, economies of scale and cost reductions.
Requirements
The proposer should demonstrate the underlying scientific principles behind the technology, provide the rationale supporting design features, fabrication and implementation costs, operations and maintenance requirements, level of readiness for operation, target location (rural, peri-urban and/or urban), and detail any previous demonstrations/implementation (number of units installed, performance metrics, location, scale, partners, performance outputs).
Preference will be given to those solutions that are in the emerging, pre-commercial or newly commercialised stages of diffusion. Please note that the WADER platform is new with limited budget hence the focus of the call is on highly innovative solutions and NOT CONVENTIONAL AND ESTABLISHED TECHNOLOGIES.
Inclusion of a marketing and communications plan, human capital development and potential for SMME development in the proposal will add value.
The EOI should be concise and include diagrams and photos. Requirements for the EOI can be obtained from the WADER website (www.wader.org.za).
EOI’s in PDF format must be emailed by no later than Thursday, 15 February 2018 by the close of business (16h00). Late applications will not be considered.
Contact
Email Subject Title: WADER Water Accelerator Proposal
Email Submissions: sarahr@wrc.org.za
Queries: Dr Manjusha Sunil
Phone: 012 330 9010/083 286 8238
