FORTH2O Commissioning Fund
FORTH2O is delighted to announce the launch of our Commissioning Fund, an exciting new funding opportunity designed to support innovative projects in our region that address key challenges in water resource optimisation.
The FORTH2O Commissioning Fund aims to accelerate research and practical solutions that contribute to a sustainable water future. The fund is open to organisations and researchers working within the FORTH2O Partnership and beyond, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration across policy, industry, and academic sectors.
For our Phase 1 call funding opportunities are:
- Small Awards: £750 – £10,000
- Large Awards: £10,001 – £100,000
The deadline for applications to be reviewed by our first Commissioning Fund review panel is the 4th of April 2025. The call will remain open after that for two further review panels in Phase 2 and Phase 3 which will take place in summer and autumn 2025.
We encourage applications from projects that demonstrate strong partnerships, innovation, and a clear pathway to impact. More details, including eligibility criteria and application guidance, can be found at www.forth2o.ac.uk/ commissioning-fund/.
FORTH2O is a pioneering innovation partnership in the region of Scotland covering the River Forth Basin: Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Falkirk, Edinburgh and the Lothians. It is one of four £5m ‘local policy innovation partnerships’ in the UK - and the only one in Scotland - funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and Innovate UK.
FORTH2O is working with over 90 partners across academia, government, policy, industry, community and voluntary sectors to jointly co-design research and interventions that address pressing ‘optimisation challenges’ for business, communities and society. Collaboration on this scale is important in building system change. The shared vision we have developed for the partnership is of ‘a system that works for everybody to secure our water futures and stimulate wellbeing and prosperity for both humans and our natural environment’. Our goal is to meet our vision by ‘optimising outcomes from water resources’. In short, this means ‘understanding water better and being better with water’. Also ‘making space for water’ - not just physical spaces, but space in policy and people’s minds, where it can all too often be forgotten or taken for granted.
FORTH2O Partnership Introduction Video
Find out more at: https://forth2o.ac.uk/