SCALE-UP
ECOSYSTEM CONSOLIDATION
Waterpreneurs aims to contributing to the strengthening of local enabling environments that support and channel investments into impactful WASH entrepreneurial projects in the field through the creation/acceleration of innovation “reactors” (“go-to Market-Places”), in the form of physical/virtual platforms that connect WASH stakeholders from different sectors in order to contribute to the achievements of the SDG6.
We are specifically reaching-out to strategic potential interested WASH stakeholders in the fields of 1/ Innovation; 2/ Entrepreneurship; 3/ Finance; 4/ Corporate Supply Chains; 5/ Smart IT Technologies; 6/ WASH regional Expert Hubs.
Waterpreneurs is continuously developing trust relationships with key stakeholders interested in the sector, looking for entrepreneurial projects, and that have an interest in making sure these entrepreneurs can grow. In priority, we are reaching out to water and sanitation specialised innovation and acceleration hubs contributing to the realisation of SDG6.
These activities must be put in perspective of the systemic wider conversation that we are sustaining with global impact funds and investors, national authorities, United Nations agencies and key global stakeholders active in the fields of: water and sanitation, business, human rights and impact investing.
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Showcase:
The iW+ coalition
iW+ is a coalition that focuses on Smart Water Systems that Improve Safe Water Delivery to every urban and peri-urban resident.
The “iW+ Coalition” founding partners join forces to provide their own resources, competencies, and expertise to develop a concept with an upside for each organisation and to address the key principles of iW+: leasing, Pay-as-you-go solutions (securing leases with prepayment), Smart technologies, and Safe water, utilities or other water operator’s efficiency solutions.
Not only restricted to water that is filtered and bottled at the point of delivery but also piped water for example.
Online course steps up learning on urban water
Waterpreneurs contributed to a course developed by Global Water Partnership, Cap-Net UNDP, and other partners to foster Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) on a global scale. The online course, "Unpacking the Opportunities of IUWM for Sustainable Cities", was held in October-November 2018.
WATER AND SANITATION IMPACT FUNDS SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURS
Waterpreneurs sees WASH thematic impact funds as powerful financial vehicles, which can close the financial gap for growth stage WASH entrepreneurs. Financial needs are huge but investing in the water and sanitation sector is often perceived as risky and complex.
To de-risk and make the sector more attractive for public and private investments, innovative finance mechanisms are needed. Financial investments and attention need to move from exclusions into supporting environmental and Sustainable Development Goals based investment funds and new initiatives with real impact.
To face these challenges, Waterpreneurs is promoting the emergence of Water and Sanitation Impact Investment Funds. More specifically, as an example among others, Waterpreneurs is currently advocating for the creation of a Faith & Water Impact Finance Fund.
This advocacy project has for stakes:
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To unite religions to create a social impact investment fund in water (United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6). This fund would, by definition, have a strong social and environmental mission that will include investments in social enterprises that provide affordable services to low-income populations and disadvantaged geographic areas.
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To show the capacity of religions to unite around a concrete project serving the common good and peace and based on a universal symbol: water.
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To be offered to religious organizations around the world so that they can publicly testify the direction of their financial investments to solve the current challenges of climate and water and more broadly of all the Sustainable Development Goals;
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To obtain a moral guarantee and a requirement to realize the social impact of the fund from religious organizations, co-investors in the fund.
Helped preparing a sharp and articulate document to give guidance on key management issues for a coalition of service providers operating in the water nexus:  Analysed current situation and aligned expectations of different partners (governance, interactions with clients, rules of engagement, business case)  Organised a brainstorming workshop.  Analysed options and make recommendations  Facilitated the signature of an MoU between the members of the coalition | Mapping of key stakeholders in India that could be interested in the safe water enterprises ecosystem consolidation to support the scaling-up of market-based solutions. |
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Helped transforming the SWEP from a small, informal, mainly Swiss-based network to a global network of organisations that propel water and sanitation entrepreneurship. Based on the business case that has been develop in a participatory approach for the SWEP, the network is now ready to unlock and reframe investments / funding for water and sanitation entrepreneurship globally. |