REGISTER FOR XPRIZE WATER SCARCITY
Phase
Registration
PRIZE SUMMIT: YOU’RE INVITED
Join us on December 8 at IDRA WORLD CONGRESS in Abu Dhabi, UAE for competition insights and networking.
Guidelines
The Competition Guidelines 2.0 (updated as of October 17, 2024) summarize the high-level requirements and procedures of the competition. These guidelines are based upon extensive research and consultation with dozens of experts and researchers across a wide array of relevant fields. Public feedback, open from March 1 to June 1, 2024, provided further refinement. Revised guidelines will be posted here once feedback has been reviewed. If you have any questions, please email waterscarcity@xprize.org.
Please check back to this page as we are planning to update these guidelines by January 2025!
Competition Guidelines 2.0 (PDF)
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
XPRIZE competitions are driven by teams of innovative groups and individuals, comprising subject matter experts, enthusiasts, start-ups, student teams, amateurs, and all problem-solvers in between. A winning idea can come from anyone, anywhere.
PRIZE CATEGORIES
XPRIZE Water Scarcity is a multi-track competition that focuses on addressing the challenges and opportunities related to desalination and water access. It is structured into two complementing tracks designed to individually and collectively drive meaningful impact to address water scarcity on a global scale.
$108M Track A - Desalination: System-Level Innovation
$10.9M Track B - Novel Desalination Materials
HOW TO WIN
In addressing global water scarcity, we focus on two strategic pathways:
■ Track A - Desalination: System-Level Innovation - the winning team will reliably and most sustainably generate one million liters of potable water per day (1,000 m3/ day) from seawater at the lowest cost to ensure global accessibility, over the course of 1 year.
■ Track B - Novel Desalination Materials - the winning team will most sustainably and cost-effectively treat seawater to potable water quality, demonstrating an operational lifetime of 10 years or more.
*Note: In an effort to widen our impact and reach of the competition, we are currently working on updating Track A to allow for partial solutions to enter and Track B for all desalination materials to enter. These updates will be reflected in our updated Guidelines v3.0, set to be released in January 2025.
By concurrently driving these advancements forward, we pave the way for a water-secure future that is both economically viable and environmentally sustainable.