As a country renowned for its water management expertise, the Netherlands recognizes the critical importance of both groundwater and surface water. These resources are essential not only for drinking water, agriculture, and industry, but also play a vital role in preserving natural ecosystems and biodiversity. However, the quality of these water sources is increasingly under pressure—due in part to the effects of climate change.

To safeguard and sustainably manage these valuable resources, the development and implementation of advanced water technology is essential. Water technology encompasses all methods, innovations, and systems designed to manage water in a sustainable manner. This includes various forms of water treatment (e.g., biological, chemical, and desalination processes) as well as sophisticated water monitoring systems.

The Netherlands has long been a pioneer in water technology. At Hezelburcht, we specialize in securing funding and subsidies for various aspects of water technology. Below, we outline four key areas of focus—starting with wastewater treatment.

Wastewater Treatment

The wastewater sector in the Netherlands is composed of a diverse range of stakeholders, including water boards, municipal authorities, knowledge institutions (such as STOWA and RIONED), and technology providers. Within this sector, surface water management and water treatment are increasingly aligned with broader sustainability objectives.

Key Themes in Wastewater Treatment

The water chain is undergoing rapid transformation. In the next 30 years, it is expected to evolve significantly due to various societal and environmental challenges, particularly in the following areas::

• Water quality – including the presence of organic micropollutants
• Sustainability – focusing on resource recovery and energy efficiency
• Public health – ensuring safe, clean water for all

This leads to the following focus areas:

• Advanced Water Treatment
  • Enhanced and efficient treatment processes aimed at improving public health and water quality.
  • While legal esponsibilities remain unchanged, the focus is shifting towards substances like nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), PFAS, and other organic micropollutants.
• Resource and Energy Recovery
  • Water boards and municipalities are increasingly focused on recovering raw materials and generating energy from waste water.
  • Examples include replacing fossil-based inputs for chemicals, transportation, heating, and electricity with sustainable alternatives, and harvesting raw materials directly from wastewater or surface water.
• Strategic partnership:
  • Strategic partnerships between water boards, municipalities, and external parties are vital. These may include collaborations with research institutions, technology developers, energy providers, housing corporations, and waste management companies.
  • Through these partnerships, new products, services, and technologies are jointly developed and deployed.

Relevant grant schemes in the field of wastewater treatment are:

• LIFE, Interreg – for pilot and demonstration projects
• Horizon Europe – for scientific research
• TSE DEI+ – for experimental development and demonstration
• Topsector Energie – for partnerships involving companies, research institures, and universities
• MIT – for joint innovation by businesses and research partners
• WBSO – for research and development support
• Provincial funding schemes – regional opportunities tailored to local priorities

Drinking Water Production

The drinking water sector in the Netherlands is composed of a wide range of stakeholders, each playing a distinct and complementary role. These include water utilities, technology providers, laboratories, engineering firms, universities and research institutes.

• Water utilities are responsible for the actual production and distribution of drinking water.

• Technology companies contribute advanced knowledge and solutions—ranging from water treatment technologies and pipeline systems to sensors, measurement tools, and inspection techniques.

• Water laboratories support the sector with critical analysis and quality monitoring.

• Engineering firms offer specialized studies, consultancy, and the design of complex infrastructure projects.

• Universities and research institutes conduct scientific research that underpins innovation across the entire water supply chain.

Themes in the Drinking Water Production

The sector is facing a number of important developments aimed at increasing sustainability, resilience, and technological innovation:

• Development of advanced and multi-stage water treatment technologies
• Process optimization through integrated modeling and real-time control of production and distribution systems
• Reuse of treatment by-products and residues
• Replacement and upgrading of aging water supply infrastructure
• Implementation of early warning systems at water intake points to detect contaminants
• Deployment of innocative laboratory techniques for identifying emerging substances
• Adoption of innovative inspection methods and decision support systems for asset management
• Protection and sustainable management of water catchment areas

Relevant grant schemes for the drinking water production sector:

• WBSO – for research and development (R&D) activities carries out by companies
• NWO – TTW –  for scientific and applied research in technology and water
• EFRO – for regional cooperation between companies and research institutes
• MIT – for partnerships between SMEs and research institutes
• LIFE – for pilot and demonstration projects related to environmental innovation
• Horizon Europe –  for cutting-edge scientific research and innovation
• Innovatiekrediet – for proprietary R&D projects with high technical risk

International (Water) Schemes

International water projects increasingly emphasize collaboration across disciplines and sectors. Policymakers actively promote partnerships – both public-private and multidisciplinary – recognizing that complex global wate rchallenges require integrated, sustainable solutions.

A core focus of these schemes is the sustainability of activities, evaluated across five key dimensions:

• Financial
• Institutional
• Environmental
• Technical
• Social

In addition, there is a growing emphasis on stimulating private investment in developing countries, as traditional funding from international financial institutions is no longer sufficient to meet the scale of the global investment challenge.

Relevant Grant Schemes:

• Urbanising Delta’s of the World (NWO – WOTRO) – for research and innovation in delta regions
• Partners voor Water / Working with water worldwide – for international water sector cooperation
• Developmentally Relevant Infrastructure Investment Vehicle (DRIVE) – for public infrastructure projects in developing countries
• Demonstration projects, feasibility studies and investment preparation (DHI) – for international business development in water and infrastructure
• Embassy funds – for country-specific support aligned with Dutch foreign policy priorities

Project examples based on international water schemes

A variety of successful international water projects have been supported through these schemes, illustrating their wide-ranging impact:

• Egypt – Reduced flood probability and impact in Alexandria (Fonds Duurzaam Water)
• Bangladesh – Integrated frameword for safe drinking water using hand-pump subsurface arsenic removal (NWO/WOTRO)
• India – DELTAP: smart small-scale piped water supply in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta (Urbanising Deltas of the World Programme)
• Mozambique – Sustainable freshwater supply in urbanizing Maputo (Urbanising Deltas of the World Programme)
• Suriname – Capacity building in Drinking Water Supply (10th European Development Fund ACP – EU Water Facility)
• Mozambique (Northern Region) – Capacity Building in Sustainable Water Infrastructure Management (10th European Development Fund ACP-EU Water Facility)
• Ethiopia (Oromia Region) – Partnership for capacity building in sustainable infrastructure development and water resource protection (10th European Development Fund ACP-EU Water Facility)
• Ethiopia – Source to Tap and Back – integrated water approach (Fonds Duurzaam Water)
• Mozambique (Beira) – Sustainable urban water services (Fonds Duurzaam Water)
• Kenya – Enhancing water utility performance through benchmarking, and innovative financing (Fonds Duurzaam Water)
• Philippines (Cebu) –  Sustainable and pro-poor water supply systems (Fonds Duurzaam Water)
• Ethiopia (Harar) – Sustainable water supply solutions (Fonds Duurzaam Water)
• Indonesia (Bandung) – Encouraging private investments in pro-poor water supply (Fonds Duurzaam Water)

Water Management, Nature Management, and Biodiversity

This sector encompasses en diverse network of organizations responsible for managing surface water, preserving natural areas, and protecting biodiversity. Key stakeholders include national and regional water boards, drinking water companies, nature conservation organizations, knowledge brokers such as STOWA, forestry authorities, provincial and municipal governments, research institutions, and technology suppliers.

Themes in Water, Nature and Biodiversity Management

Driven by increasingly strict European regulations on water quality and biodiversity protection, this sector faces complex challenges that require an integrated, cross-sectoral approach. These include:

• Climate adaptation, addressing both water excess due to heavy rainfall and water shortages caused by salinization and desiccation.
• Compliance with EU biodiversity goals, requiring the preservation and restoration of natural ecosystems and habitats.
• Incorporation of ecosystem services, which emphasize the benefits of natural ecosystems for human health, safety, and well-being.
• Holistic planning, integrating human needs with ecological sustainability and resilience.

To address these challenges, several developments are shaping the sector:

• Improving Surface Water Quality
  • Enhanced wastewater treatment systems and innovations play a vital role
  • Measures include controlling blue-green algae, removing invasive species (e.g., large water pennywort), and constructing nature-friendly banks to support aquatic life.
• Strengthening Flood Defenses
  • Implementation of updated standards for dike design and performance under the multi-layer safety model:
    • Prevention – robust dike construction
    • Spatial Planning – responsible land use and development
    • Disaster risk management – preparedness begore, during, and after flooding events
  • Nature-based solutions, sensor technology, and advanced monitoring tools support innovation in dike construction and water safety
• Strategic Collaboration
  • Waterboards increasingly collaborate with specialized engineering firms, sensor technology developers, and public agencies to co-develop innvoative, scalable, and cost-effective water solutions.
• Protecting and Enhancing Biodiversity
  • National and EU-level initiatives focus on the conservation of vulnerable species and natural areas, including those under the Natura 2000 framework.
  • Projects often emphasize ecosystem services but also include efforts centered on the intrinsic value of nature
  • Multi-stakeholder consortia are increasingly common, integrating goals such as climate adaptation, nature restoration, and biodiversity enhancement.

Relevant sufunding schemes:

• LIFE, Interreg – for pilot and demonstration projects with a strong environmental focus
• Horizon Europe – for scientific and applied research at the European level
• MIT, EFRO – for collaborative cooperation between companies and research institutes
• WBSO – for research and development (R&D) carried out by companies

Discover your grant opportunities

Grants can help you realise your innovative project and decrease financial risks. The specialists at Hezelburcht are familiar with the developments in your area of expertise, are experts on grants and are glad to help you with your innovation project! Would you like to know more about the possibilities? Send us an email to info@hezelburcht.com, call us on 088 495 20 00 or fill in the form below: