Smart monitoring and automation
Real-time monitoring, sensors, drones, satellite-based water accounting, leak detection, AI predictive maintenance, SCADA.
Joint Cooperation in Applied Research on Water
JCAR Business Innovation Hub
A water-dedicated entrepreneurship and MSME support programme
Supporting water innovators in Egypt and the Netherlands at multiple stages of development, from pre-revenue start-ups to scale-ups, with grant funding plus technical and business support.
Pre-register your interestAbout the programme
Dedicated to water. Built for every stage.
- The Business Innovation Hub is an entrepreneurship and MSME support programme dedicated entirely to water, supporting innovators at multiple stages of development, from pre-revenue to scale-up.
- It is part of the Joint Cooperation in Applied Research (JCAR) on Water, a bilateral cooperation programme between the Netherlands and Egypt.
- The Hub is delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI), which defines the priority challenges the Hub addresses.
- It supports Egypt's National Water Resources Plan and the transition to Irrigation System 2.0.
- The Hub is demand-driven: solutions must respond to real MWRI challenges.
Who can apply
Innovators in Egypt and the Netherlands
- Student teams
- Researchers
- Research centres
- Start-ups
- Micro, small and medium enterprises
- Established companies
Solutions can be technologies, innovative services, or operational models.
Challenge themes
Four priority areas, defined with MWRI
Your solution should address a real challenge in one or more of these themes. The examples are illustrative; other ideas within each theme are welcome.
Nature-based solutions
Nature-based canal rehabilitation and bank protection, beneficial use of Nile sediment, Delta coastal protection, biological control of aquatic weeds and water hyacinth.
Clean water: drainage and pollutant management
Clearing and recycling weeds, debris and sediment, water hyacinth valorisation, affordable drainage-water treatment for reuse, waste removal at pumping-station intakes.
Renewable-energy transition
Solar or hybrid energy for pump stations, renewable-powered smart groundwater pumping, low-emission pump-station designs.
Support tiers
Support that matches your stage
One programme, three stages: from pre-revenue innovators to scale-ups ready to deploy.
Selected innovators receive grant funding plus technical and business support.
Concept
For pre-revenue innovators: start-ups, research teams and students developing a water solution.
- Grant support
- Intensive incubation programme in Egypt
- Business and financial foundations
- Technical coaching to get your solution ready for piloting
Piloting
For solutions shown to work at least once and ready to pilot under real conditions.
- Grant support
- Targeted technical and business coaching
- Pilot co-design with MWRI
- Field-testing support
Scale-up
For proven solutions from established enterprises, ready to scale and deploy.
- Grant support for scale-up
- Applicant co-contribution required
Not sure which tier fits you?
- Are you pre-revenue and still developing or validating your solution? Choose Tier 1 – Concept.
- Has your solution worked at least once, and is it ready for a real-world pilot? Choose Tier 2 – Piloting.
- Are you an established enterprise with a proven solution ready to deploy at scale? Choose Tier 3 – Scale-up.
Key dates
First cycle timeline
- 28 October 2026Launch at Cairo Water Week
(Netherlands launch: 23 November 2026) - Oct – Dec 2026Outreach and applications
- Jan – Feb 2027Selection
- 2027Support delivered through the year
Pre-register
Register your interest
Pre-registration is not an application and does not mean you have been selected or awarded. Pre-registered contacts will be invited to information sessions and sent the official application form when it opens.
Step 2: Your detailsSelect a tier above to open the pre-registration form.