The Israel Innovation Authority and The Water Council of Wisconsin recently signed a JOINT DECLARATION OF INTENT IN THE FIELD OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION and invite interested companies to submit applications to refine and validate their water technology solutions.The Israel Innovation Authority and The Water Council of Wisconsin are seeking to help Israeli firms get the evidence they need to enter and be successful in the North American water economy.
Through this cooperation, both entities economies and industries would benefit from the expertise and resources each partner brings.
Funds will be applied for projects:
1. To validate selected Israeli water technology applications for wastewater treatment.
2. These projects may also include:
· software or SAAS technologies,
· cyber-focused technologies,
· data analytics for utility applications
3. These projects are expected to deal with one of these areas:
a) INTELLIGENT STORM WATER GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE (i.e. cisterns, bioswales, green roofs, porous paving materials, etc.) – projects that create web-based infrastructure that allow for the active management of storm water with green infrastructure systems and the integration thereof
b) STORM WATER QUALITY – projects that enhance the ability to detect contaminants in storm water and runoff, innovate the ability for best management practices to better capture and treat storm water and polluted runoff from both urban and rural environments, and identify beneficial reuse of reclaimed water will be deemed high priority
c) STORM WATER QUANTITY – projects that achieve run-off control through delayed release to the sewer system and area waterways, improve infiltration rates of green infrastructure, and maximize bio-retention will also be deemed high priority
d) PLANT PROCESS TECHNOLOGY – innovations for nutrient removal, energy production and cost reductions and other plant optimization technologies
e) OTHER WATER TECH APPLICATIONS NOT ALREADY LISTED – projects that address other water-focused technologies for demonstration in Southeast Wisconsin
4. These projects should align with the mission and programs of the partnering entities.
5. The projects would focus on:
· Identifying promising technology suited for application within the identified utilities (fulfil utility need, be fit for purpose, meet financial requirements).
· Teaming with the utility to define project parameters, scale, scope, performance goals, and time frame.
· Exploring possible collaboration with Wisconsin-based businesses in the validation and market development of the technology or as potential technology partners.
· Working with the utility and Wisconsin-based project partners to accumulate necessary validation and/or field data, analyze data against performance metrics and/or pair technologies.
The proposed product, service, clinical interventions or practice change in the application cannot be early-stage prototypes – they must already be sufficiently advanced and backed with the support necessary for a real-world trial.
Solutions must have already been proven and successfully implemented in at least one referenceable deployment site, and are ready to be applied across multiple organizations and/or sectors across North America. In this case R&D will apply to a viable beta site.
Short Term Hosting Track
The Water Council will provide low-cost, flexible-term co-working space as an available resource to Israeli companies during the project term. Companies selected for the pilot program will be able to capitalize on the co-working space, network connections in the Global Water Center, as well as other ‘soft landing’ support needed during the on-site visits to Milwaukee for the pilot. This would also include connection to partners, resources, Water Council member companies, and connection with the Milwaukee Jewish Federation to serve as a community connection point to the local Israeli and Jewish communities.
Project Validation Track
The Solution Validation Program will choose and fund a small number of projects that will run over a 9 - 15 month period with a maximum budget of $250,000, starting in approximately January 2019. Project costs will be shared between the successful Israeli company, The Israel Innovation Authority and the Water Council of Wisconsin.
Funding from The Israel Innovation Authority:
Selected applicants can receive up to 50% of the Israeli companies’ approved project budget for R&D activity from The Israel Innovation Authority.
Funding from the Water Council of Wisconsin:
Selected applicants can receive up to 1/3 of budget up to a maximum of US $75,000 from The Water Council to support eligible project costs.
Program Benefits
Eligible applicants will be able to realize the following benefits from participating in the Solution Validation program:
1. An opportunity to test and improve the company’s products, services and processes in a “living lab” environment in North America where co-working space will be provided by the Water council be free of charge for the Israeli company The Solution Validation program is a unique opportunity to get access to a large population of diverse end-users across a spectrum of settings and facilities
2. An opportunity to generate scientific evidence of the effectiveness of the company’s product/service which will help differentiate the product/service in the global marketplace.
3. An opportunity to leverage funding from The Israel Innovation Authority and The Water Council of Wisconsin with which to conduct the trial.
4. An opportunity to establish a working relationship with a leading North American water facility which adds credibility and reference for the company to provide known reference site for its product or service.
Role of the Water Council of Wisconsin Validation Program
1. Offer project cost sharing.
2. Connect Israeli innovators to industry experts and/or other technology innovators who have an interest in the company’s innovative product, service or process tool.
3. Provide linkage to sites, facilities and diverse end-users across a spectrum of settings for purpose of testing solutions in Wisconsin.
4. Support Israeli innovators in developing or refining the protocols and assessment methodologies necessary for conducting a scientifically valid trial.
5. Execute the study/trial including subject recruitment, randomization and testing.
6. Provide connection to a Wisconsin-based partner to collect and evaluate statistical analyses, interpretation of results and report generation.
7. Provide connection and linkages to potential Wisconsin-based water technology project partners.
8. Offer opportunity to promote adoption of product following successful trial across North America.
9. Provide temporary workspace at the trial site (contingent on which site is selected).
Interested applicants are invited to complete the attached expression of interest that will be submitted to The Israel Innovation Authority and The Water Council of Wisconsin no later than Mar 31st 2018
For details, please download the Israel- Wisconsin RFP attachment.
For further questions please contact Alan Hofman at Alan.Hofman@innovationisrael.org.il