Europe faces growing water scarcity and resource pressures, requiring a shift towards more circular and resilient water systems. Achieving this transition calls for well‑prepared, innovative investments. Through the Sustainable Water Advisory Facility (SWAF‑G), the EIB provides targeted grant support to help public and private sector clients to develop and implement circular economy investments in the water sector.
SWAF‑G supports projects that improve resource efficiency, recover valuable materials, and create alternative water sources, contributing to sustainable urban and regional water management in line with EU policy objectives
How to access our support:
Interested project promoters are invited to follow these steps to apply
What is SWAF-G?
The Sustainable Water Advisory Facility – Grant‑Based Component (SWAF‑G) is a EUR 10 million pilot scheme under the InvestEU Advisory Hub initiative financed by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe Programme. As part of the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) and aims to build capacity, foster systemic change, and enhance circularity and resilience in urban and regional water systems across EU Member States by supporting the preparation of circular water investments.
SWAF‑G provides advisory support in the form of grants to help promoters prepare high‑quality, bankable projects that can be financed by the EIB.
Who can benefit?
SWAF‑G is open to:
- Public or private legal entities (such as local and regional authorities, utilities, operators, associations, financial institutions) established in an InvestEU eligible country
- Entities directly responsible for the preparation and management of the project, with adequate technical and financial capacity
The advisory grant must be linked to an EIB‑financed investment that is under appraisal or recently approved. Approximately 10 projects will be supported in this pilot phase.
How to access our support:
Interested project promoters are invited to follow these steps to apply:
All details, deadlines and contact information are available in the official call documentation.
Please make sure to download and study this call documentation first.
- Verify eligibility as detailed in the call documentation
- Download the application template
- Request access to the submission platform by email to swaf-g@eib.org
- Prepare the application, including required supporting documents
- Submit the application electronically to the submission platform
- Evaluation and selection by an EIB panel on a first come, first served basis, with priority given to one project per country
- Implementation of the advisory assignment over a 24 month period following signature of the grant agreement
Call process
Additional details on the call process stages and deadlines will be posted here and updated regularly.
- First application session
- 30/3/2026 – 30/6/2026
- All EU member state
- No intermediaries
Frequently Asked Questions
The FAQs will be regularly updated throughout the application process and during the call.
Get inspired
Example project types
- Recovery of valuable resources (phosphorus, nitrogen, lithium) from wastewater.
- Production and use of alternative water resources (reclaimed water, rainwater harvesting).
- Innovative bio-waste recovery from wastewater treatment and integration of nature-based solutions.
- Cross-border and regional initiatives that close material loops and reduce water scarcity.
Empowering circular water solutions for a sustainable Europe.