Entrants to this competition must be:

• Established businesses, academic institutions, start-ups, SMEs, or individual entrepreneurs
• UK based or have the intention to set up a UK base
• anything related to the competition theme

Applications will be assessed on:

• Relevance to the defined challenge
• Benefit of implementation
• Feasibility/economic viability
• Innovative nature
• Ability to launch in line with expected timescales
• Credibility of applicant company
• Coherence of the proposed business model
• Development potential
• Maturity of the solution
• Suitability for the intended geographic market

• Launch of the Competition: 16 April 2026
• Deadline for applications: 29 May 2026
• Selection and notification of finalists: 3-4 weeks post application deadline
• Pitch Day: 2-4 weeks post selection
• Project length: 3 months

Selected solution(s) will begin with small scale pilot trials integrated directly into HydroStar’s next-generation electrolyser system, using real wastewater feedstocks under controlledtest conditions.

Pending successful results, solutions may progress to larger-scale demonstrations and onward commercial deployment.

Existing background IP associated with a potential solution will remain with the Solution Provider(s). Where any new IP generation is envisaged, it will be subjec to the mutual IP agreement of the Solution Provider(s) and HydroStar.

Any commercial deployment of a transferred solution or newly developed solution, through licensing, joint venture, partnership, or direct investment will be subject to the commercial agreement between the Solution Provider(s) and HydroStar.

Where necessary, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be signed to uphold confidentiality in the engagement between the Solution Provider(s) and HydroStar. (This would be expected to be after company selection, it is suggested that details of IP not be disclosed, focus on the outcomes of the technology proposed.)

Innovate UK and Innovate UK Business Connect do not take any share of IP owernships or enter commercial ventures through the iX programme.

Functional requirements

The solution must/should:

• Integrate upstream, of, alongside, or directly with HydroStar’s NextGen membrane-free electrolyser, enabling small-scale pilot trials within the existing system architecture;
• Operate effectively on municipal and industrial wastewater with variable composition, including fluctuating ion concentrations;
• Be designed with scalability in mind, supporting future deployment across larger treatment works or industrial sites.

Technical requirements

HydroStar recognises that solutions may vary significantly in approach and maturity. As such, the following are provided as indicative operating conditions and integration considerations, rather than strict requirements. Proposed solutions should demonstrate compatibility with, or adaptability to, similar environments.

Indicative operating conditions:

• Electrolyte: 30% concentration;
• Temperature: ambient start-up conditions, increasing to approximately 40-50°C during operation depending on load and runtime;
• Pressure: atmospheric;
• Electrical input: variable operating profiles depending on test conditions.

Integration considerations:

• Ability to operate within, upstream of, or alongside an electrochemical system;
• Compatibility with conductive electrolyte environments;
• Tolerance to variable and impure wastewater-derived feedstocks;
• Robustness to fluctuating ion concentrations and mixed-species environments;
• Potential for modular integration into pilot-scale systems.

HydroStar welcomes solutions that can operate under these conditions, as well as those that may require minor adaptations to the system. Solutions that demonstrate flexibility, robustness and clear pathways to integration will be viewed favourably. Solutions that can leverage or integrate with the existing electrochemical environment of the electrolyser are of particular interest.

Operating conditions

Operate reliably on real wastewater feedstock, including municipal wastewater, agricultural effluents and industrial process water.

Feedstocks may contain a broad range of dissolved ions, suspended solids, organic matter and trace materials. Concentrations of target metals (e.g. magnesium, lithium, copper) are expected to be low to moderate (ranging from ug/L to g/L) and highly variable depending on source.

Solutions should therefore be robust to fluctuating compositions and mixed-species environments.

The application form for this challenge will require appliants to provide company information and answer 3 questions – Idea Summary, Technology Readiness and Intellectual Property – each with an answer limit of 300 words.

We recommend that you complete the application form in Google Chrome as other browsers may have compatibility issues. The application form does not need to be completed in one session and can be saved for future edits. Please ensure that you toggle “Stage Complete” for each section before submission. Note that you will no longer be able to edit your application once you have clicked “Submit Idea” at the bottom of the Summary page.