What is the real per-recipient economic value?

$119 million prize purse; per-recipient maximum varies by track and round. Award minimum: not published. Dilution/equity: none.

Which jurisdictions and applicants are eligible?

Originally global team participation under the Competition Guidelines. The public page now describes qualified/semifinalist teams rather than an open new-team route.

Reliable and affordable seawater desalination; Energy efficiency and environmental sustainability; Performance proven under real-world or track-specific test conditions

What burden or follow-on should I expect?

High-burden technical submissions and real-world testing under track-specific rules; registration fees and other obligations are governed by the guidelines. Milestone and final awards within the competition, not renewable grant support.

XPRIZE Water Scarcity

$119 million prize purse; per-recipient maximum varies by track and round · XPRIZE / Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative

XPRIZE Water Scarcity is a prize programme from XPRIZE / Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative for Teams worldwide registered under the competition rules and developing reliable, affordable seawater-desalination systems Current status: closed; Five-year competition, 2024–2028; qualification deadlines passed and the competition is in semifinals. Award economics: $119 million prize purse; per-recipient maximum varies by track and round; dilution/equity: none.

Tier 1prizeglobalwaterclimate

Apply Official site Open in the live directory

Key facts

Funder	XPRIZE / Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative
Amount	$119 million prize purse; per-recipient maximum varies by track and round
Decision time	Qualification, semifinals and finals testing; Track-B winners are scheduled for Q4 2027 and Track-A winners for Q4 2028.
Eligibility	Originally global team participation under the Competition Guidelines. The public page now describes qualified/semifinalist teams rather than an open new-team route.
Restrictions	High-burden technical submissions and real-world testing under track-specific rules; registration fees and other obligations are governed by the guidelines. Dilution/equity: none.
Status	closed

Always confirm on the official page before applying — dates and terms change.

Application process

Register and select system-level or materials/methods track
Complete qualification testing
Advance to semifinals testing in Q4 2026
Complete track finals testing
Judges award milestone and final purses

Background

XPRIZE / Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative operates XPRIZE Water Scarcity. The official-source pass separates the currently actionable opportunity from historical cohorts and separates per-recipient value from headline program envelopes. XPRIZE announced 20 Track-A and 17 Track-B semifinalists in May 2026; Track-A semifinalists share $5m and Track-B up to $300k.

How the application really works

Register and select system-level or materials/methods track → Complete qualification testing → Advance to semifinals testing in Q4 2026 → Complete track finals testing → Judges award milestone and final purses

Tips

Demonstrate: Reliable and affordable seawater desalination
Demonstrate: Energy efficiency and environmental sustainability
Demonstrate: Performance proven under real-world or track-specific test conditions

Watch out for

Current status is closed; do not use an archived form.
Dilution/equity treatment: none.
High-burden technical submissions and real-world testing under track-specific rules; registration fees and other obligations are governed by the guidelines.

Track record

XPRIZE announced 20 Track-A and 17 Track-B semifinalists in May 2026; Track-A semifinalists share $5m and Track-B up to $300k.

143 teams qualified in 2025; 37 semifinalists were announced in 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is this opportunity actionable now?: closed. Five-year competition, 2024–2028; qualification deadlines passed and the competition is in semifinals.
What is the real per-recipient economic value?: $119 million prize purse; per-recipient maximum varies by track and round. Award minimum: not published. Dilution/equity: none.
Which jurisdictions and applicants are eligible?: Originally global team participation under the Competition Guidelines. The public page now describes qualified/semifinalist teams rather than an open new-team route.
How does selection work?: Register and select system-level or materials/methods track; Complete qualification testing; Advance to semifinals testing in Q4 2026; Complete track finals testing; Judges award milestone and final purses. Qualification, semifinals and finals testing; Track-B winners are scheduled for Q4 2027 and Track-A winners for Q4 2028.
What appears to win?: Reliable and affordable seawater desalination; Energy efficiency and environmental sustainability; Performance proven under real-world or track-specific test conditions
What burden or follow-on should I expect?: High-burden technical submissions and real-world testing under track-specific rules; registration fees and other obligations are governed by the guidelines. Milestone and final awards within the competition, not renewable grant support.

Sources

www.xprize.org/competitions/water — Official purse, active phases, track schedule and rules (checked 2026-08-10)
www.xprize.org/news/semifinalists-announced-xprize-water-scarcity — Official 2026 semifinalist counts and milestone awards (checked 2026-08-10)