European Union Water Operators' Partnerships Programme
The European Union Water Operators' Partnerships Programme, or EU-WOP, is funded by the European Union and managed by the GWOPA Secretariat at UN-Habitat.
Initiated in 2020, the first phase of the Programme is supporting 22 Water Operators’ Partnerships (WOPs) projects across Africa, Asia and Latin America until the end of 2025.
Extended until 2030 with €14 million of additional support from the European Union, a second phase, or EU-WOP 2, is currently calling for partnership proposals to be implemented between 2026 and 2030.
EU-WOP 2
Call for Proposals is open
A second phase of the EU-WOP Programme (EU-WOP 2), launched in 2024, will run until 2030. The new phase will support the development of 15-20 new Water Operators' Partnerships, while expanding or scaling up successful partnerships from Phase 1 for four more years.
EU-WOP 2 will continue to support utilities in developing, anchoring and applying capacity for sustainable performance improvements. The new phase will further emphasise the potential of digitalization, investment linking and human rights frameworks to leverage capacity improvements for sustainable services.
Utilities in eligible countries that are committed to making transformative improvements towards the SDGs and supporting their peer utilities are encouraged to seize the opportunity presented by the new phase of the programme.
The application portal is open for submission of proposals.
Details on the call, including the application process, eligibility criteria and list of eligible countries, are available in the call for applications package.
Call for Applications Package (English - French and Spanish versions to come soon)
Call for Applications Overview (English, French, Spanish)
Discover the EU-WOP 1 Projects
Why EU-WOP?
2.2 billion people cannot count on safe, clean water, available on premises whenever they need it, and 3.5 billion people lack sanitation systems that protect them from disease. Effective local water and sanitation service providers are key to ensuring this situation improves. Water Operators’ Partnerships (WOPs) have a proven track record of helping these service providers improve their operations, increase their efficiency and effectiveness, and make local progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6.
About the European Union WOP Programme
WOPs are peer support arrangements between two or more water operators, carried out on a not-for-profit basis. Through mentorship, WOPs aim to progressively strengthen beneficiary utilities’ capacity and performance on management, financial and technical levels to implement operational and organizational changes that lead to better and more sustainable services. Rather than substituting capacity, WOPs help local utility staff to make lasting improvements that continue well beyond the life of the partnership.
The EU-WOP Programme selects, funds and supports Water Operators' Partnerships projects. In selected partnerships identified through a competitive call for proposals, utility peers work together to improve their capacity and performance towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Each WOP project receives approximately €100,000 per year to engage in dedicated co-learning and capacity development activities.
Progress through Partnership: Key Achievements of EU-WOP Phase 1
Further Reading
Aqua Publica Europea: Water Operator Partnerships and solidartity. A global effort to realise the human right to water and sanitation (English)
