FRANK Water
FRANK Water is a Bristol-based UK charity and social enterprise (founded 2005) that delivers WASH projects in India, Nepal, and Kenya, reaching 546,059 people across 789 communities, and funds this work through UK bottled water sales, refill services, donations, and corporate water-stewardship consultancy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersBristol, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What FRANK Water does
FRANK Water is a Bristol-based dual-entity organization comprising a registered charity (Frank Water Projects, charity no. 1121273) and a Community Interest Company (Frank Water CIC, company no. 05388346), founded in 2005 by Katie Alcott after she fell ill from drinking contaminated water while teaching in India. The organization implements WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) projects in 789 communities across India, Nepal, and Kenya, with a cumulative stated reach of 546,059 people since inception and 32,830 people supported in fiscal year 2023-24. Its core technical offerings include the WASH Basins Toolkit and WASH Connect mobile application (co-developed with Arup, PSI, and Samerth since 2017), remote sensors for biological and chemical contamination testing (developed with the University of the West of England, BOSE Institute India, and NERC through the Newton-Bhabha Fund), defluoridation research, and Water Security Plans co-created with communities and local authorities. The Frank Water Institute and the Water Dialogue Series (co-organized with CII-Triveni Water Institute and ACWADAM) extend the organization into knowledge exchange and water-stewardship convening in India and East Africa.
The business model is hybrid. The charitable arm raises funds through individual donations (one-off and monthly, framed at impact tiers of £10-£96+), corporate donations, grants from trusts and foundations, and fundraising events such as the Himalayan Trek for Safe Water. The social enterprise arm generates commercial revenue from glass-bottled spring water sales, refill services for festivals and hospitality venues (the "Drink me Save Lives" programme), office water coolers, and corporate consultancy services for water stewardship programme design (Beyond the Boundary / WASH Connect Platform). 100% of commercial enterprise profits are reinvested into charitable work. The organization employs 11-50 staff and is governed by trustees. Recent strategic priorities include expanding state-level government engagement in India, notably a three-year partnership with the Maharashtra Water Supply and Sanitation Department launched August 2025 alongside UNICEF India and ACWADAM, and growing corporate water-stewardship consulting.
FRANK Water firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FRANK Water
- Legal name
- Frank Water Projects & Frank Water CIC
- Website
- https://frankwater.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- FRANK Water is a Bristol-based UK charity and social enterprise (founded 2005) that delivers WASH projects in India, Nepal, and Kenya, reaching 546,059 people across 789 communities, and funds this work through UK bottled water sales, refill services, donations, and corporate water-stewardship consultancy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FRANK Water industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water and Sanitation (WASH) Services
- NAICS
- Bottled Water Manufacturing (312112), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131)
- SIC
- Water Supply (4941), Bottled & Canned Soft Drinks & Carbonated Waters (2086)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Solutions (BPAGALAI), WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) Organizations (HLAJAKAI), Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH), Private Label Bottled Water Manufacturing (AFAFACAI)
Keywords
Where FRANK Water is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bristol
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
FRANK Water business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Bottled Water Sales: Sale of glass bottled spring water in the UK. 100% of profits are invested into Frank Water's charitable work enabling those most in need to access clean, safe, sustainable water.
- Refill Services: Water refill services for events, festivals, conferences, and hospitality sector (restaurants). Provides waste-free alternatives to single-use plastic while generating revenue.
- Donations and Grants: Individual donations (one-off and monthly), corporate donations, event fundraising, and grants from trusts and foundations. Major UK fundraising source to support overseas projects.
- Corporate Consultancy Services: Consultancy services supporting brands and companies in developing and delivering overseas water stewardship programmes, managing water security risks in their supply chains using the WASH Connect Platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | One-off donation - £12 provides one person with safe water for life |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly donation - £10 teaches handwashing in primary schools |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
FRANK Water product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FRANK Water is a UK-registered charity and Community Interest Company (social enterprise) that funds and implements WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) projects in India, Nepal, and Kenya. The social enterprise arm generates revenue by selling glass bottled spring water and providing refill services for UK events and hospitality venues, with 100% of profits directed to charitable programmes. The organisation also develops water planning tools (WASH Basins Toolkit, WASH Connect app) and convenes expert dialogues through the Frank Water Institute.
Product overview
Frank Water operates as a dual-entity organization comprising a registered charity (Frank Water Charity/Projects) and a social enterprise (Frank Water CIC). The charity funds and implements WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) projects across India, Nepal, and Kenya, while the enterprise sells commercial products and services including Glass Bottled Spring Water, Water for Events refill services, Water for Hospitality solutions, and Frank Water Coolers—with 100% of enterprise profits funding the charitable work. Supporting these operations are technology platforms including the WASH Connect mobile application for community water assessments, the WASH Basins Toolkit for integrated water resource management, and the Frank Water Institute for knowledge exchange and stakeholder dialogue through the Water Dialogue Series. The organization also delivers Water Security Plans as a core service offering to help communities build climate resilience.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Frank Water Charity: The charitable arm that works overseas and in the UK providing communities with long-term access to water, sanitation and hygiene.
- Frank Water Enterprise
- Frank Water Institute
Products and services
- Glass Bottled Spring Water Spring water sold in recycled glass bottles through the Frank Water online shop, with 100% of profits invested in clean water, sanitation and hygiene projects in India and Nepal.
- Water for Events (Refill Services) Refill station services for UK festivals and outdoor events, providing a practical, waste-free alternative to single-use plastic bottles.
- Water for Hospitality Water hydration solutions for offices and hospitality venues, including refill services for restaurants under the 'Drink me Save Lives' programme.
- Frank Water Coolers Water cooler products for offices and commercial establishments providing sustainable hydration solutions.
- WASH Connect App and WASH Basins Toolkit A mobile app and collaborative toolkit that applies a six-stage process for assessing and planning community water supply projects, helping local government and NGO workers share water management techniques.
- Frank Water Institute A platform for dialogue, learning and collaboration focused on sustainable water resource management, WASH implementation, and climate resilience, supporting knowledge exchange between practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and development organisations.
- Water Security Plans Co-created plans developed with communities and local authorities that guide action on groundwater recharge, spring rejuvenation, and watershed management to secure water today while building climate resilience.
- Corporate Water Stewardship Consultancy Consultancy services supporting brands and companies in developing and delivering overseas water stewardship programmes, managing supply chain water security risks via the WASH Connect Platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- 546,059 people provided with clean water, toilets and hygiene since 2005
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use FRANK Water
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
FRANK Water technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
FRANK Water partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Water Supply and Sanitation Department (WSSD) - MaharashtracoreThree-year partnership launched August 2025 to advance climate-resilient water management across Maharashtra state. Government partnership for systems strengthening and sustainable water governance. Led by high-level workshop in Mumbai with UNICEF India and ACWADAM.
- Advanced Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (ACWADAM)coreTechnical partner in Water Dialogue Series, contributing hydrogeological expertise. Dr. Himanshu Kulkarni, Co-Founder and Former Director, moderates panel discussions on water stewardship and collective action. Provides expertise on source-based water stewardship strategies.
- ArupcoreStrategic partner providing annual donations and collaborative project execution. Since 2017, Arup has worked with Frank Water on the WASH Basins project, collaborating with PSI and Samerth NGOs to create the WASH Basins toolkit and award-winning WASH Connect app. Arup provides engineering expertise and co-develops methodologies for water security planning.
- Earth CubscoreCollaboration to develop engaging educational content focused on freshwater conservation for primary school students. Created videos and interactive lesson plans for Key Stage 1 and 2 children. Resources free and globally available, seen by 150,000+ children and used by 1,500+ teachers worldwide.
- XylemcoreGlobal water technology company contributing expertise in water systems and challenges. Partner in the Earth Cubs education collaboration providing technical perspective on water systems and sustainability for UK school resources.
- Confederation of Indian Industry - Triveni Water Institute (CII-TWI)coreCo-organiser of the Water Dialogue Series, a platform uniting stakeholders in water stewardship. Emerged from the Beyond the Boundary project implemented in watersheds across Bengaluru and Chennai. CII-TWI brings industry engagement and government connections to collective water action initiatives.
- H&M FoundationcoreFunding partner for collective action initiatives. Supports tribal access to water supply and promotion of sustainable water supply through integrated water resource management (IWRM) programmes.
- UNICEF IndiacoreCo-lead of August 2025 workshop in Mumbai with WSSD and Frank Water on climate-resilient water management in Maharashtra. UN agency bringing child-focused WASH expertise and government relationships.
- PSI (Population Services International)minorPartner in WASH Basins project since 2017, one of two forward-thinking NGOs in India collaborating on water management technique sharing for local government and NGO workers.
- SamerthminorPartner in WASH Basins project since 2017, one of two forward-thinking NGOs in India collaborating on water management technique sharing for local government and NGO workers.
- MinirigminorUK company that donates £35 from the sale of their custom Frank Water branded products, contributing to fundraising.
- ZubeminorStudent laundry and dry-cleaning service that collects donations for Frank Water, supporting fundraising efforts.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
FRANK Water competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- WaterAid: One of the largest UK-based international WASH NGOs, operating across similar geographies with comparable water, sanitation and hygiene programmes. Directly comparable as a charitable WASH peer, though significantly larger in scale, budget and brand recognition.
- Water.org: Founded by Gary White and Matt Damon, Water.org pioneers market-based WASH solutions including WaterCredit microfinance. Comparable in WASH mission and global developing-country focus, with a much larger endowment and more developed financial-product model.
- Highland Spring: UK's leading bottled water brand and direct commercial competitor to Frank Water's CIC bottled water line in hospitality and retail channels. Not a mission peer, but a comparable operational reference for UK glass-bottled water route-to-market.
Direct peers
- charity: water: US-based non-profit funding clean water projects in developing countries with a strong digital fundraising and donor-storytelling model. Highly comparable mission and beneficiary geography overlap, though charity: water focuses more on hardware delivery while Frank Water emphasises community-led Water Security Plans.
- Belu Water: UK social enterprise that bottles and distributes mineral water with 100% of profits donated to WaterAid. Closest direct peer to Frank Water's CIC arm — same UK premium bottled water + charity-funding model, though Belu partners rather than runs its own field programmes.
- One Water: UK-based social enterprise selling bottled water with profits funding clean water projects in Africa and Asia. Direct competitor in the 'bottled water funds charity' category and a useful benchmark for unit-economics and route-to-market in the UK.
- DigDeep Right to Water Project: US NGO working on WASH access, including domestic US tribal communities and international projects. Comparable community-led methodology and rights-based framing, though operating primarily in the Americas and West Africa.
Regional players
- WaterAid India: India country office of WaterAid, the dominant WASH presence in India. Operates in the same Indian geographies as Frank Water (Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Bengaluru) with overlapping community-based programming and government engagement.
Emerging players
- Wells Bring Hope: Smaller US-based NGO drilling wells in Niger and West Africa with community-driven sustainability models. Comparable in scale, mission and donor-funded WASH delivery, though geographically focused on a different region.
Others
- Engineers Without Borders UK: UK charity placing engineers in international development projects including WASH. Adjacent peer with overlapping partnerships (Arup, UWE) and similar Bristol/UK engineering-for-development ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
FRANK Water social profiles
Digital presenceFRANK Water compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
FRANK Water financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FRANK Water leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
FRANK Water funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FRANK Water M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about FRANK Water
What does FRANK Water do?
FRANK Water is a UK-registered charity and Community Interest Company (social enterprise) that funds and implements WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) projects in India, Nepal, and Kenya. The social enterprise arm generates revenue by selling glass bottled spring water and providing refill services for UK events and hospitality venues, with 100% of profits directed to charitable programmes. The organisation also develops water planning tools (WASH Basins Toolkit, WASH Connect app) and convenes expert dialogues through the Frank Water Institute.
Is FRANK Water a public or private company?
FRANK Water is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was FRANK Water founded?
FRANK Water was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is FRANK Water based?
FRANK Water is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does FRANK Water make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Bottled Water Sales are the primary driver. The others are refill Services, donations and Grants and corporate Consultancy Services.
Who are FRANK Water's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are WaterAid, Water.org and Highland Spring. Direct peers are charity: water, Belu Water, One Water and DigDeep Right to Water Project. WaterAid India is listed as a regional player. Wells Bring Hope is listed as an emerging player. Engineers Without Borders UK is listed as an others.
Does FRANK Water have an API?
No public API is recorded for FRANK Water.
What industry is FRANK Water in?
FRANK Water's product category is Water and Sanitation (WASH) Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGABAC, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH), with a secondary code of BPAGALAI, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Solutions. Its NAICS code is 312112 and its SIC code is 4941.