Water Industry Forum

What Water Industry Forum does

Water Industry Forum (WIF) is a UK-based, non-profit industry association established in 2009 and operating as a neutral, independent subsidiary of British Water. It is registered as Water Industry Forum Limited (company number 7511976, England and Wales), with its registered office at the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre, Huddersfield, and a London office at Vox Studios, SE11. Its stated purpose is to bring together water utilities, service providers, equipment manufacturers, academics, and young professionals to address cross-sector challenges facing the UK water sector through thought leadership and facilitated collaborative working.

The organisation delivers its mission through a portfolio of products and programmes rather than technology: three substantive forums (UK Forum for municipal and industrial markets, International Forum for cross-border contacts, and Technical Forum for technology developments), recurring events (WIF Annual Dinner, Water Profs Workshop & Dinner, Water Industry Forum Debate, webinars, seminars, roundtables), thought-leadership publications (WIF Blue Papers, case studies, briefings), competitions (WIF Team Challenge for Young Water Professionals), multimedia content (Beneath The Surface Podcast on diversity and inclusion; Thought Leadership Interviews), and resource tools (UK Water Innovation Map, Innovation Portal). A Supply Chain Task Force operates as a working group on procurement, innovation, and cyclicality. Topics are prioritised via member surveys and follow-up interviews, with outcomes disseminated to members through publications and briefings.

WIF's business model is subscription/recurring membership fees managed through British Water's membership infrastructure, with no publicly disclosed pricing. The entity employs 1-10 staff and serves UK water-sector organisations as its primary segment, with secondary segments covering water-sector professionals and academic/research personnel. Governance is structured to preserve neutrality and independence (Board Code of Conduct), and the organisation has no disclosed subsidiaries, funding rounds, M&A activity, or external investors; it operates entirely as a subsidiary of British Water.

Name

Water Industry Forum

Legal name

Water Industry Forum Limited

Website

https://waterindustryforum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Water Industry Forum is a UK non-profit subsidiary of British Water that convenes water utilities, service providers, manufacturers, researchers, and young professionals to tackle cross-sector challenges through forums, events, publications, podcasts, and working groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Association / Water Sector Trade Forum

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH)

Keywords

• Water industry association
• Industry collaboration forum
• Water sector thought leadership
• Membership convening body
• Cross-sector working groups

Headquarters

HQ city

Huddersfield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: As a subsidiary of British Water and membership organization, the Water Industry Forum generates revenue through membership fees from organizations across the UK water sector.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Water Industry Forum is a neutral, independent subsidiary of British Water that convenes the UK water sector to tackle cross-sector challenges through thought leadership and facilitated collaborative working. Its core offerings include structured forums (UK, International, Technical), industry events (annual dinner, debates, workshops, webinars), thought leadership publications (WIF Blue Papers), competitions (WIF Team Challenge for Young Water Professionals), podcasts, and resource tools (UK Water Innovation Map, Innovation Portal) — all delivered to members of British Water.

Product overview

Water Industry Forum operates as a neutral and independent subsidiary of British Water, providing a forum for the UK water sector that enables multiple stakeholders to come together to share ideas and develop solutions. The organization offers a portfolio of forums (UK Forum, International Forum, Technical Forum), events (WIF Annual Dinner, Water Profs Workshop, Debates, Webinars), publications (WIF Blue Papers), competitions (WIF Team Challenge), content series (Thought Leadership Interviews, Beneath The Surface Podcast), and resource tools (UK Water Innovation Map, Innovation Portal). The core offering is facilitated collaborative working and thought leadership to tackle cross-sector challenges facing the UK water sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UK Forum A structured forum focusing on the UK municipal and industrial water markets, providing a platform for stakeholders to engage on domestic water sector issues. Targeted at member organizations of British Water.
• International Forum A structured forum connecting water industry contacts around the world, facilitating international collaboration and knowledge sharing across borders. Targeted at British Water members seeking global connections.
• Technical Forum A structured forum exploring the latest technological developments in the water sector, enabling discussion of innovations and technical advancements among members.
• WIF Annual Dinner An annual networking event providing opportunities to connect with colleagues from across the UK water sector, build new connections, and gain insight from a high-profile keynote speaker in an informal, collaborative setting. Targeted at British Water members.
• Water Industry Forum Debate An online debate format where senior industry figures discuss and debate motions linked to current water sector challenges. Targeted at British Water members and broader water sector audience.
• WIF Team Challenge for Young Water Professionals An annual competition offering young professionals from different member organisations the opportunity to work in multi-stakeholder teams on a specific cross-sector challenge theme. Targeted at emerging water professionals from member organizations.
• Supply Chain Task Force A specialist working group that assesses and reports on key challenges facing the water sector supply chain in procurement, innovation, and cyclicality. Targeted at member organizations concerned with supply chain issues.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• British WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater Industry Forum operates as a neutral and independent subsidiary of British Water. The forum maintains robust governance arrangements to preserve its independence and neutrality while benefiting from the British Water network and infrastructure.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• International Water Association (IWA): Global network of water professionals spanning research, practice, and policy. Comparable in convening role and thought-leadership output but operates at much larger global scale and with a research-and-academic tilt.
• Water Environment Federation (WEF): Large US-based water quality and water resource professional association. Comparable as a sector convening body delivering publications, events, and member programs, though significantly larger and US-anchored.

Regional players

• Water Research Foundation: US-based water research foundation funding collaborative science for the water sector. Comparable in facilitating collaborative water-sector research and knowledge dissemination, though US-focused and predominantly utility-funded.
• Aqua Publica Europea: European federation of public water operators focused on the public management of water. Comparable as a water-sector membership association advocating for a specific stakeholder community, though EU-anchored and operator-focused.
• European Water Association (EWA): European-wide water-sector association promoting knowledge exchange across European water professionals. Comparable as a cross-border water convening body but operating regionally across Europe rather than focusing on the UK market.

Emerging players

• Global Water Intelligence: Subscription-based water-sector research and intelligence provider. Comparable in delivering paid insight to UK water-sector decision makers, but operates a commercial intelligence model rather than a neutral convening model.

Direct peers

• CIWEM (Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management): UK-based chartered professional body for water and environmental management professionals. Comparable as a UK water-sector membership organisation delivering events, publications, and thought leadership to a similar professional audience.
• Water UK: The principal UK water industry trade association representing all major water and wastewater service companies. Directly comparable as a UK-wide water-sector convening and policy voice, though operating with a utility-membership rather than supplier-membership base.

Others

• WaterAid: International non-profit focused on access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene in low-income countries. Tangentially comparable as a mission-driven water-sector organisation, but operating a development/charity model rather than an industry convening model.
• British Water: UK trade association for the water supply chain and the parent organisation of Water Industry Forum. Listed here as an adjacent entity rather than a true peer — WIF is in fact a subsidiary — but shares substantial brand, distribution, and membership infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WaterIForum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Water Industry Forum