SBA Awards The Water Council a $2.5 Million Mature Cluster Contract

Milwaukee, WI, Oct. 7, 2024 – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that The Water Council has been selected for a Regional Innovation Cluster Award of $2.5 million as it continues to build support for the water technology sector from its headquarters in Milwaukee, one of the world’s most mature water technology clusters.

Through this five-year award, The Water Council will increase support for U.S. businesses at various stages, from early-stage startups to established small and medium-sized enterprises working in the water technology solution industry. This includes enhanced offerings in The Water Council’s BREW 2.0 Post-Accelerator for late-stage startups; matchmaking and training; customized support and resources for small business and foreign direct investment (FDI) prospects; capacity-building; and access to new market resources.

“Never has there been a time in recent history that water is a more important topic or threat,” said Scott Beightol, The Water Council chairman. “The companies, startups and scale-ups we are working with today are the problem solvers for these pressing issues.”

The Water Council received an inaugural Regional Innovation Cluster Award in 2014 that allowed it to create a Water Technology Center of Excellence in Milwaukee for small businesses. This new award recognizes Milwaukee as a mature cluster and will help increase support for water technology startups, established small businesses, overseas companies looking to locate in the U.S., and minority- and women-owned businesses.

“From our Fresh Coasts to thousands of inland lakes, water is central to the Wisconsin way of life,” said Sen. Tammy Baldwin. “I’m proud to support The Water Council and fought hard to bring this funding home to give our small businesses and entrepreneurs more opportunities to innovate, grow our economy, and keep our waters clean and safe for generations to come.”

“Milwaukee is renowned as a World Water Hub with a concentration of businesses and research related to freshwater technology,” said Rep. Gwen Moore of Wisconsin’s Fourth District. “The need for that technology is only growing as the nation looks to strengthen its water infrastructure and corporations recognize their responsibility to be good water stewards. The Water Council puts small businesses in the best position to serve those larger entities, helping create jobs and drive water innovation in Milwaukee and around the world.”

Assisting in this work will be partners and subcontractors including the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Cimbria Consulting, Fresh Coast Climate Solutions, CIS (Corvias Infrastructure Solutions) and more.

“Now is the time to take The Water Council’s work with water and resiliency businesses to the next level,” said Karen Frost, The Water Council vice president of economic development and innovation. “With our demonstrated success and partnerships with industry, government, academia and NGOs, The Water Council has set its sight on expanding our impact for water tech and resiliency businesses in Wisconsin, nationally and globally.”

About The Water Council
The Water Council (TWC) is a global hub dedicated to solving critical water challenges by driving innovation in freshwater technology and advancing water stewardship. Built on more than a century of innovation, TWC has coalesced one of the most concentrated and mature water technology clusters in the world from its headquarters at the Global Water Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Recognizing the need for smarter and more sustainable use of water worldwide, TWC also promotes water stewardship as a natural complement to water innovation in the effort to preserve freshwater resources in the Midwest and around the world. Today, The Water Council has established itself as a global leader in the water industry and one of America’s premier economic development clusters as recognized by government agencies, Brookings and the Harvard Business School.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.