Live Calls for Proposals
Please note that this funding call is being issued in advance of formal confirmation of CREW’s Year 5 (FY2026–27) contract extension. Projects selected through this call are expected to be supported from the anticipated FY2026–27 budget; however, all awards remain subject to receipt of the final grant offer letter from Scottish Government. CREW will only issue formal award letters once funding has been confirmed.
Title: Assessing Future Socio-Economic Water Demand in Scotland: Drivers and Patterns
Type of project: Capacity Building Project
Overview: CREW invites proposals for a c.7.5 month Capacity Building project to provide a national assessment of future socio-economic demands on Scotland’s water resources, identifying key drivers and patterns.
Budget: Funding available £115,000 exclusive of VAT (where applicable).
Call dates: Tuesday 24th February – Tuesday 21st April, 15:00.
For more information and to read the full specification, please visit the project page: CRW2025_08 Assessing Future Socio-Economic Water Demand in Scotland: Drivers and Patterns | CREW | Scotland's Centre of Expertise for Waters
Title: Road Run-off Pollution: An evidence review of current and emerging risks to Scotland’s water environment, human health, and the policy and regulatory landscape
Type of project: Capacity Building Project
Overview: CREW invites proposals for a c.7.5-month Capacity Building project to develop a risk framework to assess the potential impacts of road run-off on Scotland’s water environment and human health.
Budget: Funding available £85,000 exclusive of VAT (where applicable).
Call dates: Tuesday 24th February – Wednesday 22nd April, 15:00.
For more information and to read the full specification, please visit the project page: CRW2025_04 Road Run-off Pollution: An evidence review of current and emerging risks to Scotland’s water environment, human health, and the policy and regulatory landscape | CREW | Scotland's Centre of Expertise for Waters
Title: Review of the impacts of short- and long-term hydrological drought, including intermittent flow recovery, on freshwater ecology in Scotland
Type of project: Capacity Building Project
Overview: CREW invites proposals for a c.9.5-month Capacity Building project to evaluate the impacts of hydrological drought and intermittent flow recovery on freshwater biota in Scottish river systems, and to assess whether current water scarcity policy provides adequate and practical environmental protection across different river typologies.
Budget: Funding available: £80,000 exclusive of VAT (where applicable).
Call dates: Thursday 5th February – Thursday 12th March, 15:00.
For more information and to read the full specification, please visit the project page.
Title: Source to sea risk and prioritisation – evidence and methods review
Type of project: Capacity Building Project
Overview: CREW invites proposals for a c.9.5-month Capacity Building project to deliver an evidence synthesis and review, a gap analysis, and a methodological review focused on land- and freshwater-based sources of pressures relevant to the sensitivities of key assets in marine and estuarine waters.
Budget: Funding available: £90,000 exclusive of VAT (where applicable).
Call dates: Thursday 5th February – Monday 9th March, 15:00.
For more information and to read the full specification, please visit the project page.
Pre-call announcements
Notice of anticipated upcoming CREW capacity-building project calls, subject to approval of final project specifications, budgets, and CREW’s FY2026–27 budget.
We currently anticipate issuing calls for proposals in one-two further tranches between mid-February and mid-March 2026. Subject to the approvals noted above, all CREW calls for projects to run in FY2026–27 (1st April 2026 – 31st March 2027) are expected to be advertised during this period, and all projects funded through these calls will be required to complete within FY2026–27.
Pre-call announcements – project working titles
- Increasing understanding of the environmental implications of utilising treated wastewater effluent in hydrogen production
Further details, including confirmed project titles, specifications, eligibility criteria, and submission deadlines, will be shared when the calls formally launch.
Additional projects may also be included, and any such opportunities will be shared through separate pre-call announcements.
GUIDANCE & DOCUMENTATION
- All feedback and queries related to CREW calls should be emailed to procurement@crew.ac.uk
- All non-confidential queries and answers will be published on this website.
- All applications should be submitted by email to procurement@crew.ac.uk before the deadline.
- CREW Funding Terms and Conditions have been provided to all eligible Higher Education Institutes and Research Institutes.