The initiative, launched by the Miami-Dade Innovation Authority (MDIA) in collaboration with the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD), will provide up to US$300,000 in funding to early-to-growth stage companies developing solutions for operational optimisation and circular resource recovery.

At least three companies will each receive US$100,000 to pilot and validate their technologies within Miami-Dade County’s water and sewer system. The challenge was developed in partnership with the Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resource Management and Florida International University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

The programme is focused on technologies that can recover value from wastewater byproducts, including fats, oils and grease (FOG), biogas and lime residuals, while also supporting predictive maintenance, workflow optimisation and infrastructure planning.

“Water is not only a universal public asset, it is essential to quality of life. Yet, its delivery infrastructure remains some of the least adaptive,” said Leigh-Ann Buchanan, president and CEO of MDIA. “The reality is that we can’t afford to wait decades for large-scale upgrades.”

WASD serves nearly 2.8 million residents and manages more than 14,000 miles of pipelines and over 1,000 pump stations. The utility is also progressing an US$8.9 billion capital improvement programme to modernise critical infrastructure.

Applications for the challenge close on 15 July 2026.