How can you finance a water-saving or pollution-reduction project with the Agence de l'eau Loire-Bretagne?

Key points

The 12th programme covers 2025-2030. Three schemes listed in the database cover food transition favourable to water resources, water savings, and reducing pollution from economic activities. Grants are not automatic: the basin's boundaries, technical criteria, intervention rules and budget availability must all be checked.

What is the role of the Agence de l'eau Loire-Bretagne?

The Agency funds actions that contribute to good water status and sustainable resource management across the Loire-Bretagne basin. Its 12th intervention programme (2025-2030) provides a selective framework: projects must meet the programme's priorities and the conditions specific to each action sheet. The official page for businesses presents in particular the procedures for industrial operators, small businesses and craftspeople.

What business projects can be considered?

Projects can target reducing water needs, cutting existing withdrawals, rainwater harvesting, recycling process water, reducing polluting discharges, or studies and investments that promote food supply chains that are less damaging to water resources. Agricultural projects sometimes fall under dedicated action sheets and should not be confused with schemes aimed at non-agricultural economic activities.

Grant to accelerate water savings and reduce withdrawals

The database describes studies and works that reduce water needs or withdrawals, for example process adaptation, more water-efficient equipment, rainwater harvesting, recycling process water, or reusing treated wastewater. Collective outreach and communication actions may also be covered. The programme favours projects that are efficient in terms of water volume saved and may prioritise certain territories, in particular water allocation zones. Action sheet QUA_1 must be consulted to confirm expenses and applicable terms.

Controlling and reducing pollution from economic activities

The referenced scheme covers discharges from non-agricultural economic activities that could degrade water quality or affect sensitive uses. Depending on the applicable action sheet, operations may include preliminary studies, reducing discharges at source, treating micro-pollutants or macro-pollutants, and collective actions against diffuse emissions. The database mentions a minimum age of five years for supported sites; this criterion must be reconfirmed in the current version before any commercial communication.

Supporting supply chains and territories toward a food transition that benefits water resources

The scheme targets opportunity and feasibility studies as well as certain investments that promote production and markets favourable to water resources, as part of the Agency's territorial initiatives. The database states that large companies are not eligible. The territorial scope, the nature of the supply chains and the eligible investments must be validated with action sheet AGRI_4 and the Agency's departments.

Who can submit an application?

Beneficiaries vary by scheme: some are open to both public and private beneficiaries, while the discharge-reduction scheme targets non-agricultural economic activities. The food transition scheme excludes large companies according to the data currently referenced. Do not infer your eligibility from your sector of activity alone: check the size of your business, its location, the type of project and the technical criteria of the action sheet.

How do you prepare and submit an application?

1. Locate the project and check that it falls within the Loire-Bretagne basin. 2. Identify the action sheet corresponding to the need and read the general rules of the 12th programme. 3. Describe the initial situation, the impacts on water, the investments, and the expected savings or pollution reductions. 4. Confirm eligible expenses, rates/caps, state aid rules and the documents required. 5. Submit the application via the Rivage portal, used since January 2025 for applications under the 12th programme. As a precaution, do not start incurring expenses before confirming the commitment rules and the date from which they can be taken into account.

Amount and form of funding

All three entries in the database indicate a grant whose amount depends on the project. No single rate or cap should be announced for all these schemes: the conditions are specific to each action sheet and may depend on the beneficiary, the nature of the investment, EU rules and territorial priorities.

Frequently asked questions

Is the grant guaranteed? No. Submitting an application does not constitute an award decision. Can a business fund water-saving equipment? This can be considered under the relevant action sheet, subject to the criteria and the Agency's agreement. Are the rates the same for all projects? No, you need to read the action sheet's terms and the general rules. Where do you submit an application? The official website points to the Rivage online service for applications under the 12th programme. Can the grants be combined? Do not assume they can be combined: have the state aid rules and co-financing checked before submitting.

Official sources

• Grants for businesses — Agence de l'eau Loire-Bretagne
• 12th intervention programme 2025-2030 — Agence de l'eau Loire-Bretagne
• Grants, how it works — Agence de l'eau Loire-Bretagne
• Grant decisions — Agence de l'eau Loire-Bretagne
• Action sheet QUA_1 — reducing water needs and withdrawals — Agence de l'eau Loire-Bretagne
• Action sheet AGRI_4 — food transition favourable to water resources — Agence de l'eau Loire-Bretagne