Keep up to Date with Pilot City
Sign up to follow Pilot City. We plan to email once per quarter—and only if we have something real to say.
Pitchfest:
Western Water
What is Pitchfest: western water?
Pitchfest: Western Water is an inaugural event co-hosted by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Met), whose mission is to provide its service area with adequate and reliable supplies of high-quality water to meet present and future needs in an environmentally and economically responsible way. The event is designed to connect local water agencies with university faculty to collaborate on applied research projects.
On [date], water agency staff are invited to give low-stakes, two-minute pitches on short-term, high-impact projects that could benefit from external expert support. After the event, the Pitchfest team works to “match” agencies with faculty—and we have up to [$] in funding available to support eligible matches and projects. If you are a water agency staff member or a university faculty member in Southern California, register to secure your spot at the event, in person or virtually. An agenda and full list of agency pitches will be published by [date].
What is the history of the Pitchfest?
U.S. cities are home to some of the world’s top research universities, but public agencies often do not have an easy way of tapping into that expertise. The Pitchfest aims to close that gap, harnessing the talent of local experts to help public agencies implement more effective and evidence-based programs and policies.
Pilot City has been supporting local partners in co-hosting versions of the Pitchfest since 2024. In total, more than 50 public agencies and more than 500 local experts have participated, and Pilot City has matched those experts to more than 50 projects. This is the first year of Pitchfest: Western Water.
The Met serves 26 public water agencies—cities, municipal water districts and one county water authority—that then deliver supplies directly or indirectly to nearly 19 million people in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties. By partnering with Pilot City, the Met can advance its mission of meeting present and future water needs by surfacing opportunities for collaboration with academic researchers.
How can I participate in the pitchfest?
Register here to attend Pitchfest: Western Water. The event is free and open to water agency staff and university faculty in Southern California. The event will be held on [date] in [venue] located at [address].
Water Agency Staff
If you are a staff member at a water agency in Southern California who would like to pitch a project, submit a pitch using the one-slide template here via email to [email] by [date]. You will receive confirmation by [date] that your pitch will be included in the event.
Please consult the template for examples of effective pitches. It is okay if your project is just in the idea phase: This is a bottom-up process intended to encourage staff to share in a low-risk environment. Pitching does not commit you to following through on the project.
University Faculty
Faculty at universities based in Southern California are encouraged to attend the event and explore collaborative opportunities with participating water agencies. Following the event, we will circulate an interest form where you can specify projects that align with your expertise and describe your relevant research background. Submissions will be reviewed by agency staff, who will initiate contact if there is a mutual interest in collaboration.
Once a match is made, faculty may work with their agency partners to apply for up to [$] in funding to support their shared project vision. For more information on how funding decisions are made, see the section below.
what types of projects are in-scope?
x
Project Categories
Is funding available for projects?
x
How does matchmaking work?
Staff at water agencies submit a pitch via email to [email] using the one-slide template.
An event agenda is published, including the full list of agency pitches.
Water agency staff and university faculty attend the Pitchfest event.
University faculty submit an online interest form to indicate interest in collaborating with a water agency on a specific project.
The Pitchfest team shares project-specific shortlists with agency staff for review.
Agency staff interview shortlisted faculty and then select “matches” based on mutual interest.
For projects requiring
Funding...
Agency-faculty matches jointly submit a project funding application.
Finalist agency-faculty matches present their project proposals to a judging panel.
Funding decisions are made, and agency-faculty matches are notified.
The Pitchfest team coordinates any project documentation that is required, and projects can begin.
For Projects not Requiring
funding...
The Pitchfest team coordinates any project documentation that is required, and projects can begin.
How are funding decisions made?
x
Each proposal is evaluated based on the degree to which it...
- x
- x
- x
What are examples of past projects?
Heading 1
Heading 2
Heading 3
Heading 4
Heading 5
Heading 6
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Block quote
Ordered list
- Item 1
- Item 2
- Item 3
Unordered list
- Item A
- Item B
- Item C
Bold text
Emphasis
Superscript
Subscript
Heading 1
Heading 2
Heading 3
Heading 4
Heading 5
Heading 6
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Block quote
Ordered list
- Item 1
- Item 2
- Item 3
Unordered list
- Item A
- Item B
- Item C
Bold text
Emphasis
Superscript
Subscript
Heading 1
Heading 2
Heading 3
Heading 4
Heading 5
Heading 6
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Block quote
Ordered list
- Item 1
- Item 2
- Item 3
Unordered list
- Item A
- Item B
- Item C
Bold text
Emphasis
Superscript
Subscript
Heading 1
Heading 2
Heading 3
Heading 4
Heading 5
Heading 6
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Block quote
Ordered list
- Item 1
- Item 2
- Item 3
Unordered list
- Item A
- Item B
- Item C
Bold text
Emphasis
Superscript
Subscript
Heading 1
Heading 2
Heading 3
Heading 4
Heading 5
Heading 6
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Block quote
Ordered list
- Item 1
- Item 2
- Item 3
Unordered list
- Item A
- Item B
- Item C
Bold text
Emphasis
Superscript
Subscript
Heading 1
Heading 2
Heading 3
Heading 4
Heading 5
Heading 6
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Block quote
Ordered list
- Item 1
- Item 2
- Item 3
Unordered list
- Item A
- Item B
- Item C
Bold text
Emphasis
Superscript
Subscript
Heading 1
Heading 2
Heading 3
Heading 4
Heading 5
Heading 6
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Block quote
Ordered list
- Item 1
- Item 2
- Item 3
Unordered list
- Item A
- Item B
- Item C
Bold text
Emphasis
Superscript
Subscript
Heading 1
Heading 2
Heading 3
Heading 4
Heading 5
Heading 6
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Block quote
Ordered list
- Item 1
- Item 2
- Item 3
Unordered list
- Item A
- Item B
- Item C
Bold text
Emphasis
Superscript
Subscript
Heading 1
Heading 2
Heading 3
Heading 4
Heading 5
Heading 6
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Block quote
Ordered list
- Item 1
- Item 2
- Item 3
Unordered list
- Item A
- Item B
- Item C
Bold text
Emphasis
Superscript
Subscript
What if I have more questions?
If you still have questions about Pitchfest: Western Water, please contact us at [email]. More information about the Pilot City program and its Pitchfest events can be found on Pilot City's home page here. Public agency staff may also schedule a 15-minute meeting with the Pitchfest team to ask any questions here.
Keep Up to Date with Pilot City
Sign up to follow Pilot City. We plan to email once per quarter—and only if we have something real to say.
CONTACT US
info@pilot.city
Pilot City: A program of
