Results-based funding is a contracting approach that links payments to measurable service delivery outcomes. Uptime applies this model to support the ongoing operation, maintenance and water safety management of existing rural drinking water infrastructure.

In many rural communities, payments from water users are insufficient to cover the full cost of professional service delivery. Results-based contracts help close this funding gap through non-repayable grants, paid when agreed performance standards are achieved.

This creates financial incentives for service providers to maintain reliable and safe drinking water services while providing funders with clear evidence of the results achieved.

Further reading: Delivering Global Rural Water Services through Results-Based Contracts (2021)

Uptime designs and manages standardised results-based contracts with professional water service providers. These contracts link non-repayable grant funding to measurable performance, including service reliability, water volume, local revenue and water safety.

Service providers submit performance data quarterly, which Uptime validates against agreed standards and historical records. Payments are calculated based on qualifying results, with annual independent verification through data audits and site visits.

Funding is disbursed by the Uptime Catalyst Facility. This approach strengthens accountability, rewards service performance and provides a scalable model for financing rural drinking water services.

Further reading: The Data Dividend: Applying a Data Integrity Methodology to Deliver Better Value for Results-Based Funding (2025)

Uptime measures reliability by tracking the proportion of time that drinking water infrastructure is operational and available to users. Our standard results-based contracts set a reliability target of 96%, equivalent to no more than approximately 3.6 day of downtime per quarter.

Professional service providers record breakdowns, repairs and service interruptions through maintenance logs, digital platforms or monitoring systems. This information is reported quarterly and used to assess whether individual waterpoints or piped water schemes have met the agreed performance standards.

By linking payments to reliability, Uptime incentivises preventative maintenance and timely repairs, helping ensure that communities can consistently access drinking water.

Further reading: The Data Dividend (2025)

Uptime incorporates water safety into its results-based contracts through three key activities: assessment, reporting and management.

Service providers undertake regular sanitary inspections to identify contamination risks and conduct water quality testing, including for E. coli and selected chemical contaminants. Results are reported to relevant government authorities and community representatives.

Where contamination or other safety risks are identified, service providers are incentivised to take corrective action, such as chlorination, and conduct follow-up testing to confirm improvements.

This approach encourages proactive water safety management and continuous improvement, rather than relying on occasional water quality testing alone.

Further reading: Results-Based Funding for Safe Drinking Water Services (2023)

Uptime uses a data integrity methodology combining quarterly validation with annual independent verification to ensure that payments are based on credible service delivery results.

Each quarter, Uptime reviews all reported performance data, comparing submissions against historical records to identify errors, missing information and unusual results. Service providers must explain and resolve significant discrepancies before payments are approved.

Annual verification includes audits of supporting documentation, such as maintenance records, meter readings and financial transactions, alongside independent site visits and interviews with water users.

This approach strengthens accountability, improves the quality of performance data and gives funders confidence that their investments are delivering measurable results.

Further reading: The Data Dividend: Applying a Data Integrity Methodology to Deliver Better Value for Results-Based Funding (2025)

Rural drinking water services face significant financial challenges. Communities are often geographically dispersed, infrastructure is costly to maintain, and revenue collected from water users is frequently insufficient to cover the full costs of professional operation and maintenance.

Without sustainable financing, water infrastructure can remain broken for extended periods, leaving communities dependent on alternative water sources that may be unsafe or more expensive.

Results-based funding helps close this financial gap by providing ongoing support to professional service providers, linked to independently verified performance. This enables reliable maintenance and water safety management while demonstrating the value of long-term investment in rural drinking water services.

Further reading: Delivering Global Rural Water Services through Results-Based Contracts (2021)

Governments can scale results-based funding by integrating performance-based contracts into public financing for rural drinking water services. This enables a transition from short-term, project-based support towards sustainable, nationally funded operation and maintenance.

Uptime works with governments to develop standardised contracts that establish clear service delivery targets, independently verify results and link public funding to performance. These contracts can be introduced through district-level pilots, with evidence on service quality, costs and implementation informing wider adoption.

In Bangladesh and Zambia, Uptime is working with government partners to demonstrate how results-based funding can support professional water service delivery in schools and healthcare facilities, creating a practical pathway towards national scale.

Further reading: Uptime Global's 2026 Strategy | The SafePani Model in Bangladesh | SafeManzi in Zambia