QBE AcceliCITY Humanitarian Challenge

Disasters are getting more intense, more frequent and more complex – but communities are adapting in real time, often without the tools they need.

The QBE AcceliCITY Humanitarian Challenge backs real-world solutions that help people prepare for, respond to and recover from climate-driven disasters.

In September 2025, we called out to global startups and entrepreneurs to bring forward ethical, scalable, tech-driven solutions that support disaster resilience – especially in communities facing the greatest risks.

This is a global challenge designed to meet local needs – and it’s grounded in community insight, not just innovation hype.

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for early-stage innovations that can respond to at least one of the following challenges facing communities in a changing climate:

Turn complex climate risk data into clear, local insights so people can understand what’s coming and act early

Make recovery simpler so people can get the right help after disaster without retelling their story or navigating a maze of services

Help communities respond faster, together so when needs change quickly, locals can step in and know who needs what, where and when.

Solutions don’t need to be perfect – just grounded in real needs, backed by a capable team and ready to grow.

Applications are now closed

Thank you to everyone who pitched their solution to the QBE AcceliCITY Humanitarian Challenge.

Selected teams will now move forward to co-create with the people their solutions are built for. Successful participants will:

• Accelerate with purpose through the AcceliCITY program and Humanitech Innovation Curriculum
• Strengthen their solutions with expert mentoring and feedback from frontline communities
• Pilot in real-world settings with support from the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, valued up to AUD $100,000 [winners only].

Whether or not a team wins, they gain exposure to real users, mentors who understand humanitarian complexity and a network of problem-solvers building for long-term impact.

Stay tuned for the announcement of the selected teams and follow their journey as ideas turn into community-ready solutions.

These capabilities rarely sit in the same room. This collaboration is uniquely placed to help startups overcome the real-world barriers to scale – from compliance and procurement to community trust and systems integration.

A different kind of innovation challenge

This is not your standard startup competition. It’s a partnership between:

Australian Red Cross and the Global Disaster Preparedness Center
Humanitarian insight and deep community ties

QBE Foundation
Global networks and risk expertise

Leading Cities
International reach and experience scaling civic innovation

Together, we’re creating a pathway to help early-stage solutions move fast, stay grounded and scale with impact.

Backed by results

Since 2018, the QBE AcceliCITY partnership has helped startups from over 70 countries raise more than $2.2B in capital and generate $1.5B in revenue.

In 2024, the Humanitarian Challenge attracted 90 global applicants. Winning startup WEO piloted its mapping technology in Dargo, Victoria – a town repeatedly hit by fires and floods – and is now exploring opportunities to scale across other high-risk communities.

This model – co-designed, locally piloted, globally supported – is already turning bold ideas into systems-shifting solutions.

Applications for this year’s Challenge closed on 30 September 2025. Over the coming months, selected teams will refine and test their solutions with communities, drawing on expert mentoring and real-world feedback.

The winning solutions will be announced in April 2026.

Be part of the story as it unfolds — subscribe for updates or follow us on LinkedIn to see how bold ideas grow into community-ready solutions.