The QBE AcceliCITY Humanitarian Challenge

Applications open 1 September 2025

Nominate A Company

Real solutions. Real impact. Ready to scale.

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.


We’re calling on 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 want early-stage innovations that can:

  • Make climate risk information accessible and locally relevant
  • Streamline access to recovery support in dignified, user-friendly ways
  • Surface community needs and activate local capacity during emergencies.
  • Solutions don’t need to be perfect – just grounded in real needs, backed by a capable team and ready to grow.


Why join this Challenge?

Pitch your idea – then co-create it with the people it’s built for.

  • Selected teams don’t just win – they build, test and scale where it matters most:
  • Accelerate with purpose through the AcceliCITY program and Humanitech Innovation Curriculum
  • Strengthen your solution with expert mentoring and feedback from frontline communities
  • Pilot in real-world settings with support from the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.


Whether you win or not, you’ll gain exposure to real users, mentors who understand humanitarian complexity, and a network of problem-solvers building for long-term impact.


A different kind of innovation challenge

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

  • Australian Red Cross – 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.


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.



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 128 global applicants. Winning startup WEO piloted its digital twin 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.


Get ready to apply

Applications open 1 September 2025, Close 30 September 2025


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Finalists will join a powerful global network and receive support to pilot in communities that need it most. This is your invitation to build for impact – not just innovation.

Nominate a Company

About QBE AcceliCITY Humanitarian Challenge

The QBE AcceliCITY Humanitarian Challenge is a unique cross-sector collaboration between Australian Red Cross, QBE Foundation and Leading Cities, focused on scaling community-led solutions for climate resilience since 2024.


The QBE AcceliCITY Humanitarian Challenge brings together capabilities rarely found in the same room:

  • Australian Red Cross provides deep humanitarian insight, trusted community relationships and real-world piloting environments
  • QBE offers commercial acumen and a growing network of global risk experts
  • Leading Cities educates and connects startups to a global pipeline and helps them navigate public systems to unlock scale.


Learn more: Joining forces for global climate solutions | Humanitech | Australian Red Cross