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$175,000 pledged to scale urban resilience solutions globally
The QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge offers $175,000 in equity-free funding, expert mentorship as well as pathways to pilot deployment with cities.
At a glance
Who: Leading Cities; QBE Insurance.
What: Applications are open for the 2026 QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge, a six-month accelerator programme that offers $175,000 in equity-free funding, expert mentorship, public private partnership (PPP) Readiness Certification, and pathways to pilot deployment with cities.
Why: To advance solutions that help communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate and resilience threats.
When: Applications are open through 30 April 2026.
Leading Cities and QBE Insurance have announced that applications are open for the 2026 QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge for startups advancing solutions that help communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate and resilience threats.
The six-month accelerator programme offers $175,000 in equity-free funding, expert mentorship, public private partnership (PPP) Readiness Certification, and pathways to pilot deployment with cities. Applications are open through 30 April 2026.
Impactful resilience solutions
The QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge was created to help meet the wave of devastating climate events around the world by equipping innovators with the funding, guidance, and public-sector access needed to bring impactful resilience solutions into communities around the world.
A flagship programme of the global non-profit Leading Cities, delivered in partnership with QBE Insurance, the challenge is now in its eighth year and continues to attract strong global interest, drawing 822 applications from 71 countries last year.
“The programme provides a powerful platform to help turn bold ideas into innovative solutions that help build more resilient communities”
“Cities need solutions they can trust, scale, and implement in the real world,” said Michael Lake, president and CEO of Leading Cities. “The QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge helps founders move beyond the pitch stage by giving them funding, practical guidance, and a clearer pathway to working with cities. That is how innovation reaches communities faster.”
The selected participants receive:
- PPP Readiness Certification, a trusted B2G credential recognised by city procurement teams
- Six months of mentorship from experts across government, industry, and investment
- Direct engagement with city leaders across a network of more than 16,000 cities
- Pathways to visibility through networks and platforms that include the World Economic Forum, Clinton Global Initiative, and Earthshot Prize.
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The Top 10 solutions gain access to:
- An opportunity to share in $175,000 in total equity-free funding, including a $100,000 Grand Prize for a city pilot project
- A week-long virtual bootcamp focused on refining solutions, strengthening go-to-market strategies, and preparing for deployment with communities.
“Through the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge we continue to support entrepreneurs tackling complex challenges facing cities worldwide,” said Chris Castaldo, chief financial officer at QBE North America and QBE AcceliCITY executive sponsor. “The programme provides a powerful platform to help turn bold ideas into innovative solutions that help build more resilient communities.”
The challenge is open to early- to mid-stage startups, social enterprises, nonprofits, and mission-driven teams from anywhere in the world developing solutions that help strengthen community resilience.
“The challenge helps founders move beyond the pitch stage by giving them funding, practical guidance, and a clearer pathway to working with cities. That is how innovation reaches communities faster”
Relevant topics include flood risk, wildfire, extreme heat, infrastructure, community preparedness, property risk. Applicants should be ready to engage with governments and public systems and to advance from innovation toward real-world deployment.
Applications are open through 30 April 2026. For more detail register for one or more of the information sessions that will be held on Tuesday, 14 April and Tuesday, 28 April. Apply now at www.AcceliCITY.com.
Leading Cities seeks to bridge the gap between innovation and implementation, helping municipalities and innovators overcome the procurement, regulatory, and scaling barriers that stall the adoption of scalable solutions.
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How can PPP Readiness Certification accelerate city procurement for resilience pilots?How does equity-free funding influence startup deployment timelines in cities?How can mentorship improve startups' PPP engagement and pilot scalability?Which measurable resilience outcomes should city pilots prioritize for climate threats?How can startups demonstrate readiness to integrate with municipal infrastructure systems?climate actionClimate change/ResilienceEnergy & EnvironmentGovernance and CitizenPeople and Skillsresilience
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