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What is the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge?
The QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge is a six-month global accelerator that helps resilience-focused startups move from promising innovation to real-world deployment. Powered by Leading Cities and the QBE Foundation, it gives high-impact entrepreneurs access to non-dilutive funding, PPP Readiness certification, expert mentorship, and structured pathways toward pilot implementation with communities.
This is more than a pitch competition. It is a deployment pathway built to help solutions navigate government systems, build credibility with city leaders, and move closer to real-world adoption
Innovators move fast. Cities move carefully.
Many resilience solutions are ready for deployment, but real-world traction takes more than a strong product. Founders need validation, municipal partnerships, and credible case studies, yet access to city leaders is slow and procurement is complex. Too often, strong solutions stall between innovation and implementation.
The QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge is designed to close that gap.
Benefits of AcceliCITY
The Resilience Challenge helps build credibility with public-sector leaders through direct city engagement and a weekly virtual curriculum that leads to PPP Readiness certification. By completing the program, your team demonstrates that it understands how to work within real municipal constraints, strengthening trust with cities evaluating your solution.
All Resilience Challenge participants are invited to monthly virtual City Solutions Forums, where municipal leaders share active priorities and seek aligned innovations. These sessions create direct opportunities to connect with city leaders and open conversations that can lead to partnerships, pilots, and next-step discussions.
Through weekly virtual sessions, founders gain direct access to global experts and city leaders, with live Q&A built into every class. The Top 50 companies are matched with one-on-one mentors for tailored feedback on strategy, positioning, and pilot design. This is not passive learning. It is structured access to people who have helped fund, deploy, and scale solutions in real communities.
A Prize Pool of $175,000 USD
IN NON-DILLUTIVE FUNDING
The QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge awards a total prize pool of $175,000 USD in non-dilutive funding to accelerate high-impact resilience solutions.
At the center of this is the $100,000 Grand Prize, designed to move beyond recognition and into implementation. The Grand Prize winner is required to allocate a portion of the award toward deploying a real-world pilot project in a community following the program.
Additional prize awards will be distributed from the remaining pool to recognize standout solutions across key resilience themes.
The Grand Prize
$100,000 USD
• $100,000 USD in non-dilutive funding
• Allocation toward a live community pilot deployment
• Post-award support to structure and launch the pilot
• Continued visibility through Leading Cities’ global network
The Grand Prize is awarded to the solution that demonstrates the strongest potential for scalable, real-world impact. The goal is clear: this funding helps move your solution into implementation.
Additional Prizes
The remaining prize pool is distributed among standout finalists who demonstrate exceptional innovation, impact potential, and commitment throughout the program. Winners also receive visibility across QBE, Leading Cities, and a global network of city leaders, partners, and industry stakeholders.
Our Impact
QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge Impact Data since 2020
630+
Solutions vetted
Over 630 solutions have gone through the AcceliCITY program since 2018
70+
Countries represented
Applicants to the Resilience Challenge have spanned over 70 countries
Top 5
GovTech Accelerator
The Resilience Challenge has been recognized as one of the world’s Top 5 GovTech accelerators.
+70
Net Promoter Score
With a Net Promoter Score above +70, the Resilience Challenge delivers a world-class participant experience.
Program Timeline
The QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge runs from June through November. Discover each of the phases of the Challenge
Timeline
April 1 - April 30th
Phase 1: Applications Open
Each April, applications open to resilience-focused innovators from around the world. Over the course of one month, startups submit their solutions for consideration, outlining their impact, business model, and deployment readiness. This is your opportunity to position your solution on a global stage and be evaluated by leaders across the smart and resilient city ecosystem.
Timeline
May 15th - May 31st
Phase 2: Top 100 Selection
The Top 100 selected solutions are invited to join the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge and have two weeks to accept their place before it is offered to the next innovator in line.
Timeline
June 1 - June 30th
Phase 3: Orientation
The Top 100 solutions begin the program with a live virtual orientation introducing how to leverage Leading Cities, our platform, and our global city network. The weekly virtual curriculum sessions are broadly focused and meant to set expectations and outline the PPP Readiness pathway.
Timeline
July - November
Phase 4: Program Curriculum
All Top 100 solutions participate in the fully virtual curriculum. Each week, a short pre-recorded expert session (~15 minutes) is shared in advance, and the live one-hour class is dedicated to open Q&A with that week’s featured expert.
Every Top 100 solutions retains full access to the curriculum, regardless of advancement status, ensuring equal opportunity to earn PPP Readiness certification and build long-term capacity.
Timeline
September 7th - 9th
Phase 5: Smart-Up Week
The Top 50 solutions are selected to participate in Smart-Up Week.
During this week, each Top 50 solution participates in three one-on-one virtual meetings with global experts, city leaders, and industry partners. These sessions are designed to provide direct feedback, refine deployment strategy, and strengthen the proposed pilot. Mentors also serve as evaluators, helping determine which solutions advance to the Top 10.
Timeline
October 5th - 9th
Phase 6: Bootcamp + Final Pitch Event
The Top 10 innovators are selected to participate in a week-long virtual Bootcamp, designed to sharpen their deployment strategy, refine their pilot plan, and strengthen their final pitch.
The week culminates in a live virtual Final Pitch Event, where the Top 10 present their solutions to a panel of global experts from cities, industry, and the resilience ecosystem. Past experts have included representatives from the Clinton Global Initiative, the World Economic Forum, and the UN.
Timeline
November
Phase 7: Final Event
The QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge culminates in a final event in November. The Grand Prize Winner is announced and celebrated in a public event, and specialty prizes are awarded.
The final event allows finalists to gain global visibility, direct exposure to city leaders and industry experts, and formal recognition within the resilience ecosystem.
Timeline
December - June
Phase 8: Ongoing Support & Certification
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After the final event, participants continue engaging through LaunchPad 11 and the extended Leading Cities Academy curriculum at no cost.
Participants retain access to monthly programming, City Solutions Forums, curated introductions, and deployment opportunities. Curriculum sessions remain available until the following June, and participants can continue completing coursework toward PPP Readiness certification.
Who Should Apply?
If Your Solution
Strengthens communities, infrastructure, or the environment.
If You're Looking For
Funding, mentorship, and connections to global city leaders
If You Want To Create
Real-world
impact with your
solution
Hear From Resilience Challenge Alumni
Curriculum Built For Deployment
The QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge curriculum is part of the broader Leading Cities Academy, a professional certification platform designed to prepare innovators to work successfully within public-sector markets.
From July through November, the Top 100 solutions participate in weekly virtual sessions focused on practical, real-world application. Each month builds on the last — moving founders from understanding how cities operate to becoming deployment-ready partners.
Participants who continue engaging beyond the competition can extend their learning through June of the following year at no cost, advancing through structured certification milestones inside the Leading Cities Academy.
Working with
Cities
July focuses on how to successfully navigate city systems — securing internal champions, designing scalable pilots, and understanding procurement so your solution can move from conversation to implementation. Classes: 1. Blueprints for Impact: Crafting Scalable Pilot Projects 2. Inside Influence: Securing Your City Champion 3. Urban Allies: Winning Over City Hall 4. The Public Sector Playbook: Navigating Procurement with Precision
Accessing New
Markets
August focuses on how to strategically enter and expand into new markets by understanding city leadership dynamics, refining your market research, building B2B bridges, and unlocking national-level funding pathways. Classes: 1. B2B Bridge-Building: Navigating the Valley of Opportunity 2. Navigating the Noise: Effective Market Research Techniques 3. Funding Futures: Tapping Into National Governments / National Spending 4. Global Growth Gateway: Strategies for International Expansion
Investor
Readiness
September focuses on preparing your company to attract and align with the right investors — sharpening your venture narrative, understanding different capital sources, and positioning your solution for long-term financial growth. Classes: 1. Venture Ready: Sharpening Your VC Appeal 2. Behavioral Science: Understanding Cities, Citizens, and Investors 3. Investor Insights: Attracting Smart City Financiers 4. Beyond the Dollars: Leveraging Corporate VC Synergies
Leadership
Fundamentals
October focuses on strengthening your leadership capacity — building resilience, embracing agile principles, and fostering inclusive team cultures that can sustain growth in complex public sector environments. Classes: 1. Leadership Agility: Mastering Startup Resilience 2. Embracing Lean and Agile Principles 3. DEI Dynamics: Cultivating Inclusion in the Startup Ecosystem
Business
Operations
November focuses on strengthening your internal foundation — refining product strategy, innovating your business model, and building the financial discipline necessary to scale sustainably. Classes: 1. Blueprints for Brilliance: Product Strategy Essentials 2. Business Model Innovation: Pathways to Profit 3. Financial Foundations: Keys for Successful Startups
Navigating Politics
and Economies
December focuses on understanding the broader political, economic, and regulatory environment that shapes public sector work — helping you position your company strategically within U.S. markets and government procurement systems. Classes: 1. Government Procurement: Opportunities and Contracting Strategies for Small Business 2. Thriving in the U.S. Market: Location, Policy, Capital & Culture
Securing Clients
and Advocacy
January focuses on how to strategically build trust, credibility, and influence within city government so you can secure contracts and long-term municipal relationships. Classes: 1. Advocacy Techniques: Working with City Government Officials 2. Building and Maintaining Relationships with Government Stakeholders
Evaluating
Project Impact
February focuses on how to design measurable projects, track meaningful data, and use impact evidence to build credibility, improve performance, and scale within the public sector. Classes: 1. Monitoring and Evaluating Project Impact 2. Setting Measurable Goals and Objectives for Public Projects 3. How Impact Data Can Help You Scale, Adapt, and Earn Trust
Government Partnerships
March focuses on how to position yourself as a true public partner rather than just a vendor, navigating political realities while building collaborative, impact-driven relationships with cities. Classes: 1. Partner vs Vendor Relations 2. Glocal Challenges: Urban Heat Resilience 3. Building Inclusive Innovation through Public-Private Collaboration
Leveraging
the Media
April focuses on how to strategically use traditional media, video storytelling, and live events to elevate your visibility, strengthen credibility, and accelerate growth in the public sector market. Classes: 1. Harnessing Traditional Media 2. The Power of Video 3. Leveraging B2B Events for Start-Ups
Ethics & Inclusivity
in Smart Cities
May focuses on how to embed ethics, equity, and community-centered design into your technology so your solution builds trust, avoids unintended harm, and delivers inclusive impact at scale. Classes: 1. Ensuring Inclusivity in Smart City Projects 2. Ethical Considerations in Technology Deployment 3. Community Focused Smart City Solutions
Financing Projects
with Cities
June focuses on how to structure, fund, and finance smart city projects — helping you understand public funding mechanisms, public-private partnerships, and investor strategies so you can move from pilot to sustainable deployment. Classes: 1. Project Financing 101 2. Public Private Partnerships in the Smart City 3. Smart City Investment Strategies
Join the Resilience Challenge From Anywhere in the World
To make AcceliCITY accessible to innovators worldwide, the program runs in two regional divisions. Each division accepts 50 startups, allowing 100 high-impact entrepreneurs to access the same programming, mentorship, and opportunities at times that work for their region.
Regardless of division, all participants go through the same curriculum, engage with expert mentors, and gain access to city leaders and industry networks. This structure reduces time zone barriers while supporting global participation.
"West Division"
June - November
Live virtual sessions happen every Tuesday from 10 AM - 11 AM EST (UTC -5)
Regions best suited for this timezone: North America, South America, Europe and West Africa
"East Division"
June - November
Live virtual sessions happen every Tuesday from 1 PM - 2 PM AEDT (UTC +11)
Regions best suited for this timezone: Asia, Australia & Oceania, Middle East and East Africa
Our Partner
QBE is an international insurer and reinsurer with a local presence in 26 countries. Founded in 1886, by two entrepreneurs who started a marine insurance company in Townsville, Australia to give early pioneers a safeguard against uncertainty. Since then, QBE has grown and evolved offering commercial, personal and specialty products and risk management solutions to help people and business manage risks, build strength and embrace change to their advantage.
QBE's purpose is to enable a more resilient future. That's why QBE is excited to be partnering with Leading Cities to run the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge.
Visit them at www.qbe.com to find out more about how they can help businesses like yours.
About
The Partnership
The world is rich with innovation. What is often missing are the conditions for adoption: trusted validation, reduced early risk, decision-useful evidence, and aligned capital pathways. QBE AcceliCITY exists to build those conditions — creating value for communities, implementing organisations, and partners.
Rather than functioning as a traditional accelerator or funding program, the partnership acts as a system for scale. It aligns expertise, networks, capital, and governance to ensure that solutions do not stall after testing, but instead progress toward adoption and replication.
Our Innovation Pathway
AcceliCITY is the sourcing and readiness engine within Leading Cities’ broader ecosystem.
Alumni continue through:
Frequently Asked Questions
The QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge is a global innovation competition within the AcceliCITY accelerator program. It identifies and supports startups developing solutions that help communities prepare for, withstand, and recover from climate risks, infrastructure disruptions, and other resilience challenges. Selected innovators gain access to training, mentorship, global visibility, and the opportunity to compete for prize funding and pilot deployments.
The Resilience Challenge is designed for, but not exclusivly for, entrepreneurs, startups, and technology providers developing solutions that help communities better prepare for, withstand, and recover from climate risks and infrastructure disruptions. This includes innovations focused on areas such as climate resilience, environmental protection, water management, infrastructure modernization, emergency preparedness, public safety, and sustainable urban systems.
Applicants typically include startups that are interested in working with governments and public-sector partners, piloting their solutions in real-world environments, and scaling technologies that strengthen community resilience. The program is especially valuable for innovators who are looking to refine their business strategy for the public sector, build relationships with city leaders and industry partners, and demonstrate the real-world impact of their solutions.
No. Thanks to support from QBE, there is no cost to apply to the Resilience Challenge.
Yes. The QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge is open to innovators from anywhere in the world. To support global participation, the program operates with two divisions (East and West) that offer different curriculum schedules based on time zones. You can indicate which division you'd like to apply to within the application itself.
Solutions at many stages can apply, but companies that are pilot-ready or approaching pilot readiness tend to benefit the most. The program is designed to help startups refine their technology, strengthen their business strategy, and prepare for deployment with cities and partners.
Applications are reviewed by members of Leading Cities’ global network of experts. Each submission is independently evaluated by multiple judges based on factors such as the impact of the solution, the importance of the problem being addressed, the innovation behind the technology, and the strength of the business model and market opportunity.
Applications close on April 30th, 2026. The evaluation period occurs within the first two weeks of May. Participants should hear if they've been selected for the Top 200 by mid May. Program orientation starts June 2nd.
Participants partake in the Public Private Partnership Readiness certification program, a web-based curriculum designed to help innovators successfully bring their solutions into the public sector. Sessions cover topics such as doing business with municipalities, navigating public procurement processes, building strategic partnerships, fundraising, business development, and refining investor and pitch materials. The curriculum is led by global experts from industry, academia, government, and the smart city ecosystem, and participants also have opportunities to engage in mentoring sessions and receive personalized feedback to help strengthen their business strategy, partnerships, and market approach.
The curriculum delivered during the program is part of the broader Leading Cities Academy (LCA), a certified training program focused on helping innovators become more effective partners to cities. Through this curriculum, participants gain practical insights into how to position their solutions for government adoption and long-term deployment.
In addition, all program participants receive one year of complimentary access to LaunchPad 11, Leading Cities’ virtual innovation ecosystem. LaunchPad 11 connects innovators with city leaders, investors, and fellow solution providers through virtual networking events, City Solutions Forums, office hours with experts, and other engagement opportunities designed to foster collaboration and accelerate real-world deployment.
Finalists compete for significant recognition and prizes, including a $100,000 grand prize and an additional prize pool of $75,000 USD. Leading Cities does not take equity. Beyond prize funding, participants gain exposure to city leaders, investors, and ecosystem partners who can help accelerate real-world deployment.
No. Leading Cities does not take equity from applicants or winners. AcceliCITY is designed to support innovators and help accelerate the deployment of impactful solutions without requiring ownership in participating companies.
Importantly, the grand prize is designed not only to support the winning company, but also to help advance real-world impact. The $100,000 winner is expected to mobilize at least a portion of the prize funding toward activating a pilot project with a community of their choice. This pilot is typically implemented through AcceliGOV, Leading Cities’ municipal deployment platform, which helps connect cities with vetted solutions and coordinate real-world implementations. This structure ensures that winning innovations move beyond the competition itself and into practical deployment where communities can directly benefit.
All AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge participants receive complimentary membership to LaunchPad 11 through June 2027, Leading Cities’ global innovation platform. Through LaunchPad 11, alumni can connect with other innovators, participate in networking sessions, meet potential city clients, and attend virtual events designed to support real-world deployment opportunities.
Alumni also gain full access to the PPP Readiness curriculum at no cost. This certified program helps entrepreneurs better understand how to work with governments, navigate procurement processes, and position their solutions for successful public-sector partnerships.
In addition, participants continue to receive opportunities shared through the Leading Cities network, including introductions to partners, invitations to ecosystem events, and relevant funding or pilot opportunities.
The goal is to ensure that founders remain connected to a growing global ecosystem focused on helping innovative solutions scale and deploy in cities and communities worldwide.