Climate Resilience Challenge
The Climate Resilience Challenge is designed to support the most innovative youth-led (Founders aged 18-30) startups in Europe, the UK, Canada and the UAE that are building practical, inclusive responses to climate-related challenges.
€18,000 IN GRANT FUNDING AVAILABLE + FREE FOUNDER SUPPORT!
Supporting Resilience in Communities
Communities around the world are facing increasingly urgent threats from climate change and extreme weather events. Flooding, drought, extreme heat, food insecurity, and displacement are no longer distant risks – they are reshaping lives and livelihoods right now. Those already experiencing poverty and inequality are always hit hardest, and their capacity to recover the most limited.
Solutions that convert vulnerability into resilience must be developed at a local level, and led by those people closest to the problem. Local youth-led projects and startups are often best placed to respond, and this next generation of founders are already innovating alongside the communities that are feeling the pressure of climate change most – building practical solutions from the ground up.
Climate adaptation is the vital work of helping communities to anticipate change, absorb climate-related shocks, and reorganise around new realities.
Creating strong, resilient &
INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES
Social Shifters & THE QBE FOUNDATION are looking to support youth-led startups addressing climate resilience and adaptation challenges in communities in new ways. We are particularly interested in solutions that relate to:
We want to see fresh approaches to climate resilience and adaptation challenges in communities – solutions with long-term potential that place local people, in particular disadvantaged and marginalised groups, at their core. The most compelling entries will be able to demonstrate clear, measurable evidence of impact in their community already, alongside a feasible pathway to achieve broader reach.
2026 SUBMISSIONS OPEN!
WHY ME, WHY NOW?
1) GRANT FUNDING AWARDS
3 Grant funding awards are available in this challenge – €10,000, €5,000 and €3,000.
2) FREE FOUNDER SUPPORT
All 8 finalist founders will receive 1-2-1 support from a pitch coach and there is also the potential to progress within the QBE Foundation’s own entrepreneurial ecosystem of support!
3) YOUR OPPORTUNITIES GATEWAY
Your journey with us doesn’t end with the competition. As you progress, you’ll unlock incremental access to opportunities including paid work, fellowships, networking and learning experiences!
The Sustainable
Development Goals
To enter the Social Shifters Global Innovation Challenge your idea must contribute to at least one of the United Nations’s Sustainable Development Goals.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a “shared blueprint” for peace and prosperity for people and the planet.
SDG 13 focuses on the urgent action now needed to combat climate change and its impacts. You can find more information here on the UN’s SDG website.
Climate Action
MEET OUR
Former Challenge WINNER!
"After I graduated in 2021, with overwhelming encouragement from DeafBlind individuals, advocates, and paraprofessionals, I founded Tatum Robotics to develop assistive technology to aid the DeafBlind community."
SAMANTHA JOHNSON | 23 | USA
Samantha is empowering the DeafBlind community and envisions a world where DeafBlind individuals can access media, learn, and interact at their convenience.
Your 2026 Challenge Journey
From 18th May
Register Early & Access our Launch Event!
1ST JUNE
Submissions Open!
JULY
Get your submissions in!
31ST AUG
Submission Deadline 5pm UTC.
SEPT
Submission Scoring Begins
OCT
Submission Scoring Ends
OCT
Finalist Founder Announcements
OCT
Finalist Pitch Coaching Begins
NOV
FINALS! Pitching Begins
DEC
Winning Projects Announced
AM I ELIGIBLE?
THE QBE Foundation Climate Resilience Challenge is designed to give young impact founders a platform; providing project funding, connection to a global community of high performing young leaders, and exclusive exposure through some of the worlds biggest brands.
To be eligible for this program your social startup must be:
100% YOUTH-LED – Founders leading the startup or project must be between 18 and 30 years old at the time of submission and have clear decision making authority.
IMPACT FOCUSED – Startups must address a clearly defined social or environmental issue and must already be delivering measurable social outputs and impact.
The QBE Foundation’s vision is to create strong, resilient and inclusive communities. Enabling resilience is central to QBE’s purpose — and through the Foundation, that commitment is delivered directly in the communities where QBE operates.
The Foundation focuses on two areas where it believes it can have the greatest impact: climate resilience and inclusion. Its aim is to help communities reduce risk and build long-term resilience – working with strategic partners to back early-stage solutions that drive innovation in sustainability.
ABOUT SOCIAL SHIFTERS
We exist to support the next generation of leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs – young people everywhere taking action on the social and environmental issues that matter to them most.
We operate on a non-profit basis to provide unique learning experiences, guidance and grant funding for young impact founders.
Learn more about Social Shifters.
