SkillsAware selected as Semi-Finalist in the 2025 QBE AcceliCITY Humanitarian Challenge

SYDNEY, NSW – November 25, 2025 – SkillsAware, an Australian-based human-centred, AI-powered skills recognition platform, proudly announces its selection as a semi-finalist in the prestigious 2025 QBE AcceliCITY Humanitarian Challenge.

SkillsAware is one of only 30 global innovators – and one of just six Australian companies – chosen for their potential to help communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate-related disasters, which have increased fivefold globally since 1970.

The Challenge is delivered by Humanitech, an initiative of the Australian Red Cross, in partnership with QBE Insurance, Leading Cities, and the Global Disaster Preparedness Center (GDPC).

SkillsAware’s selection is a recognition of its potential to transform how communities leverage their collective human capital during crises. The platform uses an evidence-based approach and open standards to quickly identify and recognise the diverse skills within a community, volunteer pool, or workforce.

Yasmin King, Director and Co-Founder of SkillsAware, commented on the achievement: “We are incredibly proud to be recognised alongside such an impressive cohort of global innovators. Climate-driven disasters demand a new kind of response, and that starts with knowing the strengths we already possess.” Fellow Director and Co-Founder, Dan McFadyen continued: “Our platform empowers communities to gain a robust, real-time inventory of their human capital, ensuring ‘the right person, with the right skills for the right job’ can be deployed at scale, whether for immediate response or long-term recovery.”

SkillsAware’s solution directly addresses the Challenge category of Community-led Response and Recovery Access by focusing on two critical needs:

• Respond Faster, Together: The AI-powered platform provides depth, detail, and context into the skills present in a community. This dramatically reduces the time needed for leaders and responders to identify and mobilise individuals with specific, critical skills – from specialised trades to language proficiencies – making response efforts more coordinated and effective.

• Make Recovery Simpler: By maintaining an evidence-based “Skills IQ indicator” of diverse capabilities, individuals impacted by disaster can avoid the trauma of having to “retell their story” to multiple aid services. This streamlined process simplifies access to support and re-employment pathways, fostering a more dignified and equitable recovery.

As a semi-finalist, SkillsAware will participate in the six-month acceleration program, working alongside Australian Red Cross partners and communities facing severe climate risks like bushfires, floods, and heatwaves. This opportunity will allow SkillsAware to co-design and, if selected as a winner, pilot its solution in real-world, high-risk settings, aligning its impact metrics with the Australian Red Cross’s proven RediCommunities model.

Executive Director, Dr. Mark Keough added, “We believe that recognising every individual’s skills and lived experience is key to unlocking community opportunity and enhancing overall resilience. We look forward to collaborating with QBE, the Red Cross, and Leading Cities to validate and scale our impact in the humanitarian sector.”