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Macquarie Community Resilience Prize

The Macquarie Community Resilience Prize, powered by MIT Solve, seeks to support innovative programs that build resilient communities while creating meaningful employment and skill-building opportunities across communities globally.

The Prize targets technology-enabled programs to support sectors such as energy and grid resilience, water resource management, agriculture and food systems, infrastructure protection, disaster preparedness and avoidance, and other areas that promote community resilience.

Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the Macquarie Community Resilience Prize, awarded a total of $US1 million ($A1.38 million1).

Across Australia, the Pacific Islands and Brazil, these six winning organisations demonstrate what community resilience looks like in action, showcasing innovative, community-led programs to climate resilience, from clean energy access to sustainable agriculture and disaster preparedness. They focus on building local skills, creating jobs, and empowering communities to drive long-term impact.

Each winner will receive funding, along with a dedicated support program including access to workshops, coaching, in-kind resources and mentorship by Macquarie employees.

Action Aid Australia
Women-led Off-Grid solar in Vanuatu

Selected for its integrated approach to climate resilience and empowering women in Vanuatu to lead clean energy adoption while building sustainable livelihoods and strengthening community infrastructure.


Citizens of the Reef
Reef Census Skills Training in Australia

Recognised for its innovative use of artificial intelligence and community-led monitoring to protect the Great Barrier Reef, while training young First Nations people in environmental stewardship and building future-focused skills.


Engineers Without Borders Australia and co-partner Raw Material 
Cirrcular Solar Resilience Hub in Timor-Leste

Chosen for its scalable, circular economy approach that repurposes solar infrastructure to strengthen community resilience, while creating technical training and employment pathways in Timor-Leste.


Instituto Decodifica
Retratos das Enchentes in Brazil 

Selected for its use of citizen-generated data to improve disaster preparedness and response in vulnerable communities, demonstrating a powerful model for inclusive, community-driven climate adaptation.


Raks Agricultural Technology
Raks Irrigation Intelligence operating in Brazil

Recognised for its precision irrigation technology that supports climate-adapted agriculture, helping farmers improve water efficiency while building skills and resilience within rural communities.


University of New South Wales
Fixim Sola off-grid solar operating in Vanuatu 

Chosen for its practical, community-led model that trains local technicians to repair and maintain solar systems, improving energy reliability while creating long-term employment and skills pathways.

About the Prize

Launched in November 2025, the Macquarie Community Resilience Prize was created to support technology-enabled programs that are helping to build resilient communities while creating meaningful employment and skill-building opportunities.

Through a multi-stage review process, a panel of judges, including external experts from around the world, selected 45 semi-finalists from nearly 200 applications, before announcing 16 finalists in May 2026 and ultimately selecting six winning organisations.

Find out more about the Macquarie Community Resilience Prize by visiting the dedicated MIT Solve website.

1. Prize funding of $US1 million converted to Australian dollars as at 12 May 2026.