Eligibility Criteria
Who Can Apply
Open to all organizations developing solutions for space capability challenges:
- Aerospace companies and defense contractors
- Cross-industry innovators from automotive, energy, medical, and advanced manufacturing
- Startups and emerging technology companies
- Universities, research institutions, and national laboratories
- Technology providers of industrial software, manufacturing systems, and mission support infrastructure
Development Timeline
Solutions must demonstrate measurable development or implementation progress between January 2024 and December 2025.
Progress includes prototyping, testing, validation, partnerships, customer pilots, technical milestones, or other advancement beyond initial concept.
Solution Requirements
Your innovation must address one or more critical capability gaps within our four strategic priority areas:
- Colonization — Sustainable human presence beyond Earth
- Industrialization — Space resource utilization and manufacturing
- Commercialization — New space economy infrastructure
- Protection & Defense — Security and situational awareness
Application Format
Submission Method
All applications must be submitted through the online form here
No emailed submissions, PDFs, or Word documents will be accepted.
Content Requirements
Total narrative content: Approximately 2,500 words / 15,000 characters across all sections
Content limits specified for each section within the online form.
Supporting materials: Upload images, charts, or diagrams where prompted
File specifications:
- Accepted formats: JPG, PNG, PDF
- Maximum file size: 5 MB per file
- Maximum uploads: 10 files total
- High-resolution images preferred
- All images must be clearly labeled
Save and Return: You may save your application and return to complete it before the deadline. Use the same email address to access your saved application.
Required Sections
1. Solution Overview
Content limit: Approximately 500 words / 3,000 characters
What to include:
- What — Brief description of your innovation and core technology
- Which Gap — Specific capability gap(s) from our priority areas you’re addressing
- Why — Why this gap is critical to space mission success
- Impact — Key benefits and improvements your solution provides
2. Innovation Story
Content limit: Approximately 1,250 words / 7,500 characters
What to include:
- The Challenge — Specific space capability problem you identified
- Your Breakthrough — What makes your approach novel or superior
- Development Progress — Key milestones, testing phases, validation achievements between January 2024 and December 2025
- Evidence — Data, results, demonstrations, or proof points supporting your claims
3. Market Readiness
Content limit: Approximately 750 words / 4,500 characters
What to include:
- Customer Validation — Who needs this solution and how do you know there’s demand?
- Implementation Path — Realistic roadmap from current state to operational deployment
- Business Viability — Sustainable path to production, scaling, and market adoption
- Team & Resources — Why your team can execute this vision
4. Reference Contact
Required fields:
- Reference name
- Reference title/role
- Reference organization
- Reference email
- Reference phone number
- Relationship to your project (e.g., “Government customer,” “Prime contractor partner,” “Research collaborator”)
Your reference should be someone who can validate your work:
- Government agency representative
- Prime contractor partner or customer
- Research institution collaborator
- Pilot program participant or early adopter
Evidence of Real Progress Required
Demonstrate you’re beyond the concept stage:
✓ Working prototypes or functional demonstrations
✓ Test results, performance data, or validation studies
✓ Customer letters of interest, partnerships, or pilot programs
✓ Technical milestones achieved with measurable outcomes
✓ Clear, realistic path from current state to operational implementation
Evaluation Criteria
- Problem-Solution Fit — 20%
How directly does your innovation address a critical capability gap? - Implementation Potential — 40%
How realistic is the path from current state to operational deployment? - Innovation Merit — 30%
What makes your solution novel or significantly superior to existing approaches? - Market Validation — 10%
What evidence demonstrates that customers recognize the value and actively need your solution?
Application Categories
Select the category that best describes your innovation:
- Manufacturing & Materials
New manufacturing processes, advanced materials, or production innovations for space applications - Supply Chain & Logistics
Advanced production technologies, manufacturing management systems, inventory optimization, logistics coordination - Enabling Technologies
Power systems, communications, sensors, computing, robotics, life support, or other mission-enabling technologies - Cross-Industry Solutions
Technologies adapted from automotive, energy, medical, or other industries to solve space challenges - Breakthrough Projects
Research breakthroughs, proof-of-concepts, or one-time innovations addressing specific capability gaps
What NOT to Include
Applications become public records. Do NOT include:
- Proprietary information or trade secrets
- Classified or ITAR-restricted material
- Information subject to export control regulations
- Content you’re not comfortable being shared publicly
Focus on demonstrating your innovation’s impact and progress without revealing sensitive technical details.
Important Dates
- Applications open: November 2025
- Final deadline: February 28, 2026
- Finalists announced: April 2026
- Winners announced: June 3, 2026, at Space Tech Expo USA, Anaheim, California
For questions about eligibility or requirements: Contact Mike McClary: mike.mcclary@aviationweek.com