2026 NASA Space Apps Challenge Local Lead Interest Submission

What is the role of a NASA Space Apps Challenge Local Lead?
Local Leads organize and facilitate a NASA Space Apps Challenge Local Event for a specific city or town. The event can be in-person, virtual, or a mix of both. Local Leads increase awareness of and engagement with the 2026 NASA Space Apps Challenge on November 14-15, 2026.

If you’d like to join as a NASA Space Apps Challenge participant, follow us on social media to be notified when participant registration opens:

• https://www.facebook.com/spaceappschallenge
• https://x.com/spaceapps
• https://www.instagram.com/nasa_spaceapps

LOCAL LEAD BENEFITS:

• Serve as a Local Lead alongside the NASA Space Apps Global Organizing Team to develop the world’s largest annual global hackathon, with participants and supporting teammates in over 160 countries/territories around the world.
• Champion Space Apps in your local community, recruiting local coders, scientists, students, artists, storytellers, designers, engineers, data experts and others who may participate during the NASA Space Apps Challenge (November 14-15, 2026).
• Immerse yourself and serve as a thought leader in your city’s space, tech, innovation, and creative communities.
• Support noteworthy participants in their hackathon journeys. Nominate top projects for judging at the global level, with Global Nominees, Global Finalists, and Global Winners being recognized by NASA.

LOCAL LEAD RESPONSIBILITIES:
*Please note: Local Leads cannot participate on teams to submit projects or solve challenges.

• Coordinate Local Event logistics - Local Leads are responsible for providing, arranging and funding the logistics for their Local Event from their own resources, including venue, food, supplies, swag and prizes, as they may choose at their discretion. Local Leads are also responsible for considering accessibility and connectivity logistics.
• Recruit supporting Local Team Members - Each Local Lead is responsible for recruiting, training, and delegating work to needed personnel to run their Local Event.
• Recruit participants from their community to join the Local Event. These participants will create projects during the event and submit them to the NASA Space Apps Challenge website.
• Follow NASA Space Apps Challenge branding guidelines.
• Support participants through their entire hackathon journey and encourage project submission.
• Recruit Local Judges and complete Local Judging.
• Recruit Local Collaborators, as needed. Each Local Lead is responsible for their own collaborator outreach and funding efforts.
• Follow NASA’s China funding restrictions regarding affiliation: Prohibited bilateral activity with China means participating, collaborating, or coordinating bilaterally with China, including Hong Kong and Macau, or a Chinese-owned company, in relation to participation in Space Apps. “China or Chinese-owned Company" means any department, agency, or instrumentality of the government of China and any governmental subdivision thereof, including Hong Kong and Macau, any company owned by China, or any company, university, or similar institution incorporated under the laws of China or governmental subdivision thereof, including Hong Kong and Macau.

Local Lead Process:

The deadline to express interest is July 28, 2026.

Prior participation as a Space Apps Local Lead does not guarantee your automatic selection as a 2026 Local Lead.

Your submission helps the Global Organizing Team understand community interest. Submitting this form does not guarantee placement in any role. If additional information is needed, the team may contact you.

Your submission is evaluated on a first come first serve basis and against the following criteria.

Local Lead Interest Submission Criteria:

• Local Leads must be over the age of 18 years old.
• Local Leads can only host one Local Event.
• Only one city is approved in a 40 miles/65 km radius from the closest approved city. NASA Space Apps Challenge promotes collaboration over competition. Please consider collaborating with any nearby Local Event.

You demonstrate and clearly communicate your ability to organize and host a NASA Space Apps Local Event.
Ask yourself:
What other important logistical elements should I consider to make my event a success (such as venue, food, accessibility, and connectivity)? Do I want to hold an in-person or virtual Local Event in my city?

You clearly communicate plans/initial ideas on how you will support and recruit participants.
Ask yourself:
How can I increase the number of qualified participants in my Local Event? How can I make sure my participants are successful at submitting a project?

You clearly communicate plans/initial ideas on how you will source/recruit supporting Local Team Members, Local Collaborators, and Local Judges.
Ask yourself:
How can I source/recruit sponsors (called Local Collaborators), support local team members, and Local Judges to help make my Local Event engaging? What network connections or ideas do I have that can assist?

You clearly communicate that you are willing to commit time to organize a Local Event, lead a support team, and support participants.
Ask yourself:
Can I invest the time necessary to run my Local Event? Have I demonstrated my time management skills in other projects or areas that I can use as an example?

Submissions will be considered holistically against the above criteria. Submissions that provide clear, specific, and relevant examples demonstrating their preparedness to serve as a Local Lead may be reviewed more favorably than submissions that provide limited or generalized responses.

When multiple submissions for a location are considered substantially comparable, priority may be given to the submission received earlier.

NASA Space Apps Challenge reserves the right to request additional information, conduct follow-up discussions, or decline submissions that do not sufficiently demonstrate readiness to organize and support a successful Local Event.

If follow-up is needed, we may contact you using the optional information you provide. If you have any questions, please reach out to info@spaceappschallenge.org. Thank you!