2026 FIRST Robotics Buckeye Regional Competition Sponsorship

NASA's National Aeronautics and Space Administration Shared Services Center (NASA/NSSC) issued this Special Notice on April 14, 2026, regarding sponsorship of the 2026 FIRST Robotics Buckeye Regional Competition. The agency intends to award a sole source contract to FOR INSPIRATION AND RECOGNITION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (FIRST), headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire, based on a determination that FIRST is the sole provider capable of delivering this specific sponsorship. The procurement will be executed under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i) and will utilize commercial item acquisition procedures outlined in FAR Parts 12 and 13. Performance will take place at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The NAICS classification for this procurement is 611430 (Professional and Management Development Training).

The sponsorship aims to support a multi-state high school robotics competition scheduled to run from March 18, 2026 through June 30, 2026, with $25,000 in NASA grant funding designated specifically for venue rental and related services at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center. Interested organizations wishing to challenge the sole source determination must submit written capabilities and qualifications to the point of contact by April 17, 2026 at 12 p.m. Central Standard Time; the government will evaluate these submissions solely to determine whether to conduct a full and open competition, though such a decision remains entirely at the government's discretion. While the Special Notice does not establish formal eligibility criteria for competing organizations, the evaluation will focus on demonstrating capability to sponsor and manage this robotics competition and associated STEM engagement activities. The competition provides high school students hands-on learning opportunities aligned with NASA's Office of STEM Engagement mission to develop a skilled technical aerospace workforce, with participating teams receiving a robotics challenge at a January kickoff and six weeks to design and build their robots.