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Lift Challenge

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Grant

Contract Overview

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AI Contract Overview

The DARPA Lift Challenge is a national competition hosted by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to advance vertical and heavy-lift aviation technology. Open to a diverse range of participants including universities, startups, and established companies, the event challenges teams to develop lightweight yet powerful drones weighing no more than 55 pounds. Competitors must demonstrate the ability to carry a payload of at least 220 pounds over a 5-nautical-mile course, with a total prize pool of 6.5 million dollars awarded to those with the most innovative designs and highest payload-to-weight ratios. The final phase of the competition will take place from August 6 to 9, 2026, at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. While the event is free and open to the public, advance registration is requested for spectators. For those unable to attend in person, the entire competition will be livestreamed on YouTube from August 2 through August 9. This initiative serves as a catalyst for growth within the American drone industry, aiming to create technological breakthroughs for both civilian applications and military missions.

General Info

DARPA Lift Challenge rewards drones carrying 220+ pounds across 5 nautical miles, August 2026.

Agency

Department of Defense → Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

NAICS

336411 - Aircraft Manufacturing

Place of Performance

Not specified

Set-Aside

NONE

Documents

No documents available

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Organization & Contact Information

AgencyDepartment of Defense → Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

ContactsNo contacts available

OfficeN/A

Organization / AgencyDepartment of Defense → Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

Office AddressN/A

ContactsNo contact information available

Full Description

A Competition for Novel Drone Designs – Open to the PublicThe DARPA Lift Challenge is a national competition to reinvent vertical and heavy-lift aviation. The final four days of competition are open to the public from Aug. 6-9, 2026, from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. ET in Dayton, Ohio. Admission is free.DARPA invites the community to watch competitors demonstrate novel drone designs that are both lightweight and powerful. After months of development, teams representing established companies, startups, universities, and garage-innovators will assemble for a “chase the leader” competition. Drones weighing no more than 55 pounds will attempt to carry four times their weight (220 pounds) or more over a demanding 5-nautical-mile course. Those with the highest payload-to-weight ratios and novel designs will win $6.5 million in prizes.But it’s not just a prize competition – it's a catalyst for long-term growth and innovation across the American drone industry. Participants will play a critical role in advancing vertical lift technologies that will have far-reaching benefits for military missions and civilian needs.BYOB - As in Binoculars!This is a large venue, so we encourage you to bring binoculars. We'll also display the drone runs on Jumbotrons at the venue and via livestream on our YouTube channel throughout the event.Virtual LivestreamThe full competition will be live streamed on YouTube for the duration of the competition from Aug. 2-9.Join Us!This is a free, outdoor event held at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. To help with planning, we ask spectators to register in advance.Get details and reserve your seat!Reserve your spot