NSS Rothblatt Business Plan Contest 2027

The Martine Rothblatt Space Settlement in Our Lifetime Business Plan Competition is run every year by the National Space Society (NSS), a US non-profit that campaigns for space exploration and settlement. It asks for complete business plans that help people move off Earth and live and work in space. Cash prizes total US$32,000 for the three best plans, and the 2027 deadline is 15 February 2027.

The contest is open to anyone, anywhere on Earth, subject to local and regional law, so an Indian individual or team can enter. It is a plan competition, not a startup grant application, and it does not require a registered company.

What the program offers

NSS says the competition offers cash prizes totalling US$32,000 for the three best business plans. For reference, the 2026 prizes were US$16,000 (about ₹15.2 lakh) for first place, US$10,000 for second and US$6,000 for third. The source does not say whether the 2027 split will be identical, so treat the 2026 split as a guide, not a promise.

Beyond cash, the three winning teams are invited to present at the NSS International Space Development Conference (ISDC 2027) in Los Angeles, held 27 to 30 May 2027. NSS pays travel and hotel for one representative from each winning team. The prizes are not described as a loan or an investment, and the source mentions no equity being taken.

Who can apply

Anyone can enter, from any country, and young people are specifically encouraged to apply. Individuals and teams both qualify. The one firm requirement is the kind of entry: it must be a complete preliminary business plan, not just an idea or a proposal. The plan should set out your vision and show how it could be built into a profitable business that helps enable human settlement in space or on other worlds.

For an Indian founder, researcher, student or space-tech team, this is open on the same terms as everyone else. It suits people who have thought through the commercial side of a space business: a product, a market, a way to make money and a route to scale. It does not suit someone with only a concept sketch or a purely scientific proposal with no business model.

How to apply

Entries are made through the contest website, spacebizplan.nss.org. The site carries the guidelines and videos that explain what a good plan looks like. Write your plan as a complete preliminary business plan and submit it as a PDF before the deadline of 15 February 2027. Submissions are final, so do not send a draft expecting to replace it later.

A practical tip: read the full guidelines first, and request them through the guideline form on the site if you cannot find them. The site does not publish a page limit in the part we could read, so check the guidelines for any length or format rules before you begin writing.

How applications are judged and what happens next

NSS reviewers read the submitted plans and choose three finalist teams. In 2026, three finalists were chosen from hundreds of entries from around the world, and they presented in person at the conference. In the same way, each 2027 finalist team presents at ISDC 2027, and judges attending the presentations decide first, second and third place. The source does not publish scoring criteria in detail, and it does not give a date for announcing finalists before the conference.

About the National Space Society

NSS describes itself as an independent, nonpartisan, educational membership organisation and a registered US 501(c)(3) non-profit. It calls itself the leading citizen's voice on space exploration, development and settlement, and its vision is of people living and working in thriving communities beyond Earth. It runs ISDC every year, which brings together space advocates, industry and researchers.

The 2026 winners show how international the contest is: first prize went to an entry from New York, second prize to a team from Malaysia and the Philippines, and third prize to a team from Canada.

Things to check before you apply

• The plan must be complete. An idea or a proposal is not enough.
• Submissions are final, so finish and proofread before sending.
• Only one person per winning team has travel and hotel paid. If your team is larger, other members would need to cover their own costs.
• The source does not state an entry fee. Check the contest site before you submit.
• Check how your own country's rules apply to any international prize money. The source simply says entry is subject to local and regional law.
• A practical tip: explain who pays you, how much, and why a space settlement business is realistic in numbers you can defend, since NSS asks for a business that can be profitable.