A preloader in the shape of a lightning bolt
NASA New Program Name Copywriting Project
Pitches in Revisions
0 Days, 00:00:00
Ended October 9th, 2026
Project Specifics
  • Worldwide
Announcing In Less Than 2 Days
NASA
NASA New Program Name Copywriting Project
Evaluating Pitches
10/09/26 - 10/15/26
Revisions
10/15/26 - 10/21/26
Writing
10/21/26 - 10/26/26
Revisions
10/26/26 - 10/31/26

Write some thorough and intriguing copy as part of the effort to help NASA rename their Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation, a program that helps the agency and the government at large to generate ideas and solve important problems by working with global communities via challenges, crowdsourcing initiatives, and other innovative mechanisms.

For decades, NASA has been an integral part in helping solve tough, mission-critical problems. These missions span technological categories in space, aeronautics, and beyond, and have been a strong influence in the advancement of many life-improving technologies in the modern world. The Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation (CoECI) has been NASA's valuable organization serving the NASA workforce and different government agencies to generate ideas and solve important problems by working with global communities via challenges, crowdsourcing initiatives, and other innovative mechanisms. Now, after a very successful launch and more than 15 years running, they are looking to update and simplify with a new, more memorable name for the program. In addition to CoECI itself, the new program name will encompass NASA’s "Centennial Challenges" as well as NASA’s "Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing" program, so it will be larger overall.


On the heels our other NASA CoECI Name Ideation Project, the goal of this specific project is to work with the final shortlist of new program names for the CoECI program, and expand upon the titles to create a few paragraphs for each potential program name, including boilerplate descriptions of the program, and offering a compelling "why" behind the name. This will involve the creation of a singular "program name exploration" document, encapsulating all of the above, including risk analysis (potentially negative connotations, etc.) Since NASA is a government agency and CoECI collaborates with so many different organizations, having a compelling "why" behind the name is a key element, as the final shortlist of names will be undergoing thorough scrutiny. Your writing should encompass an analysis of the impact that each name might have, how it could be perceived both internally at NASA and externally by the public at large, pros and cons of each title, and what boilerplate language would look like (i.e. the "about us" type language for the website or a press release, etc.).


FOR YOUR PITCH: You will be required to submit a writing sample, as well as your writing portfolio. For pitch purposes, you can use NASA Spark as the proposed title for your sample, and we'll be looking to see a bit of your creative writing skills with the "compelling why" element of breaking down the name's value, and also some copywriting skill for more "boilerplate language" describing the program. For the boilerplate portion, you can have a look at CoECI's website to get a technical sense of how CoECI describes their program. For your writing portfolio, we're looking for relevant work to the task at hand, as opposed to fiction or more narrative writing. If selected, you will collaborate with Tongal and NASA and also get access to trend analysis data and brand guidelines to help guide your initial drafts, so the pitch is really more about getting a sense of your writing capabilities/style, and see how that fits within this assignment.


For this project, you should be prepared to move at a fast pace once greenlit. We will be looking for first drafts within a few days, so be sure your calendar has availability in the week of October 13th - 16th. Check out more information in the Background, and for any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.


EXPOSURE: We expect content will be used on the platforms below.

  • NASA website and web presence overall
  • NASA internal platforms


TARGET AUDIENCE:

  • Primary: NASA employees (e.g. engineers, scientists, etc.) and government agencies
  • Secondary: People curious about NASA, public at large, innovators and subject matter experts from any sector


TONE/FEEL: Informative, intriguing, innovative, active, concise


AI USAGE: We are NOT looking for AI-generated submissions or content in this project.


By participating in this project, creators acknowledge that the Sponsor is under no obligation to greenlight a submission. Though most projects do move forward, we'll notify you in the event the Sponsor decides not to fund any submissions via the Project Forum. Regardless of the result, all submissions will be reviewed and evaluated by the Sponsor and project team.

In order to be considered, include the below materials in your submission. For examples of effective pitches, check out this gallery. All Pitches remain private, even after a Pitch is selected, and Tongal strives to have Pitch selections made by the end of the Evaluation period, but additional time may be required by the Sponsor, depending on any number of factors. Unless specifically requested, there's no need to include a budget with your submission.


  • TEXT (REQUIRED): Up to 500 characters briefly introducing yourself, how you approach copywriting, and how you may approach this  project. If this information is included in your portfolio, this can be pretty short.

  • WRITING SAMPLE (REQUIRED): A short writing sample that displays how you would approach and produce the content described in the brief.

  • WRITING PORTFOLIO (REQUIRED): A more detailed and specific display of your previous writing work that gives us a sense of your style and capabilities.

The most compelling pitch will be greenlit by the Sponsor, and the responsible creator will then receive an email from Tongal producers detailing next steps. All submitters will also receive an automated email notification that a selection has been announced. To ensure you’re receiving project updates, review your email settings to check that you haven’t unsubscribed.

 

Creators who’ve been selected will receive funding upon completing the Winner Affidavit and the IP Assignment. Payment of the pitch funds is subject to a payment schedule determined by Tongal.


REVISION REQUIREMENTS: Once Content has been submitted, greenlit creators will enter into Revisions. Creators will perform reasonable edits on their copy according to the Sponsor's feedback. 

  1. Unless provided otherwise, all work must be your own original creation and free of any copyrighted material. You shall provide detailed information of your work regarding the source, the creator and background information as requested by Tongal.

  2. In the event you utilize any third-party materials, such as music provided by a third-party music provider not provided by Tongal, you must obtain full written license and consent from the owner of such third-party materials and provide such license and consent forms to Tongal.

  3. The Sponsor will be entitled to reasonable revisions on the finished Videos without providing additional compensation. Remember it's easier to re-edit than re-shoot so try to get as much coverage as possible.

  4. BY SUBMITTING, YOUR SUBMISSION IMMEDIATELY BECOMES THE SOLE PROPERTY OF TONGAL OR ITS ASSIGNEES - SEE OFFICIAL RULES FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT OWNERSHIP OF ENTRIES. YOU MAY NOT PUBLICLY SHARE OR PUBLISH YOUR SUBMISSION IN ANY MANNER AND YOU MAY NOT POST OR UPLOAD YOUR SUBMISSION TO ANY WEBSITE OR VIDEO HOSTING SITE (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE OR VIMEO), WITHOUT THE PRIOR EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF TONGAL. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS REQUIREMENT MAY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION OF YOUR ENTRY IN THE PROJECT.

  5. You may not contact any employees or members of the Sponsor's organization, their affiliates, or any of their partners. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in disqualification of your entry in the project.

  6. In addition to the judging criteria stated in the OFFICIAL RULES, Pitches will also be evaluated on that member's ability to execute the final Video based on their prior work and experience as a creator.

  7. Submissions must be in the English language or subtitled.

  8. Submissions must not portray Sponsor in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with Sponsor, nor can Submissions contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of Sponsor.

  9. You must be at least thirteen (13) years or older to enter.

  10. The Sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest.

  11. See OFFICIAL RULES for additional contest information, terms and conditions. If there is any conflict or inconsistency between these requirements and the Official Rules, the terms and conditions of these requirements shall prevail.