Submit Your Interest in the 2026-2029 WBC Qualified Espresso Machine, Qualified Grinder, and Qualified Water Filtration Positions

The Specialty Coffee Association is pleased to announce that manufacturers can now register their interest in the next cycle of Qualified Sponsorship for the World Barista Championship (WBC). Open categories include Qualified Espresso Machine, Qualified Grinder, and Qualified Water Filtration Sponsor positions for the 2026-2029 World Barista Championship.

Next year marks 25 years of the World Barista Championship, the premier stage for baristas to share their skills at wielding technique, equipment and ideas to realize the best potential of incredible coffees. With more than 50 competition bodies holding regional and national competitions around the world each year, we are excited to announce a new round of bidding for Qualified Sponsorship.

Qualified Testing for Espresso Machines will commence in early January through to March, with Espresso Machines that pass testing gaining eligibility to submit bids for the Qualified Sponsorship of the 2026-2029 WBC and also have the option to participate in the SCA Certified Espresso Machine Program. Bidding for the Qualified Espresso Machine, Qualified Grinder, and Qualified Water Filtration positions will open in April 2025. 

Espresso Machines: 

Espresso Machine testing is based on the SCA Competition Machine Testing Specifications. Since the inception of the World Barista Championship in 2004, these standards have driven manufacturers to enhance equipment functionality and quality as the specialty coffee industry evolves. Products meeting these criteria are open to bid for sponsorship of the 2026-2029 World Barista Championship, and apply for the SCA Certified Espresso Machine mark. 
  

• Open to commercial traditional espresso machine manufacturers that are or will be in production by the end of the 2024 calendar year.  

• Demonstrates that your equipment is capable of meeting the rigorous demands of the World Coffee Championships stage, by undergoing testing that has been developed by industry experts.  

Grinders and Water Filtration: 

The Qualified Grinder and Water Filtration positions are key equipment positions that support the World Barista Championship and allow competitors to flourish on stage. Global grinder manufacturers offering equipment with adjustable grind and dose settings suitable for espresso brewing are invited to apply for sponsorship opportunities. Interested Water Filtration equipment manufacturers can reference the World Coffee Championship (WCC) water specifications. Bidding for these positions will open in tandem with the Qualified Espresso Machine category in April 2025. 

Key Sponsorship Benefits: 

• Top brand positioning at the World Barista Championship, the industry’s premier coffee competition. 

• Exclusive category product placement on the WBC Stage and WCC Coffee Bars, and exclusive usage by national champions. 

• Visibility to hundreds of thousands of people around the world – at global trade shows and across the large World Coffee Championship digital channels. 

• Aligns your brand with the Specialty Coffee Association, the industry association whose purpose is making coffee better.  

• Demonstrates your brand’s support for national-level and world-level competitors, along with additional visibility across wider SCA programming during sponsorship term. 

Interested manufacturers in any of these categories can complete the form below to register their interest in the program.