It is sponsored by many organizations including Boeing Phantom Works, NASA, EAA, AOPA, Glasair Aviation, among others; and funding is also obtained through an FAA grant.
[1] The CAFE Foundation is an outgrowth from activities sponsored by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 124 in Santa Rosa, California.
These activities took place at a new facility, the CAFE Flight Test Center, at the Sonoma County Airport, funded by the EAA and completed in 1993.
Using highly accurate GPS technology, the Challenge used the slightly modified CAFE Formula over a 500-mile (800 km) closed course to evaluate an aircraft's performance.
[8] The CAFE Foundation also hosts an annual symposium which focuses on research subjects that affect the development of more efficient aircraft.