diff --git a/src/server/routers/mentor.ts b/src/server/routers/mentor.ts
index 35cf2fe..a0f757b 100644
--- a/src/server/routers/mentor.ts
+++ b/src/server/routers/mentor.ts
@@ -717,6 +717,10 @@ export const mentorRouter = router({
           roundId: input.roundId,
           project: {
             mentorAssignment: null,
+            // Only assign mentors to projects whose team has confirmed they will
+            // attend the grand finale. This skips PENDING/DECLINED/EXPIRED/SUPERSEDED
+            // confirmations and any project without a confirmation row at all.
+            finalistConfirmation: { status: 'CONFIRMED' },
             ...(eligibility === 'requested_only' ? { wantsMentorship: true } : {}),
           },
         },
diff --git a/tests/unit/mentor-assignment-ux.test.ts b/tests/unit/mentor-assignment-ux.test.ts
index 3f91c42..d4fea22 100644
--- a/tests/unit/mentor-assignment-ux.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/mentor-assignment-ux.test.ts
@@ -182,6 +182,29 @@ describe('mentor.autoAssignBulkForRound', () => {
       data: { projectId: projWithoutRequest.id, roundId: round.id, state: 'PENDING' },
     })
 
+    // Both projects must have CONFIRMED FinalistConfirmation to qualify for
+    // mentor assignment — the wantsMentorship gate is what we're isolating here.
+    await prisma.finalistConfirmation.createMany({
+      data: [
+        {
+          projectId: projWithRequest.id,
+          category: 'STARTUP',
+          status: 'CONFIRMED',
+          deadline: new Date(Date.now() + 86_400_000),
+          token: `tok_${uid()}`,
+          confirmedAt: new Date(),
+        },
+        {
+          projectId: projWithoutRequest.id,
+          category: 'STARTUP',
+          status: 'CONFIRMED',
+          deadline: new Date(Date.now() + 86_400_000),
+          token: `tok_${uid()}`,
+          confirmedAt: new Date(),
+        },
+      ],
+    })
+
     const mentor = await createUserWithRoles('MENTOR', ['MENTOR'], { expertiseTags: ['x'] })
     userIds.push(mentor.id)
 
@@ -230,6 +253,29 @@ describe('mentor.autoAssignBulkForRound', () => {
       data: { projectId: projUnassigned.id, roundId: round.id, state: 'PENDING' },
     })
 
+    // Both projects must have CONFIRMED FinalistConfirmation to qualify for
+    // mentor assignment — the existing-assignment gate is what we're isolating here.
+    await prisma.finalistConfirmation.createMany({
+      data: [
+        {
+          projectId: projAlreadyAssigned.id,
+          category: 'STARTUP',
+          status: 'CONFIRMED',
+          deadline: new Date(Date.now() + 86_400_000),
+          token: `tok_${uid()}`,
+          confirmedAt: new Date(),
+        },
+        {
+          projectId: projUnassigned.id,
+          category: 'STARTUP',
+          status: 'CONFIRMED',
+          deadline: new Date(Date.now() + 86_400_000),
+          token: `tok_${uid()}`,
+          confirmedAt: new Date(),
+        },
+      ],
+    })
+
     await prisma.mentorAssignment.create({
       data: {
         projectId: projAlreadyAssigned.id,
@@ -251,6 +297,102 @@ describe('mentor.autoAssignBulkForRound', () => {
     expect(stillExisting?.mentorId).toBe(existingMentor.id) // unchanged
   })
 
+  it('only assigns mentors to projects with CONFIRMED FinalistConfirmation', async () => {
+    const admin = await createTestUser('SUPER_ADMIN')
+    userIds.push(admin.id)
+
+    const program = await createTestProgram({ name: `bulk-finalist-${uid()}` })
+    programIds.push(program.id)
+    const competition = await createTestCompetition(program.id, { status: 'ACTIVE' })
+    const round = await createTestRound(competition.id, {
+      roundType: 'MENTORING',
+      configJson: { eligibility: 'all_advancing' },
+    })
+
+    const projConfirmed = await prisma.project.create({
+      data: {
+        id: uid('proj'),
+        title: 'Confirmed Finalist',
+        programId: program.id,
+        tags: ['x'],
+        wantsMentorship: true,
+      },
+    })
+    const projPending = await prisma.project.create({
+      data: {
+        id: uid('proj'),
+        title: 'Pending Finalist',
+        programId: program.id,
+        tags: ['x'],
+        wantsMentorship: true,
+      },
+    })
+    const projNoConfirmation = await prisma.project.create({
+      data: {
+        id: uid('proj'),
+        title: 'No Confirmation',
+        programId: program.id,
+        tags: ['x'],
+        wantsMentorship: true,
+      },
+    })
+
+    await prisma.projectRoundState.createMany({
+      data: [
+        { projectId: projConfirmed.id, roundId: round.id, state: 'PENDING' },
+        { projectId: projPending.id, roundId: round.id, state: 'PENDING' },
+        { projectId: projNoConfirmation.id, roundId: round.id, state: 'PENDING' },
+      ],
+    })
+
+    await prisma.finalistConfirmation.create({
+      data: {
+        projectId: projConfirmed.id,
+        category: 'STARTUP',
+        status: 'CONFIRMED',
+        deadline: new Date(Date.now() + 86_400_000),
+        token: `tok_${uid()}`,
+        confirmedAt: new Date(),
+      },
+    })
+    await prisma.finalistConfirmation.create({
+      data: {
+        projectId: projPending.id,
+        category: 'STARTUP',
+        status: 'PENDING',
+        deadline: new Date(Date.now() + 86_400_000),
+        token: `tok_${uid()}`,
+      },
+    })
+
+    const mentor = await createUserWithRoles('MENTOR', ['MENTOR'], { expertiseTags: ['x'] })
+    userIds.push(mentor.id)
+
+    const caller = createCaller(mentorRouter, {
+      id: admin.id,
+      email: admin.email,
+      role: 'SUPER_ADMIN',
+    })
+    const result = await caller.autoAssignBulkForRound({ roundId: round.id, useAI: false })
+
+    expect(result.assigned).toBe(1)
+
+    const confirmedAssigned = await prisma.mentorAssignment.findUnique({
+      where: { projectId: projConfirmed.id },
+    })
+    expect(confirmedAssigned).not.toBeNull()
+
+    const pendingAssigned = await prisma.mentorAssignment.findUnique({
+      where: { projectId: projPending.id },
+    })
+    expect(pendingAssigned).toBeNull()
+
+    const noConfAssigned = await prisma.mentorAssignment.findUnique({
+      where: { projectId: projNoConfirmation.id },
+    })
+    expect(noConfAssigned).toBeNull()
+  })
+
   it('refuses with admin_selected eligibility (admin must pick manually)', async () => {
     const admin = await createTestUser('SUPER_ADMIN')
     userIds.push(admin.id)