Thanks to the generous support of the DEKA Foundation and Bosch, FIRST® is excited to announce our need based FIRST® Tech Challenge Rookie Team Grant for teams participating in the 2023-2024 FIRST® Tech Challenge Season! 

2023-2024 FIRST® Tech Challenge Rookie Team Grant Details

Only new (rookie) FIRST® Tech Challenge 2023-2024 season teams who register via FIRST HQ (US, Canada, Mexico and USA military APO)

• Awarded new teams will receive a $750 grant to use towards FIRST® Tech Challenge season registration and products in the FIRST® Tech Challenge Storefront.
• Teams must apply for the grant and meet all criteria to be eligible
• Grant is need-based
• Hardship funding is limited, grants will be awarded until the funding is exhausted- please remember your Gracious Professionalism® and apply only with real need.
• If you are expecting a grant, please do not check out until that grant has been awarded. FIRST will not be able to make changes to orders after checkout. 
• View the complete payment terms here: https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/payment-terms 

Eligibility for the 2023-2024 FIRST® Tech Challenge Rookie Team Grant

• Applicants must be FIRST® Tech Challenge participants
• Only one application per team is allowed
• Grant applicants must plan to participate in the upcoming 2023-2024 FIRST® Tech Challenge season
• Teams will be required to prove their participation at the end of the season
• If a new mentor has an existing team as well as a new team, the existing team must be registered before the new team can be eligible for this grant
• If awarded, teams will not receive their grant funding until the team's Lead Coach 1 and Lead Coach 2 are both successfully screened
• If you are expecting a grant, please do not check out in the storefront until that grant has been awarded. FIRST will not be able to make changes to orders after checkout. 
• View the complete payment terms here: https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/payment-terms 

Expectations for the 2023-2024 FIRST® Tech Challenge Rookie Grant Recipients

• If chosen, grant sponsors may invite you to share your FIRST® Tech Challenge experiences with them. They are very interested in your progress as a team and will be excited to hear more about your season.
• Additionally, if chosen, please send us a digital “sponsor thank you” to our generous sponsors the DEKA Foundation and Bosch as an acknowledgement of their contributions. Failure to acknowledge this gift and complete reporting requirements may result in ineligibility for future grants.
• Digital thank you files including letters of thanks from the team, pictures, presentations and whatever else you can think of can be sent to the following email: ftcteams@firstinspires.org 

**Please include "2023-2024 Rookie Grant Sponsor Thank you" in the subject line**

General questions about the grant can be sent to: cedwards@firstinspires.org 

This grant is open to FIRST® LEGO League Explore teams, FIRST® LEGO League Challenge teams, FIRST® Tech Challenge teams, and FIRST® Robotics Competition teams for the 2023-24 season within the Tennessee Valley Authority area.

 This grant is not eligible for a regrant and will be awarded as follows:

• FIRST LEGO League Explore* - $125 restricted to registration, product, tax and shipping

• FIRST LEGO League Challenge* - $95 restricted to registration, product, tax and shipping

• FIRST Tech Challenge* - $295 restricted to registration, product, shipping and tax

• FIRST Robotics Competition - $250 Unrestricted
   

  *Any unspent funds will be returned to Tennessee Valley Robotics at the end of the season.*

Requester must complete a copy of this form for each team identified as eligible for the grant.
Grant Requirements:
 

• Teams must register with FIRST and provide a team number prior to applying for a grant.

• Must be participating on a FIRST® LEGO League Explore, FIRST® LEGO League Challenge, FIRST® Tech Challenge, or FIRST® Robotics Competition team for the current 2023-24 season.

 Grants may be requested during the following application periods this season. Grant is subject to close before these dates if funds are exhausted.
 

Grants will not be available outside these dates and only as long as funding is available for each program respectively.

FIRST Program Grant Close Dates:

FIRST Tech Challenge November 20th, 2023  

FIRST LEGO League Explore November 20th, 2023

FIRST LEGO League Challenge November 20th, 2023

                                                                                                                        FIRST Robotics Competition November 20th, 2023

The Corning Incorporated Foundation is delighted to support team grant opportunities to FIRST teams that have an association with a US Corning Incorporated employee and are located near a US Corning facility.
The grants are available for all three FIRST programs to fund registration and product costs. FIRST Lego League Explore and  FIRST LEGO League (FLL) can apply for up to $500, FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) for up to $2,000. The grants must be applied to registration, robot kits/parts, and field set-up kits. (Examples of expenses not covered are travel, team t-shirts, snacks, and local robotic events.)  Materials supported with the grant are expected to be utilized for 2+ years.
Teams should apply and get approval for the Corning/FIRST grant prior to paying for registration for the 2023-2024 FIRST season. You can register, however, do not pay for your registration as you will forfeit eligibility for grant funding.
Please complete the application below, grants can be requested throughout the season until funds are fully distributed. This grant opportunity is first-come, first-serve. FIRST payment deadlines (and information links are below):
 

• FIRST® LEGO® League Explore (Formerly FIRST LEGO League Junior)
• FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge (Formerly FIRST LEGO League)
• FIRST® Tech Challenge
• FIRST® Robotics Competition 

Requirements:
· Open to Rookie & Veteran teams
· Team must be near (within 40 miles) of a Corning facility
  (click here for a list)
· A Corning employee(s) must be associated with the team (coach, mentor,
  supporter). The associated employee must log volunteer hours for the
  Corning Incorporated
Dollars for Doers Program.
· Teams must not have paid their registration fee prior to receiving the grant
· Teams will be required to complete a post-season survey
Teams will be notified of their grant status within 15 business days of submission.
Should you have any questions, please email the FIRST Stewardship Team teamgrants@firstinspires.org.

FIRST® is excited to announce the opening of the 2024 FIRST® Robotics Competition New Team Grant Application, sponsored by the Argosy Foundation and other generous sponsors!  This is a funding opportunity exclusively available to FIRST® Robotics Competition Rookie Teams and New Veteran Teams participating in the 2024 season!
Awarded teams will receive $6,000 in grants over the course of 2 consecutive seasons.    

• $4,000 in season 1 (2024)
• $2,000 in season 2 (2025)

Application Deadline: Applications must be submitted no later than Monday, October 30 at 11:59 PM ET. 

*This season, FIRST will be awarding qualified teams on a rolling basis. Applications will be reviewed throughout the application period, with the final review being the first week of November. Grants to eligible teams will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Grant Criteria and Obligations:

• Teams must be a FIRST Robotics Competition Rookie or New Veteran Team.
• Teams must register for the 2024 season before the grant can be applied (BUT DO NOT CHECK OUT).
• Awarded teams will be responsible for raising the additional funding needed each season.

Teams will be notified via email of their award status by Wednesday, November 8th (or sooner). Please note that completing an application does not guarantee funding and all teams should be actively fundraising and seeking additional funding opportunities. For additional fundraising and grant opportunities, please see the FIRST  Fundraising Toolkit.