FIRST team grants come from corporate and foundation sponsors and are handed out through FIRST. Most cover all or part of a team's season registration and FIRST robot kits, and most are tied to where your team is or who mentors it. For the 2026-2027 season, a few windows are still open in November and December 2026.
2026-2027 grants listed by FIRST
| Grant and programs | Window and who qualifies |
|---|---|
|
John Deere FIRST Grant FLL Explore, FLL Challenge, FTC, FRC |
FLL Explore to Dec 18, 2026; FTC to Dec 25, 2026; FRC to Nov 6, 2026; FLL Challenge closed Sep 25. Schools or 501(c)(3)s in a John Deere home community, or with a John Deere employee mentor. Don't pay registration first. |
|
FIRST Tech Challenge Sibling Grant FTC (rookie) |
Aug 26 to Dec 31, 2026. Covers 50% of a new sibling team's first-year registration; the team must be tied to an existing FRC or FTC team in an eligible state. |
|
Arconic Foundation FLL, FTC, FRC |
Sep 15 to Oct 31, 2026 (closed). Teams in listed counties of AR, GA, IL, IA, NY, TN and PA; Indiana through FIRST Indiana. |
|
3M FTC, FRC |
Sep 17 to Oct 17, 2026 (closed). |
|
Boeing Team Grant FLL Explore, FLL Challenge, FTC, FRC |
Aug 24 to Oct 16, 2026 (closed). Needs a Boeing employee or retiree mentor. |
|
NASA FRC Grant FRC (rookie and new veteran) |
Sep 2 to 30, 2026 (closed). Applied through NASA's grant portal. |
|
FRC Team Support Grant FRC |
Oct 1 to 25, 2026 (closed). Need-based, mainly for teams outside the U.S. |
|
Boston Scientific FRC |
Jul 28 to Sep 30, 2026 (closed). Teams within 60 miles of sites in CA, IN, MA or MN. |
|
BAE Systems FLL, FTC, FRC |
FLL and FTC May 22 to Jul 8, 2026; FRC to Sep 13, 2026 (closed). Near BAE sites, BAE mentors, or Title 1 and high-need schools. |
|
Dow FLL, FTC, FRC |
May 26 to Jun 30, 2026 (closed). Dow mentor or Dow community. |
|
Digital Citizen Fund Rookie Grant FRC (rookie) |
Closed June 1, 2026. Up to $5,000 for U.S. teams with all or majority-female members. |
Most of these follow a yearly rhythm, so a closed window today is a date to plan around next season.
How FIRST grants work
- Sponsors decide who qualifies. Many grants are limited to teams near a sponsor's sites or mentored by its employees, and many recipients are picked by the sponsor.
- Don't pay first. FIRST tells teams not to pay registration or buy products before they get grant instructions, because paying can cost you the grant.
- Grants show up on your team account as an invoice credit. Check the Funds & Grants section of your team dashboard.
- Look local. Your state's FIRST Program Delivery Partner (find it on FIRST's Find Local Support page) can point you to regional grants that are often less competitive.
- Questions go to teamgrants@firstinspires.org.
What FIRST grants won't pay for
FIRST grants pay for FIRST registration and FIRST's own kits. They won't buy classroom robotics for the students who aren't on a team yet.
Build the pipeline in class
A robotics team reaches a few students. A classroom program reaches all of them, and it's where future team members find out they love building and coding. The Coding for Good Kit brings coding and engineering to grades 3-12 with 11 plug-and-play sensors and modules, 4 servos and a water pump, programmed in Microsoft MakeCode on micro:bit. Students design, code and test solutions to real problems, the same loop a competition team runs every season.
- Wildfire Detection with Autonomous Vehicles (grades 6-8): students build a vehicle that patrols an area and raises an alert when it detects bright light and loud sound.
- Data-driven Smart Farming (grades 6-8): students build a system that waters a plant based on soil moisture.
- A class set: 15 Coding for Good Kits with micro:bit V2 Go Packs come to $4,454.85 before shipping, enough for 30 students working in pairs.
Pay for classroom kits with grants built for them, such as the Toshiba America Foundation (up to $1,000 for K-5, and up to $5,000 or more for grades 6-12) or the Rural Tech Fund for rural and high-poverty schools.
Frequently asked questions
How much are FIRST team grants?
It depends on the sponsor. Most cover all or part of season registration and FIRST kits. A few list amounts, such as the Digital Citizen Fund's rookie grants of up to $5,000 and the FTC Sibling Grant's 50% of first-year registration.
Which FIRST grants are open now?
As of November 1, 2026: John Deere for FIRST Robotics Competition (to November 6), FIRST LEGO League Explore (to December 18) and FIRST Tech Challenge (to December 25), and the FTC Sibling Grant (to December 31). Check FIRST's Team Grant Opportunities page for changes.
Should we register before applying?
No. FIRST says paying registration or buying products before you get grant instructions can make you ineligible.
Can a FIRST grant pay for classroom robotics kits?
No. FIRST grants cover FIRST registration and FIRST products. Use classroom grants such as Toshiba America Foundation or Rural Tech Fund for kits every student uses.
How can Forward Education help?
We can build a classroom robotics plan from our lessons, align it to your state's standards, write an official quote and provide a letter of support. Contact our grant team.
Source: FIRST, Team Grant Opportunities page (firstinspires.org), checked November 1, 2026.
