GRANTS

Amazing grants are available to FIRST in Michigan middle school FIRST Tech Challenge teams. The combination of the rookie team grants completely covers a new team’s start up costs and puts money in the team’s pocket!

Teams should carefully review grant eligibility requirements and application procedures. Participation in a sanctioned FIRST in Michigan event is a requirement of all grants.

ROOKIE TEAMS
FIRST HQ & FiM FTC Rookie Grants

Visit the START A ROOKIE TEAM WITH GRANTS site page to learn about available FIRST HQ and FIRST in Michigan FTC grants for newly forming, middle school teams and how to apply.

ALL TEAMS

FIRST HQ Team grants

Visit the FIRST HQ team grants site page https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/team-grants for a list of grant offerings managed through FIRST HQ. New grant opportunities will be posted throughout the year, so check back often.

Gear Up Grant, courtesy of FTC 14706 - Open, Closes 9/21

OPEN:         September, 2025
CLOSES:     September 21
FLYER/APPLICATION LINK: Gear Up Grant  (link).

DETAILS:
We are team 14706, the Armada Pi-Gears from Armada Middle School. We are a 7th year FTC team. Since 2020 our team has been giving out the “Gear Up Grant”. The grant was established so that our team may be able to help other teams as we have been helped by grants and sponsorships since the start of our team in 2018.

Our grant targets 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year FTC teams that may help them make purchases now before many grant funds can be disbursed. Each grant awardee will receive $150. There will be 4 team recipients.

Toyota FIRST Team Grant - Open

OPEN:         August 15
CLOSES:     February 1
APPLICATION:  Toyota FIRST Team Grant  (link).
DETAILS:

Toyota is pleased to offer a state-wide grant to new and returning FIRST in Michigan middle and high school teams intended to expand and sustain STEM access in rural and urban communities.

The grant provides up to $325 in funding for selected new/returning middle school FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) teams and up to $1,000 for selected new/returning high school FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) teams.

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • This is a competitive grant which takes into consideration the following factors:
    • Locale type (urban, rural, suburban, other)
    • Free/reduced lunch percentage
    • Number of students serviced
    • Team’s FIRST history
    • Direct Toyota affiliation
  • Team must be registered with FIRST HQ for the current season.
  • Submit one application per team.
  • If awarded, the grant check can only be remitted to the team’s fiscal partner.
    • The team’s fiscal partner is the School, District, 501(c)(3) Organization, Foundation, or other entity that administrates grant funds on behalf of the team. Grant checks cannot be made payable to individuals.
    • Please include the team’s fiscal partner’s information in the remittance information portion of the grant form.
  • Teams accepting grant funds must agree to recognize Toyota as a team sponsor and must satisfy their FIRST in Michigan program’s competition participation requirement.
  • Help “make it loud” on social media! Social media handles can be found at this link: https://pressroom.toyota.com/social/.

Autodesk FIRST Team Grant - Open, reviewed quarterly

OPEN:         August 15
CLOSES:     Reviewed quarterly until grant funds are expended.
APPLICATION:  Autodesk FIRST Team Grant (link)
DETAILS:

Autodesk is pleased to offer a state-wide grant to new and returning FIRST in Michigan middle and high school teams intended to expand and sustain STEM access for teams that are composed of underserved populations and/or are underresourced.

The grant provides up to $325 in funding for selected new/returning middle school FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) teams and up to $1,000 for selected new/returning high school FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) teams.

Grants are reviewed on a quarterly rolling basis. Sponsorship is limited to one award per team per season.

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • This is a competitive grant which takes into consideration the following factors:
    • Locale type (urban, rural, suburban, other)
    • Free/reduced lunch percentage
    • Usage of Autodesk products
  • Team must be registered with FIRST HQ for the current season.
  • Submit one application per team.
  • If awarded, the grant check can only be remitted to the team’s fiscal partner.
    • The team’s fiscal partner is the School, District, 501(c)(3) Organization, Foundation, or other entity that administrates grant funds on behalf of the team. Grant checks cannot be made payable to individuals.
    • Please include the team’s fiscal partner’s information in the remittance information portion of the grant form.
  • Teams accepting grant funds must agree to recognize Autodesk as a team sponsor and must satisfy their FIRST in Michigan program’s competition participation requirement.

MDE 99h Robotics Grant - Closed

OPEN:         TBA
CLOSES:     TBA
AMOUNT:  Team grant + coach stipend (see below)
GRANT INFORMATION: https://www.michigan.gov/mde/services/financial-management/grants/oset-grants/99h—robotics
DETAILS:  2024-25 SEASON INFO BELOW

The State has approved $5,323,200 in support of FIRST Robotics teams affiliated with MDE recognized public schools/charters/academies across all programs. Additionally, $600,000 has been approved in support of FIRST Robotics teams affiliated with MDE recognized non-public schools across all programs. Non-publics schools need to establish a SIGMA Vendor Code with the MDE prior to the grant closing date.

MIDDLE SCHOOL- FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Proposed Amounts

Grants 1st Year Rookie All Returning Teams
Stipend (MDE)      Up to $ 1,500         Up to $ 1,500
Team Support (MDE)      Up to $ 2,200         Up to $ 1,500

*Actual stipend and team support amounts may be adjusted based on the availability of funding.

If approved, a lumpsum payout (new) will be made as part of the school’s monthly state aid payout.  The grant is available for application on the MDE’s NexSys system (not MEGS+) which is accessible by the Level 5 employee (usually someone in finance) for the school or district.

Applying teams must be registered with FIRST HQ for the 2024-2025 season. Participation in a sanctioned FIRST in Michigan FTC engagement option in the 2024-2025 season is a requirement of teams that receive the MDE FIRST Robotics grant award.

Teams applying for this grant must list their school affiliation on their Team Profile. The Team Profile can be edited via the team’s Dashboard accessible from the FIRST Account of the Lead Coach/Mentor 1 & 2.

Resources like the Technical Assistance Webinar recording and PowerPoint, the Request For Proposal (RFP), 99h FAQs, etc. can be found at this link: https://www.michigan.gov/mde/services/financial-management/grants/oset-grants/99h—robotics.

How to Apply:

  • The grant must be initiated and submitted by the person in your school/district with Level 5 clearance. This person is usually in the superintendent’s office. The Level 5 can give the coach Level 3 or 4 clearance to fill it out once it is initiated. Then, the Level 5 can review the information and submit the application.
  • Any MDE recognized public or non-public school/district may apply for the grant.
  • All of a school’s/district’s FIRST teams should be included on a single application. The application allows you to add “pages” for each team across programs. It should include all of the FRC, FTC, FLL-Challenge/Explore/Discover teams in your school/district.
  • If you are a non-public school and don’t have a SIGMA vendor number with the state yet, you must establish one. Do this right away.
  • The award amounts in the grant are qualified with the words “up to”. This serves to alert you that this is the maximum amount the team may be awarded but the numbers may be adjusted downward based on the number of applicants in order for payouts to stay within the allocated funding.
  • The team budget is part of the application. There is no longer a separate spending plan.
  • Make sure you communicate right away with your Level 5 because the closing date will come more quickly than you think.
  • Participating in a sanctioned FIRST in Michigan FTC competition in the 2024-2025 season is a requirement of the grant. Participating in a fall, winter-remote, or spring FiM FTC event satisfies this requirement.
  • Please reach out to tammy@firstinmichigan.org if you have any issues. I may not have the answers but I can help direct you to someone who does.
Grant Application Resources:

REV Robotics FTC Team Grant - Open, Closes 9/16

For the 2025-2026 season, REV Robotics is thrilled to award $100,000 in total in FTC and FRC team sponsorships. Visit https://www.revrobotics.com/blog/team-rev-sponsorship/?mc_cid=9e698a5487&mc_eid=521cdabc96 to apply.

Sponsorship applications are open NOW through September 16, 2027. We look forward to welcoming the new class of #TeamREV in Fall 2024!

Dream Maker Fund Grant - Closed

This grant is by invitation only.

DETAILS:

In 2020, Patti and Eric Poppe established The Dream Maker Fund at the Jackson Community Foundation. The Dream Maker project vision is to inspire parents and their children, particularly families of Consumers Energy employees and communities in which they live, to engage in FIRST programs at the middle and high school level. All members of a FIRST team affiliated with Dream Makers will be encouraged to participate in career exploration and planning activities leading to the development of a plan post high school. Ultimately, the goal is to inspire children through FIRST programs to pursue fulfilling STEM education and careers. Link to Dream Maker Fund logo.

DonorsChoose

For teams where a coach/mentor is an educator:

The  DonorsChoose program has a FIRST affiliation that has really paid for several of our MI FTC teams. News Corp. is in their 3rd and final year as a matching partner for FIRST projects submitted through DonorsChoose. Lately, they’ve been doing a 2X match on FIRST projects.

Other Funding Ideas

Teams should connect to companies in their area for additional grant opportunities. Encourage team parents/mentors to reach out to their employers. Many companies have grants available to employees who are engaged in youth STEM programming.

GRANT TIPS
Items to check before submitting a grant application.

  • Application lists the team’s correct team number. Most grants require the team’s permanent team number. Temporary team numbers start with “2020.
  • Where required, uploaded proof of purchase document(s) must be properly labeled with team number
  • The “remit to” name on the grant check must be the team’s fiscal partner. The team’s fiscal partner is the School, District, 501(c)(3) Organization, Foundation, or other entity that administrates grant funds on behalf of the team. Grant checks cannot be made payable to individuals.
  • Veteran teams at a given school or organization must be registered for the current season.
  • Team should have two screened coaches
  • Team profile should list your team’s school or organization affiliation.

FIRST HQ Payment and Grant Handling Changes.

  • FIRST will no longer be able to replace original payments with other funding after FTC Storefront orders are complete.  Once check out is complete, the order and payment method are final.
  • Before completing an FTC Storefront purchase, teams should ensure they have received and applied all anticipated grant funding and, if applicable, uploaded their Sales Tax Exemption Certificate.
  • If a team receives grant funding (remit through FIRST) after their FTC Storefront order is completed, FIRST will apply funding received on behalf of a team (checks, grants, etc.) as a “credit” on the team’s account. These funds can be used on future orders during the 2022-2023 season.
  • IMPORTANT: FIRST no longer regrants unused FTC Storefront funds to lower program teams (FTC, FLL-C, FLL-E). Unused funds at the end of the season will be returned to the original grantor/sponsor. Teams should coordinate with their sponsors to allocate and utilize the team’s funding with this in mind.

Recommendation: It’s best for teams, where possible, to establish a local fiscal partner who can accept grant funds on behalf of the team. This can be the team’s school/district, local educational foundation, or trusted local 501c3 organization. Grant funds usually cannot be remitted to individuals.

Ways to thank a grant sponsor.

Say “thank you” to grant sponsors by recognizing their contribution on the team’s social media outlets and include their brand on the team’s robot, pit swag, team shirts, engineering book, etc.  Sponsors often serve as volunteers at events and visit the teams that accept their funding.  Logos are available for download on the RESOURCES site page.