ROOKIE TEAMS
For brand new Rookie teams only.
Reach out to Gail Alpert Gail@FIRSTinMichigan.org
Now Open
Due September 30, 2025 at 11:59 pm eastern
NASA is very excited your team is planning to participate in FRC this year. You are choosing to provide students with the opportunity to use their minds to accomplish an incredible task: starting with ideas that exist only in the minds of your team members and then creating a functioning robot in only a few weeks. As you get started with the process of applying for sponsorship from NASA, we want to explain a few things to you.
In order to support rapid growth within the FIRST Robotics Competition, FRC, program we will once again be prioritizing awarding rookie team grants and will not be offering any veteran grants this year
ALL TEAMS
Dow team grants are available for FIRST® teams who have a Dow employee mentor AND/OR are based in Dow communities (nearby Dow sites or offices) in the U.S. and Canada – grants for teams in other countries will be subject to a separate process later in the season.
Applicable Dow communities in Michigan.
- Bay County
- Midland County
- Saginaw County
- Isabella County
The International Team Grants offered by Dow will be offered based on a competitive review process.
Dow Grant Details: Awarded FRC teams (based on the application review process) will receive up to $3,000 (three thousand U.S. dollars) grants.
We will use a scoring rubric to evaluate applications. The rubric includes scores (points) given for the following criteria – teams will be evaluated by their responses to the different questions throughout the application process:
- Reach: Number of students in the team. Gender composition of the team will be one of the differentiators.
- Inclusion: Team has awareness of its current Inclusion gaps and improvement opportunities and at least one initiative in this space.
- Community Engagement: Team is engaged in the community, successfully describing one or more community engagement activities
- Team Sustainability: In alignment to the Team Sustainability Award sponsored by Dow, teams understand their environmental impact, have initiatives to reduce their environmental footprint and plan their long-term existence including supporting entry-level category teams.
Teams should apply for and receive the Dow FIRST grant prior to paying for registration and/or product for the 2025-2026 season. If a team pays for registration before getting a grant, their possibilities to use the grant will be reduced considerably! Please click here to learn more about the FIRST payment policies and the grant utilization options.
Important things to note before you apply:
- Teams should be associated with a school or 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (4-H, Girl Scouts, Boys & Girls Club, etc.) in order to be eligible.
- Please register with FIRST because every submission requires a team number to process (a temporary team # is acceptable), but remember: do no pay yet!
- Only submit one application for each team you wish to be considered for a grant. Applications with multiple team numbers will only be considered for one grant.
For questions about team registration, grants, and more please contact FIRST Operations at customerservice@
Please remember, these deadlines are subject to change based on fund availability and business circumstances.
All teams will be notified by November 3rd, 2025 regarding their application decision.
Opens: December 10, 2025.
Closes: February 9, 2026, at 12 PM. (Noon)
OPEN: 8/15/2025
CLOSES: 2/1/2026
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 $350 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:
- Mentor with Direct Toyota affiliation
- Washtenaw county
- Locale type (urban, rural, suburban, other)
- Free/reduced lunch percentage
- Number of students serviced
- Team must be registered with FIRST HQ for the current season.
- Submit one application per team.
- If awarded, the grant check can only be remit 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/.
While all teams are eligible to apply for funding, BAE Systems may prioritize applications meeting at least one of the below criteria:
- Teams located within 75 miles of a BAE Systems site (see application for a list of our locations)
- Teams with BAE Systems mentors; if you are interested in having a BAE Systems mentor, please tell us in your application so we can do our best to match you.
- Teams with an existing relationship with BAE Systems
Teams demonstrating diversity in STEM (meeting one of the criteria below):
- Teams affiliated with Title 1 schools
- Teams with high needs (more than 50% free/reduced lunch rates at affiliated school)
- Teams made up of more than 50% underrepresented populations in STEM fields (women, LGBTQ+ youth, BIPOC and Latinx students, youth with disabilities)
- Teams with exemplary community outreach to underrepresented populations
If you have questions, please reach out to bae.firstrobotics@baesystems.com
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.
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 $350 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.
New DonorsChoose Funding Opportunity Now Open!
3M has generously provided funding to help you pay for expenses related to a FIRST- related project. It won’t fund registration fees for teams or classpacks, but could fund related costs like 3D printers, machines, hand tools, etc.
The grant is open to U.S.-based full-time educators and school district employees who work directly with students at least 75 percent of the time from:
Public Schools
Public Charter Schools
Head Start Centers (PreK only)
Bureau of Indian Education Schools
Follow these steps to apply:
STEP 1: Locate your team or Class Pack Account number or create a new FIRST team or Class Pack in the FIRST Dashboard. Registration for the 2025-2026 season is open now.
STEP 2: Create your DonorsChoose project. Make sure to put FIRST in your project title.
STEP 3: Apply for selective FIRST funding.
Please note: Funding cannot be used to cover the cost of FIRST team or Class Pack registrations. Funding is not guaranteed and projects must meet the donor intent requirements. Priority will be given to underserved teams.
Who is Eligible for this Opportunity?
When available, opportunities are open to U.S.-based full-time educators and school district employees who work directly with students at least 75 percent of the time from:
Public Schools
Public Charter Schools
Head Start Centers (PreK only)
Bureau of Indian Education Schools
In the spirit of the DonorsChoose crowdfunding model, many campaigns will not fund 100 percent of any posted FIRST project. FIRST will not apply funding to projects that include team or Class Pack registration costs.
Application: https://www.kettering.edu/robotics/kgmiaa-sponsorshipsWe are thrilled to announce that the KGMIAA is offering sponsorships for robotics teams at multiple levels for the 2025-2026 academic year. Priority will be given to teams with a Kettering or GMI alumni connection serving as volunteers, coaches, or technical and programming advisors.
New for this year: In place of the traditional written essay, teams may choose to submit either a short written response or a creative video (3 minutes or less). We hope this option allows you to showcase your team’s story, energy, and innovation in the format that works best for you.
Awards will be announced in mid-December.
Questions, please contact Eric Szczepanski, Director of Alumni Engagement at eszczepanski@kettering.edu.
OPEN: 11/14/2025
CLOSES: 12/14/2025
APPLICATION: Hemlock (HSC) Grant (link).
KEY DETAILS:
- Eligibility: High school FIRST robotics teams affiliated with a local high school or a 501(c)(3) organization
- Teams located in Bay, Midland, and Saginaw counties are eligible; others considered if they have an active HSC mentor
- Applications must be completed by students, with mentors/coaches providing guidance only
- Applications must include a clear description of how funds will be used and demonstrate need (e.g., supplies, equipment, registration fees)
GRANT TIMELINE:
- Application Window: November 11 – December 14
- Funding Decisions: Announced by January 5
- Funds Disbursed: Approximately two weeks after approval
GRANT TIPS
- Application lists the team’s correct team number. Most grants require the team’s permanent team number. Temporary team numbers start with “.
- 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 sometimes receives grants from various Donors which are designated to FIRST Teams. These grants are shown on the Team Dashboard. These are restricted donations with parameters as defined and imposed on FIRST HQ by the Donor(s). Should FIRST HQ receive a grant designated to your FIRST Team, FIRST HQ will “re-grant” the funds to your FIRST team as a “pass through” grant with no deductions for overhead or processing costs. 100% of the designated funds will be re-granted provided that the Team follows the guidelines listed below:
To apply for your team’s Regrant Check:
Click on this link: https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/regranting-process-procedures-and-w-9
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on black box labeled “Click here to Submit”.
- This will divert you to a “Submittable” form.
- If you do not have an existing account with Submittable, you will need to create one.
- Please upload a W-9 dated 2015 or later (REQUIRED).
- FIRST HQ cannot disburse funds directly to an individual so the team must find a school, community organization, library, etc. to accept the funding on behalf of the team
- Checks will be made payable to the Entity listed on the W-9
- Once the application is completed, click “Apply” and the form “Submitter” will receive an email from submittable@firstinspires.org indicating that the submission has been received.
- Please allow time for processing and review. An email will be sent to the “Submitter” designated on the form when the application has been accepted or declined.
- Once the application is accepted, FIRST HQ will issue a check on behalf of the team.
