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Business, Operations & Fundraising·Lesson 23 of 49

The FIRST Team Grant Opportunities Portal

Your single most important grant resource: the official FIRST grant directory.

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Start at the source

The FIRST Team Grant Opportunities page (firstinspires.org/programs/team-grant-opportunities) is the official, regularly updated directory of grants offered to FRC teams through FIRST and its sponsors. Many of these grants apply funds directly to your FIRST account as a credit toward registration, which means the money never touches your bank account and is essentially impossible to misuse. Check this page every year, because programs, amounts, and deadlines change season to season.

Major programs you will find there

Based on the 2025-2026 cycle, the portal listed grants such as:

  • NASA FRC Sponsorship Grants - covers first-Regional (or district) registration for eligible US Rookie, New Veteran, and Year-Two teams. (Covered in depth in the next lesson; deadline Sept 30, 2025.)
  • BAE Systems, Inc. FRC Grant - US teams, with priority to teams within ~75 miles of a BAE site, teams with BAE mentors, existing BAE relationships, or Title I / high-need schools (40%+ free/reduced lunch). (2025-2026 deadline around Sept 13.)
  • Boeing FRC Team Grant - for teams that have a Boeing employee mentor. (2025-2026 deadline Nov 14.)
  • Arconic Foundation Grant - $1,500 for FRC teams in specified counties across several states. (Deadline Oct 31, 2025.)
  • Dow FRC International Team Grant - up to $3,000 for international (non-US/Canada) teams with Dow employee mentors or in Dow communities. (Deadline Sept 30, 2025.)
  • Digital Citizen Fund Rookie Team Grant - up to five grants of $5,000 each for US rookie teams that are all- or majority-female.
  • Fikret Yuksel Foundation - a $2,000 registration grant for teams based in Turkiye. (Deadline Nov 15, 2025.)

How to read a grant listing

For every grant, capture four things: (1) eligibility (geography, mentor relationship, school demographics, rookie/veteran status), (2) what it funds (registration credit vs cash vs in-kind), (3) the deadline, and (4) the application steps. Several 2025-2026 deadlines clustered in September-November (BAE ~Sept 13, NASA Sept 30, Arconic Oct 31, Boeing Nov 14, Fikret Yuksel Nov 15), so build a grant calendar early.

Pro tip: leverage mentor employers

Notice how many corporate grants require an employee mentor from that company. If a parent or volunteer works at Boeing, BAE, Dow, or a similar firm, that connection can unlock a grant and often an employer matching-gift program too. Survey your families early in the season.

Key takeaways

  • The FIRST Team Grant Opportunities portal is the official, updated directory and many grants apply directly as registration credit
  • Several corporate grants (Boeing, BAE, Dow) require an employee mentor, so survey your families for employer connections
  • Build a grant calendar; many 2025-2026 deadlines fell between September and November

Go deeper

Lesson quiz

Required

Answer all 3 questions correctly to complete this lesson.

1.On the FIRST Team Grant Opportunities portal, what ultimately determines which grants a team is eligible for and any restrictions attached to them?

2.Why does FIRST warn teams not to check out of the storefront before an expected grant is actually awarded?

3.Which FIRST programs are served by grant listings in the Team Grant Opportunities portal?

Answer every question to submit.