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Business, Operations & Fundraising·Lesson 24 of 49

The NASA FRC Sponsorship Grant

NASA's grant can cover your first event registration; here is exactly who qualifies and how.

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What the NASA grant does

The NASA FRC Sponsorship Grant, administered through NASA's Robotics Alliance Project (RAP), helps US-based teams cover the registration cost of their first Regional event (or district registration in district states). Funding is sent directly to FIRST and applied as an account credit - it is never routed to the team, which keeps the process clean and accountable.

Who is eligible

NASA prioritizes growing and sustaining newer teams. For the 2025-2026 cycle, eligibility centered on three categories:

  • Rookie teams - brand-new teams that have never competed in an official FRC event.
  • New Veteran teams - recently established teams per the program's definition.
  • Year-Two teams - teams that were identified as Rookies in the 2025 FRC season and received a NASA sponsorship that year. Year-Two applicants typically must show they have secured around $5,000 in corporate funds and commit to mentoring another robotics team.

Long-established veteran teams were not offered grants in this cycle, because the program prioritizes rookie and early-team expansion. Funding is also contingent on congressional appropriations, so it can vary year to year.

Key dates and requirements (2026 cycle)

For the 2026 season the application was due September 30, 2025 (11:59:59 PM EDT), a firm cutoff with no exceptions, and awards were announced in the fall. Selected teams had obligations such as:

  • Including 'NASA' as a sponsor in their official team name on record with FIRST
  • Completing entrance and exit surveys (entrance before Kickoff, exit at season's end)
  • Submitting an annual report essay
  • Obtaining an institutional support/endorsement letter from their school/institution
  • Completing a robot and using the sponsorship only for the original applying team

How to apply well

  1. Confirm your category (Rookie, New Veteran, Year-Two) on the Robotics Alliance Project site.
  2. Gather your institutional endorsement early; it is a common bottleneck.
  3. For Year-Two, document your corporate fundraising and your mentoring commitment before you apply.
  4. Calendar every downstream deadline (surveys, support letter, annual report), because missing them can affect future eligibility.

Why this grant matters

For an eligible rookie, the NASA grant can effectively neutralize the single largest cost on your budget - your first event registration - turning a daunting $6,300 line item into something far more manageable while you build out your sponsor base.

Key takeaways

  • The NASA grant covers first-event registration for eligible US Rookie, New Veteran, and Year-Two teams and is paid as a FIRST account credit
  • Year-Two eligibility typically requires ~$5,000 in corporate funds raised and a commitment to mentor another team
  • Selected teams must add 'NASA' to their team name and complete surveys, an endorsement letter, and an annual report

Go deeper

Lesson quiz

Required

Answer all 3 questions correctly to complete this lesson.

1.How are NASA FRC Sponsorship Grant funds delivered to a selected team?

2.In recent seasons, which teams has the NASA Robotics Alliance Project prioritized for FRC sponsorship grants?

3.What does a team need to demonstrate to qualify for a second (year-two) year of NASA FRC sponsorship?

Answer every question to submit.