John Deere FIRST Team Grant 2026-2027
John Deere · Funder
FIRST robotics teams in or near John Deere communities, or with a John Deere employee mentor, can apply for grants covering registration, robot kits, and field setup costs. Awards vary based on demonstrated financial need.
About this grant
This grant supports teams in FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Tech Challenge, and FIRST Robotics Competition. Teams must either be located in an eligible John Deere home community or have a current John Deere employee mentor committed to at least 40 hours of support (for FRC, a mentor is required). Eligible expenses include team registration fees, robot kits, and field setup kits; travel, local event registration, and apparel are not covered. Applications are submitted online through Submittable with different deadlines for each program (FLL Challenge and FTC by September 27, 2025; FRC by November 1, 2025). Funding amounts vary based on financial need, and teams qualifying for the FIRST World Championship may receive additional support.
Who can apply
Must have
The funder turns down applications that miss any of these.
- Organisation typeApplicant must be a 501(c)(3), a school, or apply through a 501(c)(3)
Good to know
Not required. It helps to know before you start.
- Also noteAn employee or member of the funder must mentor or sponsor the team
Application windows
Past rounds stay listed. Most grants reopen around the same time each year.
- 2026Open now
- Deadline
- 24 Sept 2026, 8:00 pm EDT
Different deadlines by program: FIRST LEGO League Challenge by September 27, 2025; FIRST Tech Challenge by September 27, 2025; FIRST Robotics Competition by November 1, 2025
Dates confirmed by a person on 8 Sept 2026Where these came from