# About Sponsorship

The Florida _FIRST_ Tech Challenge program relies on the generous support of our volunteers and sponsors.
If you or your company are interested in supporting the next generation of STEM leaders, please contact us:

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**AJ Foster**<br>
Program Delivery Partner<br>
[afoster@firstpartners.org](mailto:afoster@firstpartners.org)
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## Opportunities

There are three main opportunities to support the Florida _FIRST_ Tech Challenge program:

- Direct to team funding
- League-level sponsorship
- Program-level sponsorship (including sponsorship of the Florida Championship)

### Direct to Team Funding

_FIRST_ Tech Challenge teams face startup and seasonal costs.
A **brand new** _FIRST_ Tech Challenge team requires:

- $325 _FIRST_ registration fee
- $150–300 League fee
- $285 Driver Kit
- $325 Electronics Kit
- $650+ Hardware Kit
- $250 (partial) or $485 (full) Game Set
- Additional costs for tools and additional hardware

Even if teams receive grants through _FIRST_, they are unable to pay their league fee or purchase additional tools and hardware with this money.
Your support can help a new team get off the ground.

**Returning teams** require (each season):

- $325 _FIRST_ registration fee
- $150–300 League fee
- $250 (partial) or $485 (full) Game Set
- Additional costs for tools and additional hardware

For supporters in Florida, direct-to-team support can impact students in your local area or around the state.

!!!question Interested?
Contact **AJ Foster** ([afoster@firstpartners.org](mailto:afoster@firstpartners.org)) if you would like to discuss direct-to-team funding options.
Please note that _FIRST_ privacy policy restricts sharing coach contact information, however we can facilitate connections with potential sponsors.
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### League-Level Sponsorship

Florida is divided into geographic _Leagues_ where teams spend most of their season.
Leagues are informal entities led by League Leadership Committees identified by the Program Delivery Partner.
They often work with affiliate nonprofit organizations to handle their finances.

Leagues are responsible for planning and executing the majority of events throughout the season.
This requires purchasing game sets, providing volunteer lunches, and paying venue fees.
Teams pay a seasonal league fee to cover these costs.

!!! A note about league fees...
Sponsorship of a league can reduce the costs of all league teams.
League fees cannot be paid using grant money held by _FIRST_, so this can have a great impact on those teams.
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!!!question Interested?
Contact **AJ Foster** ([afoster@firstpartners.org](mailto:afoster@firstpartners.org)) to get connected with league leaders in your area.
!!!

### Program-Level Sponsorship

At the program level, the majority of costs relate to the Florida Championship event.
This Regional Championship hosts top teams that advance from each league at a two-day tournament and celebration.
Teams advance from this event to the _FIRST_ Championship event and Premier Events around the world.

Creating an event of this scale requires significant expenses related to the venue, volunteer meals, and materials.
We are grateful to our sponsors for enabling a high-quality event for our top teams.

!!!question Interested?
Contact **AJ Foster** ([afoster@firstpartners.org](mailto:afoster@firstpartners.org)) for sponsorship opportunities.
!!!