Robotics Competition Grant

Eligible Applicants

• Intermediate school districts (ISDs), local education agencies (LEAs), both traditional public school districts and public school academies (PSAs), are eligible to apply.

• Nonpublic schools (Nonpubs) are eligible to apply if they are registered with MDE.

Entity Requirements

• Establish a partnership with at least one sponsor. This may include a business entity, higher education institution, technical school, or an individual. A sponsor shall not be the approved program provider or an individual that is the school principal, superintendent, or any other school administrator. 
• Provide a local in-kind or cash match from other private or local funds for at least 25% of the total cost of the Robotics Competition Grant award. 
• Provide relevant student participant information, as determined by MDE, to program providers. 
• Nonpublic school applicants must meet the same eligibility requirements as ISDs and LEAs. Additionally, nonpublic schools must be registered with MDE and adhere to all applicable state reporting requirements for nonpublic schools.

Team Requirements

• Participate in at least one in-person competition registered with the approved program provider or participate in the minimum number of competitions as determined by the approved program provider. The minimum number of required competitions must occur during the current season and openly invite teams from other schools or school districts to compete. 
• If funding is requested for more than one team for a building, the school or school district is required to meet the minimum requirements for team size as determined by the approved program provider. 

Awarded funds must only be used for: 

• Coach Stipends: To provide stipends for coaches. Applying entities may request up to $1,500 per building.
• Support Awards: Covers event registrations, materials, travels costs, and other expenses associated with the preparation for and attendance at robotics events and competitions.
• Advancement Awards: Teams advancing to the next competition level may receive equal awards contingent on funding availability. Advancement award requests were not included in the initial FY26 Robotics Competition Grant application and therefore not included in your entity's award.

Restrictions

Awarded funds may not be pooled and redistributed among other teams or used for expenses outside of this program. Please review the Award Details and Guidance document to view your entity’s approved funding requests. 

FY26 Important Application Resources

• Robotics Competition Grant Request for Proposal (RFP)
• Robotics Competition Grant Application Instructions
• How to Find your SIGMA Vendor and Mail Code Instructions (Nonpubs Only)
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

FY26 Application Requirements

• Register for the current robotics competition season with an MDE approved program provider.  
• Complete a cumulative spending plan for the requested award amount.  
• Agree to establish a partnership with at least one sponsor. This may include a business/nonprofit, a higher education institute, a technical school, or an individual. 
• Agree to provide a local in-kind or cash match from other private or local funds for at least 25% of the total award amount requested. 
• Provide an official team number for all teams listed on the application. 
• Have a robotics competition coach in place for the current season. 

State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECHs) 

Educators serving as coaches or mentors for the Robotics Competition Grant have the opportunity to earn SCECHs. These hours can be used for renewal and progression of certificates and licenses issued by MDE. 

Requirements to Earn SCECHs 

• Applications for SCECHs under the Robotics Competition Grant must be submitted by the educator serving as a coach or mentor. 
• Applicants must include their Personal Identification Code (PIC) within their application. Directions to determine your PIC are included in the application.  
• Applicants may only claim hours as a coach or mentor for teams that participated in the required number of competitions. 
• Time spent at competitions do not count towards SCECHs and should not be logged. 

SCECH Calculation 

For every ten hours of contact, one SCECH is awarded. A maximum number of 40 SCECHs can be awarded for robotics coaching. Time spent at competitions do not count towards SCECHs and should not be included in your log. 

1 SCECH = 10 hours of service 

SCECH Log and Application

All Robotics Competition Grant SCECH applications are due June 1, 2026. Late submissions will not be accepted. Submitted SCECH applications will not be processed until after the June 1, 2026, due date. Please allow at least two weeks after the due date for your SCECH hours to update. 

1. Record your eligible coaching hours using the SCECH Log. Eligible coaching hours are outlined in the Requirements section above. 
2. Complete the SCECH Application by June 1, 2026. In the application, please upload your completed SCECH Log.

Program Provider Requirements 

• Make all programs available to students in the state of Michigan regardless of geographical location. 
• Organize competitions that are registered and open to teams, ensuring teams from other schools and school districts are invited to participate. 
• Agree to aggregate relevant individual team competition data received by schools and school districts and provide this data to MDE as needed in a manner determined by MDE. 
• Submit registration information to the department, including any fees; pledge to post this information on the provider's website; and, by not later than January 1 of the current fiscal year, submit this information to the department for publication on this webpage.
• Program providers shall not work with MDE to set prices or policies for the program. 
• Adhere to any additional requirements set forth by MDE, including guidelines for competition advancement and participation. 

How to Become an Approved Program Provider 

• The application window for becoming an approved FY26 program provider is CLOSED. Please return to this webpage at a later date for more information on becoming an approved FY27 program provider.