Hello, I represent a rookie robotics team that is just starting up this year in the Silicon Valley. We need to raise another $2K to register in the FRC competition. One of our registered mentors is an Apple employee. What would be the best way to go about securing the Apple grant?
Is it open to other non-apple affiliated teams?
Its really really easy to get. I DMed you my info and have your Apple mentor send me an email on their Apple account and Ill forward the info over. The grant is 6k for rookies.
Apple Corporate or Retail as well?
Can you DM me also I would love apple to sponsor us also
From what I have heard it is mostly for Silicon Valley teams with mentors who are employed by Apple, but I could be wrong.
This is correct, with **very **few exceptions.
The grant is open to any team with an Apple employee who mentors. Location does not matter.
Do you know if retail employees count?
If they are an Apple employee with an Apple email than they should count.
Here’s the requirement from the grant itself:
All teams applying for this grant must have an identified eligible Apple employee* as a coach or mentor during the 2017-18 season. *Both full-time and part-time employees are eligible to request a grant for the team. You must be able to provide the Name, Apple email address, and the HR LOB for this employee.
Anyone have a link for the actual grant? We have two Apple employees willing to fill it out but don’t know the process.
Or please message me with info for my Apple employee to use. Thanks!
Once you get the Apple Grant, please note Apple does not want recognition. Which means don’t put their logo on things.
Also, if I recall correctly, do not place their name as a sponsor in any locations.
Here’s the quote from FRC Grants.
Great question and thank you for asking! Apple actually does not want teams to acknowledge them. Your team is more than welcome to send a thank you (if you would like) to Headquarters and we can ensure it reaches them on your behalf but you do not need to put their logo or anything on tshirts, robots, etc. You are welcome to put anonymous if you would like to!
I’m curious as to why this is? It seems like it’s just Apple who does this.
EDIT: sniped
It isn’t. You just don’t know about anybody else who does it, because they don’t put their names on stuff. 
One of my previous teams had an anonymous sponsor for many years.
There’s a variety of reasons, I think, but I think the biggest one is that sometimes people just don’t like the publicity of “We sponsor XYZ teams that do this!”
Id bet apple doesnt want people thinking their technology or engineering has anything to do with frc bots on the field.
Apple doesnt want a robot with their logo on it having a bad auton, crashing into a wall and setting on fire. Just bad press for a company like them who have the majority of their market share based on reputation and not actual tech.
I was wondering if the process is the same for 2019. My team was recipients of this grant for the 2018 season, and our apple employee was looking for the grant for next year.
My team got the grant last year too and I was just about to ask on CD as well because our Apple mentor was curious where to find it. Any help would be greatly appreciated too! Thanks.