I “inherited” 3 FTC teams, 2 are active this year. We have received grant money form Lockheed Martin. THANK YOU LM!!
The problem is, we have lots of “Kits” from previous years. We just need to order specific parts or mechanisms. Does anyone know the process to just purchase specific parts from Rev, Pitsco, or Gobilda through the FIRST Storefront?
It’s currently not possible (to my knowledge), although it has been suggested by certain FTC Program Delivery Partners. I’d suggest that you also email your PDP and let them know your team’s needs so they can convey that information along as well.
That is actually where this all began, I have even connected with a PDP two states away. I was directed to Pitsco support, then from there to FIRST Customer support. Every time I ask this question, I get the same sad answer. The changes made this year are truely preventing the grant money from being benificial to the teams they are awarded to.
If this is to be the new future norm, I think it’ll be important for FIRST to work with AndyMark and get the game sets into the registration storefront. For veteran teams, a lot of the things on there aren’t things I have/want to buy every year, but it’s very hard to practice without season specific items.
For us personally, we’re going to have to work harder as the cost of game sets, team meals, extraneous robot parts, no longer have their usual source of funding.
With what’s left of our grant money in the storefront, we’re either going to be leaving dollars on the table, or spending a little bit to cover the difference to use it all. Which isn’t ideal, especially for items we don’t 100% have a desire for.
Regarding the change itself, I learned it here on CD, not through any FIRST update. Which, I’m sure was there somewhere and perhaps I’m quite blind, but that is perhaps the most frustrating part, this sort of update should have been blindingly obvious.
I’m just curious. Has anyone who has provided feedback to FIRST via FirstTechChallenge@FIRSTInspires.org , received any feedback from FIRST that they received your message? You know, feddback on your feedback. So far it has only been crickets for me.
I have been advocating for this to change in favor of teams who need the money, but I have been told by people at FTC HQ that it’s no longer possible and there is nothing they can do about it. I have several teams in the region that I represent who have the same issue with lots of money in their account that they cannot access that they would’ve been able to access in past years. It’s unfortunate that some people in the bureaucracy seem to have forgotten the reason that this program exists and whom they serve.
