Hi everyone, I am looking for some tips and advices on how my team can get Sponsors for 2025, we have always struggled to get them and some of them are from people we known as in family of my teammates, but apart from that we lack Sponsors, I am not from this area but in all honestly my team is not the best at working when they have to, specially the guy who should be writing this instead of me, so because of it I wanna help my team in any way I can and also learn about the topic. I appreciate any help given!
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Hey! It’s awesome that you’re taking the initiative to help your team secure sponsors, even when things might not be going as smoothly as you’d like. Getting sponsors is definitely one of the biggest hurdles for any FRC team, especially when you’re relying on personal connections like family. But, there are a lot of ways you can branch out and find sponsors in your area, and it all starts with a solid strategy.
First, start with your team’s story. Companies want to know what they’re supporting and why. Try to create a compelling narrative about your team, what you stand for, and what you’ve achieved. Even if your team isn’t super competitive yet, there’s a lot to be said for your mission in terms of inspiring students in STEM, teamwork, and community outreach. You can highlight any special projects you’ve done, the impact robotics has had on your members, or even goals you have for the future. Sponsors love to hear how their support can contribute to something meaningful.
It’s also important to make it as easy as possible for potential sponsors to understand what’s in it for them. This is where a good sponsorship packet comes in. Have clear levels of sponsorship, explaining what the sponsor will get in return, whether that’s their logo on your robot, social media shout-outs, or an invitation to events like competitions or demos. The more tangible you make it for them, the more likely they’ll see value in contributing.
When it comes to reaching out, look beyond family connections. Local businesses can be great partners, and sometimes they just need to be asked. Go for companies that already have an interest in STEM, education, or community development, but don’t be afraid to reach out to others too. Even small businesses that aren’t tech-related might want to support something that benefits students locally. The key is to get out there and network—whether that’s cold-calling, emailing, or visiting local shops in person to pitch your team. If you can, try to get everyone on your team involved in some way so the workload doesn’t fall on one person.
Also, don’t overlook grants. There are several foundations that provide funding for STEM and FIRST Robotics teams, like the Gene Haas grant for FIRST teams. Sometimes it just takes applying to the right opportunities and writing a good application to get a decent chunk of your funding.
Lastly, think about how you can build relationships with current sponsors. Even if they start small, keeping them in the loop with your team’s progress and inviting them to events can turn them into long-term supporters who may increase their sponsorship over time. It’s all about maintaining those connections and showing them the impact of their contributions.
Hopefully, that gives you some solid starting points. Good luck with your sponsor hunt, and it’s great that you’re stepping up to help your team!
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Appreciate it, I will start looking more on collecting about my teams history and gathering more information for it and I will also look on the Gene Haas grant, thanks for the tips and advices!!
Althought I would also like to ask on how I could go on talkign about my team which has never been in a great state like it has tis golden eras and then it has been quite death like, for example my team was created around 2011 and it has only got 2 regional wins, one in 2016 and another in 2023, and we have got I believe 3 finalist and some other minor awards, and I wanna know how I can make my team stand out with its current situation. A downsize my team has is that it is mainly controlled by my school, which means all sponsorships needs to go by my school name but I need to first find them and talk with them before going into more details.
The one thing I would add is be a team (brand) that your sponsors want to be associated with.
“Your logo can be on our shirts and robot … for 3 days at a competition 200 miles away”
isn’t much value for most sponsors. But what if: students from your team also:
- mentored local FLL teams,
- volunteered at (or helped create) STEAM day at your local public library,
- brought your robot to your local elementary school science nights,
- appeared in the local July 4th and/or homecoming parades,
- had a booth at the county fair,
- offered a robot demo at each sponsor each year,
- was active in promoting STEM in a local social media group,
- anything else you can think of to associate your team with the mission of FIRST in your town.
And do all of it with Gracious Professionalism. When ever a member is wearing your logo it is an opportunity to grow your “brand”. (or destroy it).
Speaking of the above, consider developing the points of a (30 second-ish) “Elevator Pitch” so when someone sees your team or even a single member and asks “Team XYZ Robotics, what’s that all about?”, you can give them a quick answer that they walk away with feeling “wow, they do some really cool stuff”.
BTW, when I say “points of” I’m suggesting each member makes the pitch their own, not developing some spiel that everyone memorizes and robotically repeats word for word.