FIRST Tech Challenge Awards
Inspire Award
“The team that receives this award is a strong ambassador for FIRST programs and a role model FIRST team.
This team is a top contender for many other judged awards and is a gracious competitor.
The Inspire Award winner is an inspiration to other teams, acting with Gracious Professionalism® both on and
off the playing FIELD. This team shares their experiences, enthusiasm, and knowledge with other teams,
sponsors, their community, and the JUDGES. Working as a unit, this team will have shown success in
performing the task of designing and building a ROBOT.”
Think Award
“This judged award is given to the team that best reflects the journey the team took as they experienced their
season. The content within the PORTFOLIO is the key reference for JUDGES to help identify the most deserving
team. The team could share or provide additional detailed information that is helpful for the JUDGES.”
Connect Award
“This judged award is given to the team that connects with their local science, technology, engineering, and
math (STEM) community to learn and adopt new tools through effort and persistence. This team has a team
plan and has identified steps to achieve their goals. A PORTFOLIO is not required for this award.”
Reach Award
“This award celebrates a team that has introduced and recruited new people into FIRST. Through their efforts,
they have sparked others to embrace the FIRST culture. A PORTFOLIO is not required for this award.”
Sustain Award
“Sustainability and planning are essential for a FIRST team, because they ensure the program’s long-term
success. This award celebrates the team that has considered their future team members and has worked to
ensure that their team or program will continue to exist long after they have gone on to develop their careers. A
PORTFOLIO is not required for this award.”
Innovate Award sponsored by RTX
“The Innovate Award celebrates a team that thinks imaginatively and has the ingenuity, creativity, and
inventiveness to make their designs come to life. This judged award is given to the team that has an innovative
and creative ROBOT design solution to any specific components in the FIRST Tech Challenge game. Elements
of this award include design, robustness, and creative thinking related to design. This award may address the
design of the whole ROBOT or of a MECHANISM attached to the ROBOT and should work consistently during
MATCHES, but does not have to work all the time to be considered for this award. A PORTFOLIO is not required
for this award.”
Control Award
“The Control Award celebrates a team that uses sensors and software to increase the ROBOT’S functionality
during gameplay. This award is given to the team that demonstrates innovative thinking and solutions to solve
game challenges such as autonomous operation, improving mechanical systems with intelligent control, or
using sensors to achieve better results. The solution(s) should work consistently during MATCHES but does
not have to work all the time. Solutions considered for this award are not solely limited to the AUTO period of
the MATCH and may also be used during TELEOP. The team’s PORTFOLIO must contain a summary of the
software, sensors, and mechanical control but would not include copies of the code itself.”
Design Award
“The Design Award celebrates the team that demonstrates an understanding of industrial design principles by
striking a balance between form, function, and aesthetics while meeting the needs of this season’s challenge.
The design process used should result in a ROBOT which is efficiently designed and effectively addresses the
game challenge. A PORTFOLIO is not required for this award.”
Judges’ Choice Award
“This award is optional and not given at all FIRST Tech Challenge events.
During the competition, the judging panel may meet a team whose unique efforts, performance, or dynamics
merit recognition, but does not fit into any of the other award categories. To recognize these unique teams,
FIRST offers a Judges’ Choice Award.”