FOR STUDENTS · SCHOOLS · FAMILIES

Building Robots and building futures.

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC) is the world’s leading student robotics programme. Students aged 12–18 design, build, and program competition robots — developing the engineering, teamwork, and leadership skills that top universities and employers look for.

Over 200 Fortune 500 companies — including Qualcomm, Google, Boeing, and Disney — sponsor FIRST programmes.
Universities including MIT, Stanford, Cambridge, ETH Zurich and TU Delft recognise FIRST experience in admissions — valuing the engineering, leadership, and teamwork skills that FTC participants demonstrate.
A Brandeis University study found that 81% of FIRST alumni go on to pursue STEM degrees. FTC is where the next generation of engineers, entrepreneurs, and innovators gets started.

80+

Countries

6 000+

Teams Worldwide

100 000+

Students

61 %

Major in STEM

How It Works

Each year, FIRST releases a new engineering challenge. Student teams spend months designing, building, and programming a robot to compete — developing real-world skills at every stage.

🛠️

Design & Build

Students engineer their robots from scratch using professional-grade kits. Every mechanism is designed, prototyped, and assembled by the team — building the kind of hands-on engineering experience that universities and employers value.

💻

Program & Automate

Robots are programmed in Java or Blocks. Teams write autonomous routines and driver-controlled programs, developing computational thinking and software skills used across every STEM career.

🏆

Compete & Grow

Teams compete in 2v2 alliance matches and are evaluated on robot performance, engineering process, and community values. Students develop leadership, public speaking, project management, and teamwork — skills that set them apart in university applications.

THIS SEASON

DECODE — 2025–26 Game

DECODE is the 2025–26 FIRST Tech Challenge game. Inspired by archaeology, teams build robots to collect, shoot, and classify ball-shaped artifacts into alliance goals, manage gates to control the flow of play, and align artifact patterns for bonus points, all while collaborating with their alliance partner in fast-paced 2v2 matches.

Game Highlights

▶ Scoring Zones
Collect and shoot ball-shaped artifacts into alliance goals to classify them for points. Overflow artifacts return to the field for additional scoring.

▶ Autonomous Period
The first 30 seconds are fully autonomous — robots execute pre-programmed routines without any driver input.

▶ End Game
In the final seconds, robots race to park in the Base Zone. Alliance bonus points are awarded when both partners succeed.

▶ Alliance Play
Two teams per alliance must coordinate strategy. Communication and cooperation are as important as engineering.

More Than Engineering

FTC develops the qualities that top universities and future employers look for. Two core principles shape every interaction in the programme:

Gracious Professionalism®

Compete with intensity, but treat everyone — including opponents — with respect. Help other teams. Win with grace, lose with dignity. This mindset builds the kind of character that stands out in interviews and applications.

Coopertition®

Cooperate even while competing. Teams share knowledge, lend parts, and support each other — because the goal is to raise the standard for everyone. Students learn that collaboration and competition are not opposites.

Start a Team in Portugal

The purpose of the Lisbon Scrimmage is to become a catalyst for the creation of new competition robotics teams in Portugal. Come see FTC in action and take the first step.

What You Need

A school or youth organisation
2+ adult mentors
1 to 15 students aged 12–18
Starter kit (~€2,000–3,000)
FIRST registration (~€275/year)

Why Start Now?

The Lisbon Scrimmage is the perfect first step. Come as a visitor with your students — watch matches, talk to competing teams, and see exactly what FTC looks like in practice. No robot required.

We will connect you with coaches, point you to official FIRST resources, and support you every step of the way. Portugal’s robotics community is just getting started — your team can be part of it from day one.

Come Watch. No Robot Required.

Entry is free. Grab your ticket below, bring your students, your school, or just your curiosity. Watch the matches, talk to teams, and discover what STEM competition looks like in person.

Free

Spectator Admission

July 18

2026 — One Day Only

~12

Teams Competing

Oeiras

TagusPark, Lisbon

Learn more about the Lisbon Scrimmage →