Hi ,

There was an error in the date listed for the FIRST^® Choice Priority List Ordering deadline in our previous email. Please see the corrected time in the email below.

In this week's blast:

⚙️ FIRST^® Choice
⚙️ Missing or Damaged Parts 
⚙️ Payment Deadline for Additional Events 
⚙️ Award Submissions 
⚙️ Holiday Hours 
⚙️ Request for Proposals – Conferences at FIRST Championship
⚙️ FIRST^® Robotics Competition Blog Updates
⚙️ Bumper Guide Resource

Program Updates, Deadlines, & Reminders

Reminder! FIRST^® Choice: Priority List Ordering is open and closes on Monday, January 19, at 12:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to submit a list of items your team is interested in by the deadline to have a chance at getting the items in this round!

Important! Missing or Damaged Parts: The Kickoff Kit replacement parts process closes Saturday, January 17, at 12:00 p.m. ET. If you are a MySite team who received your kit after January 17, please email us at frcparts@firstinspires.org within two (2) business days of receipt of your Kickoff Kit with any missing/damaged items. For more information about this process please check the Kit of Parts page.

Next week! Payment Deadline for Additional Events: Payment is due Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET for all teams registered for additional events.

Award Submissions: 2026 award application portals are open for multiple awards, with deadlines upcoming next month. Review award details and review the deadlines below: 

🏆 Dean’s List Award, closing Thursday, February 5, at 3:00 p.m. ET 

🏆 Woodie Flowers Award, closing Thursday, February 5, at 3:00 p.m. ET 

🏆 FIRST Impact Award, closing Thursday, February 12, at 3:00 p.m. ET 

Holiday Hours: FIRST Headquarters will close at 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday, January 16 through Monday, January 19, 2026, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We will resume normal hours on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Request for Proposals – Conferences at FIRST Championship presented by BAE Systems: FIRST is currently accepting proposals for conference sessions that will be running Wednesday, April 29, through Friday, May 1, at the 2026 FIRST Championship. Students, mentors, educators, coaches, volunteers, staff, and sponsors are welcome to submit a proposal before submissions close on January 31, 2026. Presenters will be notified in late February if they have been selected. Apply now! If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 FIRST Robotics Competition Blog Updates:   

✏️ Post Kickoff Information 

✏️ 2026 Team Avatars

Resource of the Week: This week’s resource is our newly updated Bumper Guide! In case you missed it, the bumper rules have been updated for the 2026 season and this guide outlines information on how to make bumpers in a variety of ways depending on your preferred design.

Upcoming Important Dates:

⚙️ Saturday, January 17, at 12:00 p.m. ET – Kickoff Kit Replacement Parts System Closes 
⚙️ Monday, January 19, at 12:00 p.m. ET – FIRST Choice: Priority Lists Closes 
⚙️ Wednesday, January 21, at 5:00 p.m. ET – Payment Due - FIRST Robotics Competition Additional Registered Event(s) 
⚙️ Friday, January 30, at 12:00 p.m. ET – FIRST Choice Regular Ordering Opens