GRANT DESCRIPTION
The STEM Competition Grant supports Utah students, grades K-12, participating in STEM competitions throughout the state and replaces the previous Fairs, Camp, and Competitions Grant. This grant is available for Utah educators and administrators to apply for funding to improve student understanding and learning experiences in the subjects of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
In previous years, competitions that have been approved for funding included (but were not limited to):
- State & Regional STEM Olympiads
- VEX and First Robotics Competitions
- State & Regional Science and Engineering Fairs
- Math Contests
- Coding Competitions
This is not an exhaustive list. However, the STEM Action Center reserves the right to fund only competitions that provide meaningful STEM opportunities for students.
If you have questions about whether a competition would be approved, please email Sarah Broadbent directly at sbroadbent@utah.gov with a description of the competition you are interested in having approved.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Any organization with a W9 can apply on behalf of the students benefitting from the grant. Non profit and private organizations are now eligible for this funding. Multiple applications per school will be accepted. Make sure to work with other potential applicants from your school or organization to discuss financial needs. There is a potential maximum award of $5,000 per school and organization, regardless of how many applicants apply per school. *Awards will be paid and sent to the district/LEA or the address listed on the W9 document.
FUNDING
Grant requests may vary, with a maximum award of up to $5,000 per school. Funding amounts will be determined based on the number of students participating. Program costs cannot exceed an average amount of $100.00 per student**. This grant operates as a reimbursement. All grant purchases will need to be made by the grantee prior to receiving the awarded amount. Itemized receipts and a final report, turned in via the grant portal, will need to be received and accepted in order to receive your awarded amount.
*Tax Exemption & Reimbursements: Please note that Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are tax-exempt organizations. Consequently, the STEM Action Center will not reimburse any sales tax, state tax, or local tax incurred on purchases made under the Classroom Grant or Competition Grant. All tax exempt grantees are responsible for utilizing their tax-exempt status at the time of purchase.
**Note: Please review these essential guidelines regarding project calculations and reporting compliance:
- $100 Per-Student Limit: Your budget calculation must adhere strictly to the maximum limit of $100 per participating student.
- Student Count Integrity: Requests must reflect the exact number of active students participating in the event.
- Strict Disqualification & Clawback Policy: Providing misleading, inaccurate, or inflated student numbers to increase funding violates grant policy. Any applicant found misrepresenting student counts will face immediate disqualification, forfeiture of the grant award, and mandatory repayment/return of all distributed funds.
Allowable Uses of Funding
- Registration fees*
- Student supplies
- Travel to and from event within the state of Utah**
*NOTE: Applicants should not include expenses for higher-level competitions (national or world competitions) in their budget.
**NOTE: We are pleased to confirm that a special exception has been granted for teams traveling to Idaho for official FIRST Robotics Qualifiers and State Championships this season. Although out-of-state travel is typically non-allowable, eligible teams may request funding for this specific event.
Non-Allowable Uses of Funding
T-shirts or other apparel
Meals and food
Items used for decoration
Teacher stipends or salaries
Printers, laptops and other hardware not required for competition
Team building activities (i.e. visits to a local children’s museum)
Competitions outside the state of Utah ** See Note above
TIMELINE
Applicants and grant recipients must attend to all deadlines. No late applications or paperwork will be accepted.
Dates to know:
- Application opens for submissions: August 1
- Applications are due: August 31 at 3pm
- Applicants notified of outcome: By October 15
- Signed agreement and invoice uploaded: No later than November 30
- Follow-up report & receipts due: No later than May 15
Additional Information & Links
Please review these essential guidelines regarding project calculations and reporting compliance:
- $100 Per-Student Limit: Your budget calculation must adhere strictly to the maximum limit of $100 per participating student.
- Student Count Integrity: Requests must reflect the exact number of active students participating in the event.
- Strict Disqualification & Clawback Policy: Providing misleading, inaccurate, or inflated student numbers to increase funding violates grant policy. Any applicant found misrepresenting student counts will face immediate disqualification, forfeiture of the grant award, and mandatory repayment/return of all distributed funds.
2026-27 STEM Competition Grant
GRANT DESCRIPTION
The STEM Competition Grant supports Utah students, grades K-12, participating in STEM competitions throughout the state and replaces the previous Fairs, Camp, and Competitions Grant. This grant is available for Utah educators and administrators to apply for funding to improve student understanding and learning experiences in the subjects of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
In previous years, competitions that have been approved for funding included (but were not limited to):
- State & Regional STEM Olympiads
- VEX and First Robotics Competitions
- State & Regional Science and Engineering Fairs
- Math Contests
- Coding Competitions
This is not an exhaustive list. However, the STEM Action Center reserves the right to fund only competitions that provide meaningful STEM opportunities for students.
If you have questions about whether a competition would be approved, please email Sarah Broadbent directly at sbroadbent@utah.gov with a description of the competition you are interested in having approved.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Any organization with a W9 can apply on behalf of the students benefitting from the grant. Non profit and private organizations are now eligible for this funding. Multiple applications per school will be accepted. Make sure to work with other potential applicants from your school or organization to discuss financial needs. There is a potential maximum award of $5,000 per school and organization, regardless of how many applicants apply per school. *Awards will be paid and sent to the district/LEA or the address listed on the W9 document.
FUNDING
Grant requests may vary, with a maximum award of up to $5,000 per school. Funding amounts will be determined based on the number of students participating. Program costs cannot exceed an average amount of $100.00 per student**. This grant operates as a reimbursement. All grant purchases will need to be made by the grantee prior to receiving the awarded amount. Itemized receipts and a final report, turned in via the grant portal, will need to be received and accepted in order to receive your awarded amount.
*Tax Exemption & Reimbursements: Please note that Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are tax-exempt organizations. Consequently, the STEM Action Center will not reimburse any sales tax, state tax, or local tax incurred on purchases made under the Classroom Grant or Competition Grant. All tax exempt grantees are responsible for utilizing their tax-exempt status at the time of purchase.
**Note: Please review these essential guidelines regarding project calculations and reporting compliance:
- $100 Per-Student Limit: Your budget calculation must adhere strictly to the maximum limit of $100 per participating student.
- Student Count Integrity: Requests must reflect the exact number of active students participating in the event.
- Strict Disqualification & Clawback Policy: Providing misleading, inaccurate, or inflated student numbers to increase funding violates grant policy. Any applicant found misrepresenting student counts will face immediate disqualification, forfeiture of the grant award, and mandatory repayment/return of all distributed funds.
Allowable Uses of Funding
- Registration fees*
- Student supplies
- Travel to and from event within the state of Utah**
*NOTE: Applicants should not include expenses for higher-level competitions (national or world competitions) in their budget.
**NOTE: We are pleased to confirm that a special exception has been granted for teams traveling to Idaho for official FIRST Robotics Qualifiers and State Championships this season. Although out-of-state travel is typically non-allowable, eligible teams may request funding for this specific event.
Non-Allowable Uses of Funding
T-shirts or other apparel
Meals and food
Items used for decoration
Teacher stipends or salaries
Printers, laptops and other hardware not required for competition
Team building activities (i.e. visits to a local children’s museum)
Competitions outside the state of Utah ** See Note above
TIMELINE
Applicants and grant recipients must attend to all deadlines. No late applications or paperwork will be accepted.
Dates to know:
- Application opens for submissions: August 1
- Applications are due: August 31 at 3pm
- Applicants notified of outcome: By October 15
- Signed agreement and invoice uploaded: No later than November 30
- Follow-up report & receipts due: No later than May 15
Additional Information & Links
Please review these essential guidelines regarding project calculations and reporting compliance:
- $100 Per-Student Limit: Your budget calculation must adhere strictly to the maximum limit of $100 per participating student.
- Student Count Integrity: Requests must reflect the exact number of active students participating in the event.
- Strict Disqualification & Clawback Policy: Providing misleading, inaccurate, or inflated student numbers to increase funding violates grant policy. Any applicant found misrepresenting student counts will face immediate disqualification, forfeiture of the grant award, and mandatory repayment/return of all distributed funds.