2027 Farm Robotics Challenge

For the 2027 Farm Robotics Challenge, a limited number of international middle and high school teams will be invited to participate in Division III. Participation will be limited to five international educational institutions, selected through this application process.

Application Deadline: Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 5:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) / Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 12:00 AM UTC.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Educational institution: The team must represent a recognized middle school, high school, or equivalent secondary educational institution.

• Team size: Teams must include at least 4 students and may include up to 40.

• Team Advisor: Each team must have a designated Team Advisor who is an employee of the participating educational institution and serves as the primary point of contact throughout the Challenge.

• Institutional email: The Team Advisor and supporting school administrator must provide official institutional email addresses as part of the application materials. Personal email accounts, including Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, and similar services, may not be used in place of institutional accounts.

• Institutional support: The educational institution must formally support the team's participation in the Farm Robotics Challenge. Applicants will be required to provide a letter of support from a principal, school administrator, or equivalent institutional representative.

• Agricultural engagement: Teams must be willing and able to engage with a farmer, grower, rancher, or other agricultural partner in their region and use that partner's knowledge and experience to inform their Challenge project.

• Challenge participation: Teams must be prepared to participate throughout the 2027 Challenge cycle and complete required project milestones and final submissions.

Questions regarding DIII eligibility requirements may be directed to Jesse Cormier-Adams.

The Farm Robotics Challenge

The Farm Robotics Challenge is centered on addressing real-world agricultural problems through robotics, automation, artificial intelligence, and related technologies.

Teams are expected to engage meaningfully with a farmer, grower, rancher, or other agricultural partner during the Challenge and use that partner's knowledge and experience to inform the development, testing, or refinement of their Challenge project.

While teams may apply with an agricultural problem, project idea, or ongoing project in mind, they may not submit already completed projects. Teams may bring previous technical work, equipment, skills, and project development into the Challenge. Regardless of a project's starting point, teams are expected to engage with agriculture during the Challenge and demonstrate how that engagement informed their work.

Prizes and Awards

The prize structure for international Division III teams is currently being finalized. Acceptance into the 2027 Farm Robotics Challenge does not guarantee eligibility for Division III prize payments. Additional information regarding prize eligibility and any prizes designated specifically for international teams will be provided to participating teams when available.

Any monetary prize awarded through the Farm Robotics Challenge is payable only to an eligible educational institution and cannot be paid to individual students, Team Advisors, or other private parties. Additional payment requirements may apply to international institutions.

Application Requirements

Applicants should be prepared to provide:

• Information about the participating educational institution and a link to its official website.

• Contact information for the prospective Team Advisor.

• Basic information about the prospective student team.

• Information about the team's plans to engage with agriculture in its region.

• A letter of institutional support on official institutional letterhead from a principal, school administrator, or equivalent representative confirming the institution's support for participation. The letter should identify the representative's name, title, and institutional email address and confirm the prospective Team Advisor's affiliation with the institution.

• A letter from the Team Advisor on official institutional letterhead describing the team's interest and preparedness and confirming the advisor's commitment to guiding the team throughout the Challenge.