Terms of participation
2025/26 season

Terms of Participation Challenge Teams 2025/26

 

 

By registering your team, you as the team coach agree with having read the following terms of participation and follow them. You are responsible to forward the terms of participation to all team members, if necessary, co-coaches, mentors as well as to
further persons involved in the team.

Coach

Each team must appoint at least one adult coach (min. 18 years). She/he is in charge of the team and co-coaches during the whole season.

For the communication with the FIRST LEGO League Organization (HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V. and the regional partners) the coach must indicate a valid email address which will be used to provide all important information according to the program.

The coach guides the team during the whole season (from team registration to the tournament). If there is a change and another coach is taking over the coach position, HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V. must be informed within the next five working days. To take over an existing team the new coach needs to confirm the terms of participation as well. If the coach does not dissent with the terms of participation within five working days after taking over the team the terms of participation are accepted.

The coach can get support and advice from other co-coaches. Adult co-coaches can create their own coaches account and then have you link them to the team (see menu item "Register co-coach" in the account). They will then have full access to the team data and automatically receive the season updates with all relevant information about the educational programme.

Underage co-coaches cannot create their own coaches account for youth protection reasons, but can accompany and support the team during the meetings and the tournament. As a coach, you can manually link underage co-coaches to the team (see menu item "Register co-coach" in the account).

In order to ensure the well-being of the participating children, HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V. reserves the right to obtain a current extended certificate of good conduct from coaches, regional partners and mentors.

Team

Each team that wants to participate in FIRST LEGO League Challenge must consist of 2 to 10 children aged between 9 to 16. Deadline for the age restriction is the 1st of January of the year when the missions are published.

If more than 10 children per coach wish to participate, an additional team (or several additional teams) must be registered.

A team member cannot simultaneously be registered in several teams and may only take part in the program if officially registered by the coach online in the coach account.

The assigned team number must be used for each correspondence with HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V. – that includes bank transferal and address specifications. If there are delays in the logistics process (e.g., due to a payment receipt that cannot be allocated), HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V. may charge extra costs to the team.

Teams whose members are not located in Germany, Austria or Switzerland may participate in regional tournaments there but may not qualify further.

Costs

After registration, each team will receive an invoice for the participation fee and (optional) the costs for the Challenge Set (detailed costs: see price list in the appendix). Teams that receive funding will receive a funding code prior to registration, which they enter during the registration process. Teams whose participation costs have already been paid are not eligible for funding.

The timely receipt of payment by HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V. is a requirement for participation in FIRST LEGO League Challenge and (optional) the shipping of the Challenge Set.

Team registration fees and Challenge Sets are non-refundable. There are no exceptions to this process regardless of reason.

Materials

The season’s FIRST LEGO League Challenge Set will be sent at the end of July/beginning of August of the current season to the delivery address specified by the coach (only if the invoice is paid).

If the Challenge Set cannot be delivered (e.g., due to holiday time, wrong address, etc.), HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V. may charge the reshipment.

Deregistration

HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V. must be informed as soon as possible if a team cannot take part in the tournament. Deregistration notices to individual regional partners are not accepted. In case of deregistration no costs can be refunded.

HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V. is entitled to exclude teams from FIRST LEGO League Challenge due to significant reasons (e.g., a serious coach intervention in the team’s work). Already paid registration fees will be withheld.

Image Rights

During the running season there can be media coverage, including print, online and TV. The coach is responsible for providing a photo permission for each team member of their legal guardian. Should a team member not be able to present a photo permission, participation of the team member in the tournament is not recommended, as HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V. cannot guarantee that no photo or video recordings of the child will be made.

All rights of use on pictures or other materials been taken within the context of FIRST LEGO League Challenge in Germany, Austria and Switzerland reside with HANDS on TECHNO­LOGY e.V. The usage outside of the FIRST LEGO League Challenge in Germany, Austria and Switzerland context is only permitted after having received a written confirmation by HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V.

Price list

The following costs will be invoiced when participating in FIRST LEGO League Explore (per team):

• Participation fee: 204,00 Euro
• Challenge Set: 139,00 Euro
• Package and Postage: Germany 14,00 Euro, Austria 25,00 Euro, Switzerland 42,00 Euro

Total costs:

• Germany: 357,00 Euro
• Austria: 368,00 Euro
• Switzerland: 385,00 Euro

The best Challenge teams in the regional tournaments qualify for further tournaments and ultimately for the final. This incurs additional costs in the form of participation fees and travelling expenses. The entry fee for a qualifying tournament is €150 per team. The costs for participation in the final vary each season and depend on the regional partner organising the event together with HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V., the choice of venue and the number of sponsors secured.

The organisers aim to keep the costs of the final as low as possible by taking into account the above factors and looking for ways to attract sponsorship and select efficient venues.