Van der Lely Foundation supports the STEAMup Foundation in further growth of the FIRST® Tech Challenge
The Van der Lely Foundation supports the STEAMup Foundation with a contribution of € 300,000, spread over three years. This investment will enable the further development and national growth of the FIRST Tech Challenge in the Netherlands.
The FIRST Tech Challenge is an international education program in which young people from 12 to 18 years old design, build and program a robot in a team. The program brings technology to life and encourages young people to apply their knowledge in practice. In the Netherlands, the challenge is organized by the STEAMup Foundation, the official FIRST® partner for the Benelux.
The need for technical and entrepreneurial talent is growing. Bringing young people into contact with technology and innovation at school creates a strong basis for further study and career choices. With the contribution of the Van der Lely Foundation, STEAMup can expand the number of participating teams and have more schools structurally join. The ambition is to significantly increase the reach in three years and to actively involve at least 1,000 additional young people in technology education.
“As a foundation, we support education that prepares young people for a future in which technology plays a central role. Programs like FIRST Tech Challenge make technology concrete and accessible. By supporting STEAMup, we invest in talent development and strengthen the basis for innovation in the Netherlands,” says Joop Ham, director of the Van der Lely Foundation.
“Thanks to the support of the Van der Lely Foundation, we can structurally grow the FIRST Tech Challenge in the Netherlands. We not only reach more young people, but also strengthen the quality of the program and the guidance of teams and schools. In this way, together we are building a new generation of technical and entrepreneurial talents who are ready for the future,” says Irene Hulsen, Program Manager STEAMup Foundation.
The Van der Lely Foundation is an independent foundation with strong roots in entrepreneurship and innovation. The foundation supports initiatives that contribute to long-term social progress and focuses on projects within education in science, technology and entrepreneurship, health care and scientific research, art and cultural heritage, and climate and the living environment.
The new FIRST Tech Challenge season will start in September 2026. At the start of this season, the first results of the support by the Van der Lely Foundation are expected to become visible, as new schools and teams, which will be guided by the STEAMup Foundation in the coming months, will start their participation. This is a concrete first step in the intended growth of the program and the structural strengthening of technology education for young people in the Netherlands.
