School Business Partnerships of Long Island

What School Business Partnerships of Long Island does

School Business Partnerships of Long Island (SBPLI), doing business as FIRST Long Island, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1984 by Frederick Breithut and headquartered at 190 Motor Parkway, Suite 201, Hauppauge, NY. The organization serves as the exclusive Long Island regional administrator for all four FIRST robotics programs, targeting students ages 6-18 across Long Island, New York. Its program portfolio includes FIRST LEGO League Explore (grades K-3, ages 6-9), FIRST LEGO League Challenge (grades 4-8), FIRST Tech Challenge (middle and high school), and FIRST Robotics Competition (grades 9-12), with the flagship annual Long Island Regional FRC event held at Hofstra University's David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex now in its 27th consecutive year.

The business model is community-led and nonprofit-structured. Revenue is generated through three streams: team registration fees ranging from $50 (Jr. FLL/FLL Explore) to $85 (FLL Challenge Qualifier), event participation fees of $40-$55 per team for festivals and practice tournaments, and corporate sponsorships including in-kind support from Festo (discounted robotics parts) and venue/hospitality partners such as Courtyard by Marriott. Go-to-market is relationship-driven, relying on school district partnerships for team formation, volunteer mentor networks, alumni engagement, and earned media coverage from Long Island Business News, Newsday, and News 12. Team registration is processed through the national FIRST TIMS (Team Information Management System).

SBPLI does not develop proprietary technology; its competitive offering is the regional license to operate the FIRST program framework combined with 40+ years of accumulated school, sponsor, and volunteer relationships across Long Island. The organization connects participating students to college scholarship opportunities through FIRST's national scholarship network. Key strategic partners include FIRST (national program licensor), Hofstra University (flagship venue), LEGO Education (kit supply), Festo (parts sponsorship), and a rotating set of Long Island high schools hosting qualifier and festival events.

Name

School Business Partnerships of Long Island

Legal name

School Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc.

Website

https://sbpli-lifirst.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SBPLI, operating as FIRST Long Island, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1984 that administers all four FIRST robotics programs for students ages 6-18 across Long Island through school, business, and community partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth STEM / Robotics Education Programs

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Competition Robotics Teams & Coaching (FLL/FTC/FRC, VEX) (EDAMADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Robotics After-School & Enrichment Clubs (EDAMADAA)

Keywords

• Youth STEM programs
• Robotics competitions
• FIRST robotics administration
• School-industry partnerships
• Nonprofit education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hauppauge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Team Registration Fees: SBPLI generates revenue through team registration fees for FIRST robotics programs. Registration fees range from $50 per team for Jr. FLL to $85 for FLL Qualifier tournaments.
2. Event Registration and Participation Fees: Event fees charged to teams participating in tournaments and festivals, including FLL Explore Festivals at $55 per event and FLL Practice tournaments at $40.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors provide financial support and in-kind donations (e.g., Festo provides parts at discount, hotel partnerships for events). Sponsors receive recognition at events and through program materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

School Business Partnerships of Long Island (SBPLI) / FIRST Long Island administers four FIRST-affiliated youth robotics programs across Long Island, spanning grades K through 12: FLL Explore (grades K-3), FLL Challenge (grades 4-8), FIRST Tech Challenge, and FIRST Robotics Competition. The organization recruits and supports school-based teams, supplies access to the FIRST robotics competition framework, and hosts regional events including the Long Island Regional FIRST Robotics Competition and the Kenneth R. Vessey Jr. Invitational.

Product overview

School Business Partnerships of Long Island (SBPLI) operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that administers four FIRST robotics programs on Long Island. The organization offers a tiered progression of robotics programs: FIRST LEGO League Explore (ages 6-9, grades K-3) for introductory LEGO-based robotics; FIRST LEGO League Challenge (grades 4-8) for intermediate robotics with missions and research projects; FIRST Tech Challenge (middle/high school) for more advanced robot design and programming; and FIRST Robotics Competition (grades 9-12) as the premier high school robotics experience. SBPLI also organizes major events including the annual Long Island Regional FIRST Robotics Competition at Hofstra University and the Kenneth R. Vessey Jr. Invitational off-season tournament. The organization connects students with college scholarships and provides mentorship opportunities through partnerships with local schools and businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Students gain access to tens of millions of dollars in college scholarships through FIRST programs

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1984National nonprofit organization founded by Dean Kamen that provides the robotics program framework. SBPLI serves as the Long Island regional administrator for all four FIRST programs (Jr. FLL, FLL, FTC, FRC).
• Hofstra UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides venue for FIRST Robotics Competition Long Island Regional at David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. Hosting partnership for annual major competition.
• FestomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate sponsor providing discounted robotics parts to FIRST teams. Teams can call 1-800-99-FESTO and mention they are FRC or FTC team representatives to receive discounts. Has a FIRST-focused page at www.festo.us/first.
• Mineola High SchoolmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary host venue for FLL Explore Festivals and FLL Challenge Qualifiers. Multiple events held annually at this location.
• Hicksville High SchoolmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for FLL Explore Festivals and FLL Challenge Qualifiers. Key partner for tournament events.
• LEGO EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides LEGO products and robotics kits for Jr. FLL and FLL programs at discounted prices through TIMS registration system.
• Courtyard by Marriott WestburyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHotel partner offering discounted rates ($189/night) for teams attending the FIRST Long Island Regional at Hofstra University.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): The national umbrella organization (Dean Kamen-founded) that licenses SBPLI and every other regional partner to deliver its four-program portfolio — overlapping product/category but operating at a national rather than regional scale.
• REC Foundation (VEX Robotics): Governing body for VEX IQ, VEX V5, and VEX U competitions — the most prominent competing K-12 robotics competition platform, directly substitutable for FIRST programs at the school/team level.

Emerging players

• BEST Robotics: National middle/high school robotics competition with regional hubs and school-based teams — competing for the same students, coaches, and sponsors in adjacent geographies.

Direct peers

• FIRST in Texas: Texas FIRST regional partner running the same K-12 robotics progression through school partnerships and corporate sponsors; closely comparable in operating structure and revenue mix.
• FIRST Mid-Atlantic: FIRST regional partner covering the mid-Atlantic region with the same four-tier FIRST program portfolio and school/corporate sponsorship model — directly parallel operating structure to SBPLI.
• FIRST in Michigan: Michigan's FIRST regional affiliate running all four FIRST programs with school and corporate sponsorship; highly comparable to SBPLI in program mix, sponsor model, and community-event-led GTM.
• FIRST Indiana Robotics: Indiana's FIRST regional partner administering FLL, FTC, and FRC with corporate sponsor and school partnerships — a structurally identical peer to SBPLI operating across the full K-12 FIRST progression.
• FIRST South Carolina: FIRST regional partner serving South Carolina with the four-program FIRST progression; operates with an identical license-driven, sponsor-supported, school-distributed model.
• FIRST Wisconsin: Wisconsin's FIRST regional partner delivering FLL Explore, FLL Challenge, FTC, and FRC through school partnerships and sponsor relationships — same product portfolio and sponsorship-driven revenue model as SBPLI.
• FIRST Chesapeake: FIRST regional partner serving Maryland and Virginia with the same four-program model (FLL Explore/Challenge, FTC, FRC) administered via schools, sponsors, and volunteers — directly comparable operating model to SBPLI in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FIRSTLongIsland
• Facebookfacebook.com/SBPLI.FIRST
• Instagraminstagram.com/FIRSTLongIsland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about School Business Partnerships of Long Island