FIRST Membership Process for Associates
Version 1.1, August 2026
Associate membership is for organizations that are not operational incident response teams but who have a valid interest in participating in the FIRST community.
- Associate membership is an organizational but non-voting membership.
- Associate membership is for non-operational organizations and access to member tools is restricted/limited.
- The application process cannot proceed without a sponsor
- The Candidate may review the list of current teams to find a sponsor.
- The Candidate may reach out to teams they have worked with or in their industry/region.
- If a candidate needs a sponsor – they may consider attending a FIRST event or joining a FIRST SIG to network and meet potential sponsors.
The Candidate creates a profile for the FIRST Portal and then completes the Membership Interest Form. Once the form is validated by the Secretariat, the candidate and sponsor will be sent a link to start the application form.
The Candidate must complete the FIRST Membership Application Form on FIRST Portal. Non-profit and not for profit organizations must provide a certificate of non-profit status from a tax authority.
Information provided in the application form will be used to update the Associate profile in the FIRST Portal. By applying to FIRST, the candidate agrees to review this information annually for accuracy and provide regular updates.
The Sponsor validates the application and uploads their letter of support. Sponsors can use Annex 1 as a template.
5. Candidate submit for review
Candidate reviews the application for completion and submits the Application Form.
6. Review and Approval Process
The review process begins on the 1st of the month following submission:
- The Secretariat reviews the application for completeness (week 1)
- The Membership Committee reviews and submits feedback/questions (week 2)
- Members review the list of applicants for comment (week 2)
- The Board approves applications (week 3)
- Notifications are sent to teams following the monthly board meeting (week 3)
Estimated duration of review period – 3-4 weeks
If any issues or objections are identified, the FIRST Secretariat takes this back to the Candidate and the Sponsors for resolution. Rejected teams have the right to re-apply at any time.
Annex 1 - Sponsor Letter Template for Associate Members
I [sponsor] attest that the Candidate satisfies the minimum requirements for FIRST membership.
I [sponsor] am familiar with the way the Candidate operates.
I [sponsor] have met the Candidate and presented FIRST and answered their questions.
I [sponsor] have had working interaction with the Candidate.
I [sponsor] have explained the confidentiality of the information that is passed within FIRST and the Candidate agrees to comply with that. TLP and the FIRST Code of Ethics were also discussed.
I [sponsor] trust that the Candidate will be a good contributor to the FIRST vision and mission.
Any other comments/recommendations:
Sponsor (team name)
Sponsor (contact name)
Title/function
Date
Signature
Annex 2 – Version History