CA Tech Kids Inc. (Read: CA Tech Kids, Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Tomohiro Ueno), a company engaged in programming education for children, and TV Asahi Corporation (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Shin Nishi, hereinafter referred to as TV Asahi) are pleased to announce that applications for the programming contest "Tech Kids Grand Prix 2026" (Read: Tech Kids Grand Prix Two Thousand Twenty-Six), which will determine the No. 1 elementary school programmer in Japan, have opened today, July 1, 2026 (Wed). "Tech Kids Grand Prix" is a programming contest for all elementary school students who will lead the future era. First held in 2018, the 2025 competition last year received 11,554 applications from across the country, and it continues to grow as Japan's largest programming contest for elementary school students. (※1) Applications for the 2026 competition, the 9th edition, will be accepted from July 1 (Wed) to September 30 (Wed). Following area preliminaries and rounds 1-4 of judging, the main final competition will be held in Shibuya, Tokyo, in February 2027. ◎ Full-Scale Support for Participants "Tech Kids Grand Prix" aims to "discover," "nurture," and "enlighten" the creators of the next generation. By discovering outstanding works and talents of children nationwide and widely disseminating their challenges and achievements, we have conveyed the possibilities of creating with technology. For the 2026 competition, we will be more actively engaged in "nurturing" to provide participants with opportunities to deepen their learning through the contest and feel their growth during the creation process. We will provide full-scale learning and production support for those who are new to programming or wish to improve their entries. As a first step, we will release development materials for beginners (a total of 4 types, including "Typing Game" and "Rhythm Game," newly added this year). Participants can learn the basics of programmi