What FRC Actually Costs: The Big Picture

FRC is expensive, and that is the point of this branch

FIRST Robotics Competition is one of the most resource-intensive student activities in the world. A brand-new team should plan for roughly $18,000 to $25,000+ in its first year, and established teams commonly run $30,000 to $60,000+ annual budgets depending on how many events they attend and how far they travel. (FRC Team 533, for example, publishes an annual budget of about $55,000.) Knowing these numbers cold is the foundation of every fundraising conversation you will ever have.

The major cost categories

• Season registration - The single largest fixed cost. For the 2026-2027 season, FIRST set base season registration at $6,500 (a $200 increase over the prior year). This buys your team number (for new teams), the Kit of Parts (Kickoff Kit, Virtual Kit, and FIRST Choice credits), and participation in your first event. Note that some regions add local event-production fees on top of this base number, so your all-in cost can be higher.
• Additional events - Each additional Regional event is $3,200. District teams get two District events bundled into their season registration; additional district events and the District Championship are priced by the district organization.
• Robot materials and tools - Motors, control system, pneumatics, raw aluminum, COTS mechanisms, batteries, and consumables. Budget $3,000-$8,000+, more in year one when you are buying tools and a control system from scratch.
• Travel - Transportation, hotels, and meals for events. This is the most variable line: a local district event might cost a few hundred dollars, while flying a team to the FIRST Championship (held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston) can cost $15,000-$40,000.
• Team operations - T-shirts, safety gear (ANSI Z87.1 safety glasses are mandatory in the pits), spirit items, outreach materials, software, and a practice space.

Build the budget first

Create a line-item spreadsheet before you ask anyone for a dollar. Sponsors and grant reviewers expect to see a real budget, and FRC's top awards (the FIRST Impact Award and the Team Sustainability Award) reward teams that demonstrate a sustainable, well-run program. A credible budget is the difference between 'we need money for robots' and 'we need $6,500 to register and $4,000 for our control system.'

A sample first-year budget

Your numbers will differ, but the discipline is the same: every fundraising target should trace back to a real expense.