How much does it cost to start an FRC team?

A rookie FRC team typically needs about $6,000–$8,000 for its first season. The largest fixed cost is the roughly $6,000 rookie registration — which includes the Kit of Parts and entry to one event — followed by tools, the robot's drivetrain and electronics, and travel. Veteran teams pay a lower per-event fee but often spend more on the robot itself. Itemize your own number with the calculator above.

What is the FRC registration fee?

For the 2025–26 season, rookie registration is about $6,000 and includes the Kit of Parts and entry to one event; each additional regional event costs roughly $4,000. District teams pay a different, lower per-event structure. Always confirm current pricing on the official FIRST cost page before you budget.

How do FRC teams pay for all of this?

Most teams fund their season with a mix of corporate and local sponsorships, FIRST and state/NASA grants, school or booster-club support, and fundraisers. A clear, itemized budget — like the sponsor-ready summary this tool produces — is the single most persuasive thing to put in front of a potential sponsor.

FRC PLANNING

Team Budget & Startup Cost Calculator

Build a transparent, itemized season budget for your FRC team — registration, drivetrain, control system, motors, travel and more. Every default is primary-sourced; values that vary by team or region stay editable.

Figures: 2025-2026 season, hardware as listed 2026-07. Verify against the current FIRST Game Manual & vendor pricing before committing.

Your team

Team typeRookies receive the AM14U6 drive base free and may qualify for startup grants.

Program / event modelRegional model uses per-event fees; District model adds a region-specific program fee on top of the FIRST fee.

Additional Regional eventsBeyond your first Regional (which is included in the base fee). Each is $3,000.Attending FIRST Championship?Grants & sponsor vouchers to subtractRookie grants, sponsor vouchers, etc.$

DrivetrainRookies: KOP drive base is free. COTS swerve pricing varies — enter your quote.

Control systemItemize a new legal control system, use an all-in-one AndyMark bundle, or reuse what you own.

Batteries$58 eachConsumablesRSL/breaker/wiring ($40–$80)$

Motors & controllers

NEO motors$42.50 + $100 SPARK MAX eachKraken X60$217.99, no controllerOther motorsOptional — qtyOther unit priceOptional — $ each$

Tools & starter equipmentYour shop/tool budget (a tool set is included in the Starter Bundle).$Travel, lodging & food per eventTeam/region specific ($500–$5,000 typical). Never a quote — enter your own.$Spares, sensors, pneumatics & otherAnything else your season needs.$Team size (optional)For a per-student cost — useful for grant asks.

Season budget

Estimated grand total

$8,000

Likely range $7,980 – $8,020(district fee & consumables vary)

Rookie benefit: the AM14U6 KOP drive base ($940 retail value) is included free with your registration.

Registration

$6,300

FIRST base team registration

Includes FIRST registration + participation at your first Regional (Regional model).

$6,300.00

Drivetrain

AM14U6 KOP drive base — included free for rookies

$940 retail value provided with rookie registration.

$0.00

Control system

$1,130

NI roboRIO 2.0

$485.00

REV Power Distribution Hub

$250.00

VH-109 FRC Radio (education price)

$184.99

REV Radio Power Module

$34.00

Robot batteries (2 × $58)

$116.00

RSL + 120A main breaker + wiring consumablesestimate

Bundled small legal parts — roughly $40–$80.

$60.00

Motors & controllers

$570

REV NEO motors (4 × $42.50)

$170.00

REV SPARK MAX controllers (4 × $100)

One SPARK MAX is required per NEO.

$400.00

Add a travel estimate for a full picture

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Notes & sources

Registration figures are FIRST's 2025-2026 published fees (worldwide $6,300 all teams; additional regionals $3,000). Re-verify each season at community.firstinspires.org / help.firstinspires.org before Kickoff — FIRST adjusts these annually.
District teams: the $6,300 FIRST fee is only the base. Your district (e.g. FIRST Washington, FIN, PNW, NE, ONT) adds its own program/event fees that vary by region and are billed separately — select your district or enter the amount from your district organization.
FIRST Championship fee is shown from recent historical pricing (~$5,750, 2024) and is NOT yet published for 2026 — treat as an estimate and confirm when FIRST posts it.
Vendor hardware prices are the currently-listed FRC/education prices (checked 2026-07) and can change; MSRP is higher than the education price on several items (e.g. Kraken X60 $399.99 MSRP, VH-109 radio). Prices exclude shipping and tax.
Travel, lodging, and food are inherently team-specific and are user-entered — never treat the range as a quote.
This tool estimates cost only; it is not affiliated with or endorsed by FIRST, AndyMark, REV Robotics, CTR Electronics, or WestCoast Products.

Sourced default values

$6,300 — FIRST base team/season registration, all teams incl. rookies (2025-2026)source
$3,000 — each additional Regional beyond the first (FIRST 2025-2026)source
$940 — AndyMark AM14U6 KOP drive base (2026 Kit of Parts)source
$485 — NI roboRIO 2.0 (as listed 2026-07)source
$250 — REV Power Distribution Hub, REV-11-1850 (as listed 2026-07)source
$184.99 — Vivid-Hosting VH-109 FRC Radio, FRC/education price (2025-2026)source
$34 — REV Radio Power Module, REV-11-1856 (as listed 2026-07)source
$58 ea — MK ES17-12 12V 18Ah SLA battery (set of 2 = $116, as listed 2026-07)source
$42.50 — REV NEO Brushless Motor V1.1 (sale, down from $50.00, as listed 2026-07)source
$100 — REV SPARK MAX controller, one required per NEO (as listed 2026-07)source
$217.99 — Kraken X60 w/ integrated Talon FX, FRC price (MSRP $399.99, as listed 2026-07); no separate controllersource
$3,230 — AndyMark FRC Basic Starter Bundle WITH roboRIO (as listed 2026-07)source
$2,750 — AndyMark FRC Basic Starter Bundle WITHOUT roboRIO (as listed 2026-07)source
District program fee — region-specific $3,500–$5,500 (editable; verify with your district)source
RSL + 120A main breaker + wiring consumables — bundled small parts, roughly $40–$80 (editable).
Travel/lodging/food — user-entered ($500–$5,000 typical); FIRST publishes no travel model.
FIRST Championship fee — ~$5,750 (last publicly cited, 2024); 2026 not yet published by FIRST. Editable estimate.

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Team Budget & Startup Cost Calculator

Figures: 2025-2026 season, hardware as listed 2026-07. Verify against the current FIRST Game Manual & vendor pricing before committing.