Team Budget

Following is an estimate of costs associated with starting (rookie) and sustaining (veteran) a FIRST Tech Challenge team in Florida. Fundraising and outreach are important parts of the learning opportunity presented by the program, and there are awards related to each.

FIRST publishes grant opportunities for teams on its website.

Item	Rookie Cost	Veteran Cost	Notes
Required
FIRST Registration	$350	$350	Annual registration paid directly to FIRST.
League Fee	$150–300	$150–300	Single fee paid to local league to fund League Meet and League Tournament events (exact amount depends on league).
Electronics	$645	$01	Required electronics for controlling the robot, similar to this kit.
Starter Kit	$660	$0	Several manufacturers sell kits of parts that are sufficient for building a basic robot that meets some of the game challenges. Here is an example. These aren't required, but they are a great place to start.
Game Elements	$50	$50	If you don't purchase a full or partial game set (below), it's a good idea to purchase some of the seasonal game elements to assist with designing and testing the robot.
	~$2,000	$550–700	Total
Optional Extras
Parts & Tools	$0–$200	$0–$200	Each season brings a new challenge. Teams often purchase additional parts or tools throughout the season as their design evolves.
Game Set	$400–600	$400–600	AndyMark offers partial and full game sets each season. Purchasing a partial set is sufficient for a team to design and test the robot. Full game sets are helpful when multiple teams share a practice space or if a team is highly competitive.
Team T-Shirts	$100	$100	Team t-shirts promote team spirit and help identify the team on event day, but they are not required.
Judging and Pit Materials	$100	$100	Teams prepare an Engineering Portfolio for judging and often display additional materials in their pit.

Teams that advance to the Florida Championship (and the FIRST Championship or Premier Events after that) will have additional registration and travel costs if they choose to attend.