FIRST Tech Challenge

Key facts

Eligible grades

Grades 7 to 12.

Source, checked 2026-09-02

Eligible ages

Ages 12 to 18.

FIRST publishes both an age range and a grade range for this programme. Ages may vary by region outside the US.

Source, checked 2026-09-02

Individual or team

Team · Up to 15 team members, with adult coaches and mentors.

Where it runs

In person · United States, International

Entry cost

Several hundred to a couple of thousand dollars per teamFIRST does not publish a single national figure on the pages checked. A third-party guide gives annual team registration at $325, and a regional partner estimates a realistic rookie team starter budget of $3,800 to $5,500 once the kit, parts and event fees are included. Treat the registration fee as the smallest part of the cost. The robot kit is reusable year to year, so later seasons are cheaper. Grants and financial support are widely available: several regional partners run funding programmes, including one aimed at middle-school and under-resourced teams.

Registration deadline

Set locally, not published as a single national date Registration opened on the FIRST Dashboard in June 2026 and closes in October 2026, which is the final chance to join for the season. Regional bodies add their own earlier dates: one state set a single qualifier payment deadline of 27 November 2026, and several use an event preferencing system with information sent to registered teams at the end of September.

Competition dates

The 2026-27 challenge is BIOBUZZ presented by RTX, part of the FIRST CANOPY season, releasing 12 September 2026 with the season kickoff on 13 September. Qualifying competitions begin in November, leading to regional championships and the FIRST Championship in the spring.

Difficulty

Some preparation neededYou will want a few weeks of targeted practice. Most motivated students place respectably.

Prizes

Scholarships and judged awardsJudged awards rather than cash, spanning robot performance, engineering process, innovation, outreach and long-term impact. Participants are eligible to apply for a scholarship pool described by regional partners as over $80 million.