FIRST changes 2026-27 robotics registration, pricing and school checkout

FIRST has moved its 2026-27 robotics season into planning mode, giving schools a short summer runway to sort out budgets, staffing, and purchasing. On June 17, the nonprofit said teams could begin using a refreshed dashboard, while a new FIRST Storefront would roll out in July with updated registration fees and a different checkout process for schools that use purchase orders, tax exemptions, or district payment workflows. For principals, STEM coordinators, and teacher-coaches, the practical message is simple: the work now starts earlier than the first fall competition deadline. (community.firstinspires.org)

The changes do not land evenly across programs. FIRST LEGO League teams and class packs in the U.S. and Canada can already use the refreshed dashboard, while FIRST Tech Challenge teams in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico can do the same; FIRST Robotics Competition teams can also log in now to update team information ahead of payment season. As of the latest official guidance reviewed on July 16, FIRST was still telling teams to watch email for notice that registration payments through the new Storefront were available, which means some schools can do setup work now but may not yet be able to finish every transaction. (community.firstinspires.org)

What schools should budget now

FIRST’s published 2026-27 team registration prices are $150 for FIRST LEGO League Explore, $285 for FIRST LEGO League Challenge, $350 for FIRST Tech Challenge in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and $6,500 for FIRST Robotics Competition globally. Compared with the 2025-26 season, that is a $10 increase for Explore, $10 for Challenge, $25 for FTC, and $200 for FRC. FIRST also says those posted prices do not include applicable sales tax and shipping, and that some teams that were not previously taxed may now see sales tax applied after a review of its tax collection practices. (help.firstinspires.org)

The headline fee is only the beginning of the decision. FIRST says a new FTC team can get started for about $1,800, including the annual registration fee and an initial robotics set, but local events are run separately by Program Delivery Partners and are not included in that figure. FIRST says many FTC teams include 8 to 12 students in grades 7-12 and require two adult lead coaches. By contrast, FIRST Robotics Competition says many teams include 10 to 20 students, still require two adult lead coaches, and should also budget for tools, extra machine parts, meeting space, and travel. FIRST LEGO League sits at the lighter end of the spectrum, with both small-team and classroom-size options for K-8 students. (firstinspires.org)

That cost ladder matters because schools are not choosing only a competition; they are choosing an operating model. In practice, LEGO League and FTC are closer to a manageable school-year program that can live in a classroom, library, or afterschool slot. FRC is more like a full build-and-travel operation with higher procurement, space, and fundraising demands even before a team thinks about extra events. FIRST’s own registration pages support that difference: FTC emphasizes a reusable starter kit and modest team size, while FRC explicitly points teams to tools, parts, and travel beyond the registration fee. (firstinspires.org)

Procurement is now part of the summer work

The biggest operational change for schools may be the new financial-guarantor requirement. FIRST says any team or class pack planning to use a purchase order or apply a sales-tax exemption certificate must associate the profile with a financial guarantor, using an organization or institution EIN or international equivalent in the dashboard’s “Team/Account Finances” area. For FTC teams, there is an additional school-business-office wrinkle: if a school had PITSCO set up as a vendor, FIRST says it should add FIRST as a payor before the new Storefront opens because teams will no longer be routed through the FTC PITSCO Storefront. FRC teams that previously paid through a district may also need to decide whether to pay through the new Storefront directly or route payment through a district added as the financial guarantor. (community.firstinspires.org)

There is also a communications consequence for waiting. FIRST says returning FTC teams can update their intent to participate now, and only teams that share that intent or directly subscribe will receive BIOBUZZ team-blast communications ahead of event preferencing. FIRST LEGO League is using a similar model: before the Storefront opens, only teams and class packs that share their intent to participate or directly subscribe will receive BIOGLOW team communications. For school leaders used to waiting until August to restart activities, that is an important shift. Missing the summer setup window may not block registration outright, but it can delay the emails that explain the next deadlines. (community.firstinspires.org)

Deadlines are scattered, not simple

The tricky part for schools is that FIRST does not offer one universal all-program deadline. For FRC, the national calendar already lists major 2027 dates: Kit and Kickoff registration opens at noon Eastern on September 24, 2026, and closes at noon Eastern on November 17, 2026; first-event preferencing also starts September 24. FIRST’s FRC registration update separately confirms the November 17 due date. FIRST LEGO League’s BIOGLOW season materials are slated to release August 4, 2026, while FTC’s BIOBUZZ challenge is scheduled to release September 12, 2026. Local event fees, availability, and timing for FTC and many other events remain regional, because Program Delivery Partners manage those details. (firstinspires.org)

For a school trying to decide whether to start or renew a team, the official next step is not glamorous: create or log into a FIRST account, create the team in the dashboard, recruit the two lead coaches FIRST requires, and line up the finance paperwork before the Storefront email arrives. If the team will use a purchase order or tax-exempt status, set the financial guarantor now. If it is an FTC program that used PITSCO in prior years, add FIRST as a payor now. Returning teams should also update their participation intent so they are on the right communication list before fall registration windows open. (help.firstinspires.org)

The broader implication is that FIRST’s new dashboard may eventually simplify registration, but in the short term it pushes more of the friction into summer procurement and staffing. Schools that solve vendor setup, coach assignment, and budget approval in July are likely to feel the new system as a cleanup. Schools that wait until students return may experience it as a delay. The next thing worth watching is not just when the Storefront fully opens, but whether local partners follow quickly with the event-specific windows that turn a registered team into one that is actually on the field. (community.firstinspires.org)