Cory made me go look it up, so there is no misunderstanding (quoted below).
I think we should create a counter that increments once each time the issue of "FIRST is a Competition vs FIRST is here to inspire students" comes up during the year.
It is absolutely true that a team with a large company with many engineers and lots of expensive equipment will be able to design and build a state of the art robot, that a HS-only team with nothing but hand tools could never possibly duplicate.
But we are here to show HS students all the incredible things that can be done with technology and state of the art engineering. If Lockheed-Martin is your sponsor, then any work done by Lockheed-Martin employess is considered work done by the team. This
is what we want the students on that team to experience, to be blown away when they see what a good engineer can do with $50 in materials and $1,000,000 of equipment at their disposal.
Quote:
5.3.4.4 Additional Parts - Cost Determination
The "cost" of each additional item is calculated based on the following criteria, as applicable:
• The purchase price of a COTS item offered for sale by a vendor to any customer.
• The total cost (materials + labor) of an item you pay someone else to make.
Example: A team orders a custom bracket fabricated by a vendor to the team's specification. The vendor's material cost and normally charged labor rate apply.
• The fair market value of an item obtained at a discount or as a donation. Fair market value is that price at which the item would be normally offered by the supplier to other customers. Also considered to be "fair market value" are the discounted prices offered to all teams by suppliers with established relations with FIRST.
Example: Special price discounts from MSC Industrial Supply Co. and Terminal Supply Co. are being offered to all FIRST teams. The discounted purchase price of items from these sources would be used in the additional parts accounting calculations.
• The cost of raw material obtained by a team + the cost of non-team labor expended to have the material processed further. Labor provided by team members and/or by a recognized team sponsor whose employees are members of the team does not have to be included. Note: it is in the best interests of the teams and FIRST to form relationships with as many organizations as possible. Teams are encouraged to be expansive in recruiting and including organizations in their team, as that exposes more people and
organizations to FIRST. Recognizing supporting companies as sponsors of, and members in, the team is encouraged - even if the involvement of the sponsor is solely through the donation of fabrication labor.
Example: A team purchases steel bar stock for $10.00 and has it machined by a local machine shop. The machine shop is not considered a team sponsor, but donates two hours of expended labor anyway. The team must include the estimated normal cost of the labor as if it were paid to the machine shop, and add it to the $10.00.
Example: A team purchases steel bar stock for $10.00 and has it machined by a local machine shop that is a recognized sponsor of the team. The machinists are considered members of the team, so their labor costs do not apply. The total applicable cost for the part would be $10.00.
• The cost of items purchased in bulk or large quantities may be prorated on the basis of the smallest commonly available unit that satisfies the need for the item.
Example: A team purchases a 4' x 4' sheet of aluminum, but only uses a piece 10” x 10” on their robot. The team identifies a source that sells aluminum sheet in 1’ x1’ pieces. The team may cost their part on the basis of a 1’ x 1’ piece, even though they cut the piece from a larger bulk
purchase. They do not have to account for the entire 4’ x 4’ bulk purchase item.
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