Share via

What is the cost for this program?

Ulli Austermann 0 Reputation points
2026-03-12T23:18:23.6033333+00:00

Dear Team, I am interested in the AI - Farm program and was wondering how to purchase the components and what the total cost will be. I would like to teach it to my Year 8 Agriculture students.

Kind regards,

Microsoft 365 and Office | Subscription, account, billing | For education | Other
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
  1. Vivian-HT 13,695 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-03-13T00:30:59.6166667+00:00

    Dear @Ulli Austermann,

    I understand that you are interested in FarmBeats for Students. According to my research, FarmBeats for Students is an education program provided by Microsoft at no cost. The curriculum, lesson plans, and learning materials are completely free for schools and educators, and there is no license or subscription fee required to participate.

    The only potential cost is optional hardware, if your school chooses to run hands‑on classroom labs. Microsoft does not sell the hardware directly and does not publish a fixed price. Any hardware kits (such as sensors or microcontrollers) are purchased separately from education suppliers, and pricing may vary depending on the vendor and region.

    Note: Make sure that the Microsoft 365 Education is already licensed so students can use Excel and Teams without extra cost. Many schools start with the free curriculum first and decide later whether they want to add hardware for practical activities.

    For more information and recommended hardware kits, you can refer to:

    I hope the information shared is helpful. If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out.

    The first response may not always resolve the issue right away, but with your help and more details, we can work toward a solution.

    Thank you for your patience and understanding. I'm looking forward for your reply.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".   

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments

1 additional answer

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Q&A Assist
    2026-03-12T23:18:41.21+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    FarmBeats for Students itself (curriculum and activities) is free to download and use. The main cost for the “AI – Farm” style program is the hardware kit plus whatever devices and connectivity are needed.

    From the available information:

    1. Curriculum and activities
      • The full FarmBeats for Students curriculum (sensors, data analysis, AI activities) is free to download:
        • Section 1: Gathering Data through Sensors with micro:bit (Year 8 appropriate)
        • Section 2: Analyzing Big Data
        • Section 3: Unlocking Data Insights with AI
      • There is no license or subscription fee mentioned for using these materials.
    2. Hardware costs
      • The program uses an “affordable micro:bit-based hardware kit.”
      • Educators are directed to “Purchase affordable hardware kits” via the FarmBeats for Students page.
      • Exact kit pricing is not listed in the provided information; cost will depend on the supplier, shipping, and how many kits are needed for the class.
    3. Devices and software
      • FarmBeats for Students can be run using any device with a web browser.
      • Software used (Microsoft MakeCode, Excel via Microsoft 365 Education) is part of the standard Microsoft education ecosystem. Many schools already have Microsoft 365 Education; if so, there is no additional cost beyond existing licensing.
    4. How to proceed for a Year 8 Agriculture class
      • Download the free curriculum and activities for FarmBeats for Students.
      • Use the “Purchase affordable hardware kits” link on the FarmBeats for Students page to see current pricing from recommended kit providers.
      • Multiply the per‑kit price by the number of kits needed (for example, one per pair or small group of students) to estimate total cost.
      • Confirm with the school whether Microsoft 365 Education is already licensed so students can use Excel and Teams without extra cost.

    For an exact total, check the current price of the micro:bit-based FarmBeats kits from the linked supplier and combine that with any local costs (taxes, shipping, and any additional classroom materials).

    References:

    0 comments

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.