How much does an Apex Fun Run franchise cost?
The 2025/2026 Apex Franchise Disclosure Document estimates $94,000 to $143,000 to start one home-based Apex franchise with one Apex team. The range includes the two signing payments, mobile event equipment, launch marketing, training travel, insurance and a three-month operating runway. It does not represent the cash required for multiple territories or multiple Apex teams.
Total Estimated Initial Investment. The range applies to one home-based territory and assumes one Apex team. It includes $59,500 payable to Apex Leadership Franchising, LLC when the contract is signed. Source: 2025/2026 FDD, cover; Item 7, pages 9-10.
Data basis: Apex Leadership Franchising, LLC; U.S. Apex Franchise Disclosure Document issued October 20, 2025 and amended December 18, 2025; one home-based franchise with one team; FDD Items 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 15 and 17; checked July 16, 2026. No matching public FDD was located on a franchise-controlled domain, so FDD references below are unlinked and identify the Item and page. The brand's official Apex Leadership franchise information is linked separately.
Capital snapshot
What is included in the $94,000 to $143,000 range?
The official total combines two payments to the franchisor with the assets and working capital needed for a mobile, home-based fundraising operation. There is no required storefront, office lease or build-out. The principal physical assets are a vehicle with a tow package, a wrapped trailer and event equipment.
Contract payments and operating assets
| Startup category | Disclosed amount | Payment timing | Paid to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $49,500 | On signing | Franchisor |
| Initial Training Fee | $10,000 | On signing | Franchisor |
| Vehicle | $0-$3,000 | Monthly lease payments | Suppliers |
| Trailer | $3,500-$9,000 | Before opening | Suppliers |
| Computer system | $0-$1,000 | Before opening | Suppliers |
| Other equipment | $8,000-$17,000 | Before opening | Suppliers |
| Storage | $0-$500 | Before opening and monthly | Suppliers |
Launch expenses and three-month runway
| Startup category | Disclosed amount | Payment timing | Cost basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Opening Marketing | $10,000 | As incurred | Required minimum within six months after Classroom Training |
| Insurance premiums | $500-$4,500 | As arranged | Semiannual payment at low end; annual payment at high end |
| Professional services fees | $0-$3,000 | As arranged | Legal, entity-formation and consulting choices |
| Training travel and living | $2,000-$5,000 | As incurred | Transportation, lodging and food for four to five attendees |
| Amply Platform | $0-$500 | As incurred | Optional third-party service |
| Rental Team | $0-$5,000 | As incurred | Optional startup assistance from an existing team |
| Additional Funds, three months | $10,500-$25,000 | As incurred | Payroll, advertising, agreement fees and miscellaneous operating costs |
| Total Estimated Initial Investment | $94,000-$143,000 | Official total, including the three-month runway | |
Source: FDD Item 7, pages 9-10. The official low and high totals reconcile to the listed categories and assume one team.
Do not add the $10,000 launch-marketing minimum or the $10,500-$25,000 three-month runway a second time. Both are already included in the $94,000-$143,000 official range. The working-capital note does not expressly state that owner compensation is included.
Largest variable startup ranges
Bars show the disclosed low-to-high interval; the scale runs from $0 to $25,000.
Source: 2025/2026 Apex FDD, Item 7, pages 9-10. This chart selects the six variable categories with the highest disclosed maximums; it does not alter or replace the official total.
When is the startup money paid?
The largest fixed cash event occurs at contract signing: $49,500 for the Initial Franchise Fee and $10,000 for the Initial Training Fee. The remaining startup costs are paid before opening, as arranged with suppliers, or during the launch and first three months.
- At signing: $59,500 to the franchisor.The Initial Franchise Fee and Initial Training Fee are lump-sum, nonrefundable payments due when the contract is signed.
- Before opening: assemble the mobile operating package.Purchase or arrange the trailer, required equipment, computer system, insurance, permits and operating supplies. The vehicle may already be owned, leased or rented, but it needs a tow package.
- During training and launch: pay travel and professional costs.Training travel, legal or formation work, optional Amply registration and an optional Rental Team are paid as incurred or arranged.
- Within six months after Classroom Training: spend at least $10,000 on launch marketing.This required amount is included in the official total, even though some of it may be spent after the business begins contacting schools.
- During the first three operating months: fund the disclosed runway.The $10,500-$25,000 three-month category covers payroll, advertising, contract fees and miscellaneous operating costs; the FDD warns that more working capital may be needed.
The FDD says the business must begin contacting and marketing to schools within 30 days after Classroom Training and no later than 120 days after signing. The franchisor anticipates a typical opening within 60 to 90 days after signing. The federal disclosure rule generally requires delivery of the current FDD at least 14 calendar days before a binding agreement or payment; see 16 CFR Part 436.
Which Apex fees continue after opening?
The continuing cost structure combines percentage royalties, a phased Marketing Fee, a per-school Administrative Support Fee, required local advertising and variable product purchases. Several additional charges apply only when a specific event occurs.
| Continuing obligation | Amount or basis | Timing | Key qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royalty | 8% of Gross Revenue | Within 10 days after required reports | Excludes Gross Revenues attributable to Anython |
| Anython Royalty | 6% of all dollars fundraised through Anython | Same manner as Royalty | Based on total funds raised through the platform |
| Marketing Fee | Up to 2% of Gross Revenues | Same manner as Royalty | FDD phase-in schedule may be changed on 30 days' notice |
| Technology Fee | $0 at issuance | Monthly if established | Initial disclosed maximum $150 per month; potential maximum may rise annually |
| Administrative Support Fee | $75 per contracted school per year | Month the Apex program is scheduled | May increase on 30 days' notice; the maximum increase is limited to an additional $250 per school per year |
| Local Marketing Spend | At least $750 per month | After the Opening Marketing Period | Franchisor may collect and spend it on the franchisee's behalf |
| Product purchases | Varies | 30 days after invoice | Minimum purchases may depend on event type and size |
Source: FDD Item 6, pages 5-8; Item 11, pages 16-17.
FDD-scheduled Marketing Fee phase-in
The schedule is stated as subject to change; the contractual cap is 2% of Gross Revenues.
Source: 2025/2026 Apex FDD, Item 6, page 5; Item 11, page 16. The schedule places July 16, 2026 in the 1.0% window, but the FDD permits the then-current rate to be adjusted on 30 days' written notice within the 2.0% cap.
Minimum royalties are tied to the training-completion window
In addition to stating the 8% formula, Item 12 requires minimum payments by school year. The schedule differs for a franchisee completing initial training from December through June versus July through November.
Training completed December-June
| School-year period | Minimum royalty |
|---|---|
| Then-current school year | $0 |
| First full school year | $9,000 |
| Remainder of initial term | $18,000/year |
Training completed July-November
| School-year period | Minimum royalty |
|---|---|
| Then-current school year | $4,500 |
| First full school year | $9,000 |
| Remainder of initial term | $18,000/year |
Source: 2025/2026 Apex FDD, Item 12, pages 22-23. The FDD describes these amounts as minimum royalties, not as a separate annual royalty estimate.
Ask for a written explanation of how percentage payments are credited against the school-year minimums, including the treatment of the 6% Anython charge. The FDD discloses both obligations but does not present a worked reconciliation example.
Conditional and event-triggered charges
Source: FDD Item 6, pages 6-8; Item 17, pages 27-28.
Item 6, Item 11 and contract Section 11.4 impose at least $750 per month of Local Marketing Spend after the Opening Marketing Period. A more general sentence in Section 11.1(a) says no minimum local advertising amount is required. The specific conflict should be reconciled in writing before signing. Source: FDD Item 11, page 16; Franchise Agreement Sections 11.1 and 11.4, pages 6-8.
Why can the final capital need vary so widely?
Apex is disclosed as a home-based franchise, so real estate and leasehold improvements do not drive the range. Instead, the variation comes from mobile assets, event equipment, staffing and the working-capital runway. The FDD's four service programs - Apex Live, Apex Flex, Anython and Middle School Programs - operate within the same franchise offer and do not receive separate investment ranges.
The official range is not a multi-team or multi-territory budget
Source: FDD Items 1, 7, 8 and 11, pages 1-3, 9-13 and 21; official program descriptions are also available on the official Apex Fun Run program site.
What changes when additional territories are purchased?
The franchisor may approve additional franchises and reduce the Initial Franchise Fee when multiple franchises are purchased at the same time. The fee discount does not create a consolidated startup range and does not reduce equipment, staffing, marketing, insurance or working-capital needs for each added territory.
| Franchise purchase | Initial Franchise Fee | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Initial or later-purchased unit | $49,500 | Standard fee |
| First additional unit | $44,500 | Purchased at the same time as the initial unit, if approved |
| Second or later additional unit | $39,500 | Purchased at the same time as the initial unit, if approved |
Source: FDD Item 5, page 5; Item 7, page 9; Item 12, page 23.
Which supplier and technology costs remain open-ended?
Inventory, prizes, teacher packages, student shirts, equipment, signs and marketing materials must meet the Apex System's specifications and generally come from approved or designated suppliers. Product orders are invoiced after placement and due within 30 days. The franchisor may set minimum purchases based on the type and size of an event. Item 8 also permits the franchisor, parent or affiliates to receive supplier rebates without passing them through to franchisees.
The Computer System line is $0-$1,000 because many franchisees may already own suitable hardware. Item 11 separately estimates $20-$50 per month for internet access and about $5 per month per user for a designated email account. Required hardware or software upgrades have no contractual frequency or cost cap.
Does Apex disclose liquid capital, net worth or financing?
The 2025/2026 FDD does not state a minimum Liquid Capital, Net Worth or Non-Borrowed Funds threshold. Item 10 states that Apex Leadership Franchising, LLC does not offer direct or indirect financing and does not guarantee notes, leases or other obligations. A prospective franchisee therefore should not treat the $94,000 low end as proof of loan eligibility or as a disclosed cash-on-hand requirement.
If the franchisee is an entity, the Franchise Agreement requires all direct and indirect owners and their spouses to sign the Franchise Owner Agreement. That agreement creates personal obligations, but the FDD does not convert those guarantees into a stated Net Worth threshold. Source: 2025/2026 FDD, Items 9, 10 and 15, pages 14 and 26; Franchise Agreement Section 10 and Attachment C.
What should a buyer treat as the practical cost boundary?
The verified starting point is the $94,000-$143,000 Total Estimated Initial Investment for one home-based Apex franchise and one Apex team. Of that amount, $59,500 is due to the franchisor at signing. The largest disclosed variables are the three-month runway, event equipment, the trailer, training travel and insurance. After launch, the buyer must budget separately for percentage and minimum school-year charges, the national-fund contribution, at least $750 per month of local advertising, per-school administration, product orders and conditional charges.
The central unresolved capital questions are not a storefront build-out or lease. They are the current supplier package, the number of teams, the interaction between percentage and minimum charges, the current national-fund notice and whether the three-month runway covers the buyer's intended compensation and staffing plan.