You can soon post an FCC Form 470 for the FY24 application cycle. The Form 470 availability usually occurs in late spring to early summer for the following application cycle. If you know that you are in your last year of a contract (or have E-rate services you wish to continue that are NOT under contract) you can now post the procurement Form 470 and start receiving bids.

The FCC Form 470 officially opens the bidding process for E-rate goods and services. That form can now be posted for FY22. While many applicants create a bidding document such as an RFP, the FORM 470 MUST be filed in conjunction with any bidding documents in order to be considered eligible for E-rate funding

In an effort to make the form more user friendly, USAC has again modified the set of drop-down options will be available to applicants completing FCC Form 470 to request bids for eligible services in the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC). Applicants have until mid-February to file the FCC Form 470. All services that are not already under contract from July 1, 2024 forward will need to be listed on an FCC Form 470.

Once you have waited the mandatory 28 days and selected the most cost effective vendor (price must carry more weight than any other single criteria) and documented your 471 must be filed by the close of the Form 471 window.