Contract Data Points for PEPPM Mini-Bid Procurements

February 14, 2016

~ Complete the Contracts Module PRIOR TO starting the Form 471 ~

Under the EPC building-block approach, all contract/SPIN/procurement information is now captured in your EPC Portal’s new Contract Module which is then ported over into your Form 471 as you create your funding requests.  The previous listserve message provided step-by-step instructions for completing Form 470-generated contracts in the Contract Module — this message provides the data points and step-by-step instructions for PEPPM Mini-Bid-generated contracts.

Several important notes:

• All Category 2 procurements must result in a contract and therefore all C2 contracts will have contracts established in your EPC Contract Module.   This is no different for PEPPM-generated contracts.
• Except for the PEPPM Form 470 #, you will rely entirely on the contract information that was signed between the district and the vendor.  Don’t forget, C2 contracts can be as simple as using the vendor-quote (on letterhead), signed by the District, with the term 4/1/2016 – 9/30/2017.  You also may want to include language making it contingent upon E-rate funding, etc.
• Although the system asks if you want to upload a copy of your signed contract into EPC, YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DO SO.  This is entirely up to you.  If you do choose to upload your contract, please note that the system can only accept a single document per contract.  So if you have a contract with 2 separate signed contract documents, you should combine these into a single PDF prior to uploading.
• Strangely, the system doesn’t ask for the contract expiration date — this data element must be entered in each funding request within the Form 471 itself.  Hopefully, for internal connections contracts, you have used a contract expiration date of 9/30/2017 — the last date to receive/install equipment for FY 2016.
• Attached is a spreadsheet listing the required data elements for PEPPM-generated contracts.  It may be helpful to enter your data in the spreadsheet ahead of time so you have everything in one place when you complete the Contracts Module.
• There is no way to edit or delete submitted contract information (you can modify draft information before you hit submit).  If you messed up, you’ll just have to start over and create a new contract.  The old contract will just die on the vine; (for now) it can’t be removed.
• Give your contract a really descriptive nickname!  When you create an FRN in the Form 471, the system will ask if the service is a contracted service or a MTM service.  If you specify ‘contract’ the system will then make you choose which contract from the Contract Module the FRN is related.  Having a descriptive nickname will make it much easier to identify which contract you’re referencing.

Where to Access the Contract Module in EPC:
To access the Contract Module in your EPC profile, follow these steps from your EPC Landing Page (attached are screenshots explaining exactly where to go):

> Go to your EPC Landing Page (home screen).  Click on the USAC Logo in the top left side of the page to get there.
> Click on you Entity’s Name which is the first entity on the Organization List.
> Next Page:  Click on Contracts from the left toolbar.

Please refer to the attached screenshots and instructions as you complete the Contract Module.

– Julie

Julie Tritt Schell
PA E-rate Coordinator

717-730-7133 – o
717-730-9060 – f
jtschell@comcast.net
www.e-ratepa.org

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