ECF BEAR Deadline Approaching
April 16, 2024
Attached: ECF Funding Remaining as of Apr 16 2024
Attached: ECF BEAR Invoicing Guide April 2024
While we wait for the first E-rate funding wave to be issued, I thought it
might be a good time to pivot to the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) and
remind you of the upcoming ECF invoicing deadline. The deadline for Window
3 applicants to file Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) reimbursement
requests is August 29, 2024 (there are seven Windows 1 and 3 funding
requests that have earlier invoice deadlines and those are highlighted in
Column P).
Attached is a list of all approved FY 2022 ECF Funding Requests (Window 3)
where funding has not been fully disbursed as of today. If you already
submitted your BEAR, disregard this message (their data only tells me if
funding has been disbursed, not whether a BEAR is pending). If your school
or library’s name is on this list, you purchased the equipment or services,
and you indicated that you wished to use the Applicant BEAR reimbursement
method (Column I), please gather the required documentation and submit the
ECF Form 472 BEAR to seek reimbursement from the ECF Fund. An ECF Form 472
BEAR Filing Guide is attached and provides detailed screenshots for logging
in to the ECF Portal and completing the BEAR.
Important Notes:
1) These documents must be uploaded when the BEAR is submitted:
– Vendor Invoice
– Proof of shipping or delivery (for equipment)
– Service delivery dates (for services)
2) For ECF FY 2022 (Window 3), you may receive the approved equipment, or
any 12 months of approved services, between these dates: 7/1/2022 -
6/30/2024.
3) Changing Equipment/Service Providers – If the equipment you received (or
will receive) is different than what was approved on your ECF application,
such as a change the manufacturer, model and/or service provider, you must
notify USAC of the change before the BEAR can be submitted. Such
modifications are done through a Post-Commitment Request (PCR) in EPC.
Here’s where to find this module: Log into ECF Portal > My Forms and
Requests > Click on the ECF 471 Application Number > Related Actions >
Create a Post-Commitment Request. It usually takes just a week or two to
obtain the approval, THEN you can submit the BEAR.
4) Invoice Mode Change – Column I shows the invoicing method you selected on
your ECF application. If you indicated Service Provider Invoicing, but then
paid your service provider in full, you will need to submit a Post
Commitment Request (PCR) in EPC to change the invoicing mode. Log into ECF
Portal > My Forms and Requests > Click on the ECF 471 Application Number >
Related Actions > Create a Post-Commitment Request. It usually takes just a
week or two to obtain the approval, THEN you can submit the BEAR.
Please don’t wait until the last minute to file this form because ECF
invoicing review is much more challenging than E-rate invoice reviews and
the reviewers almost always seek additional information before the BEAR can
be paid.
If you have any questions, please contact me at jtschell@comcast.net or contact the ECF Customer Service Center
(CSC) at (800) 234-9781 or create a Customer Case in your ECF portal.
– Julie
Julie Tritt Schell
Pennsylvania E-rate Coordinator
717-730-7133 – o
jtschell@comcast.net
www.e-ratepa.org