Final 2 days to post a 470!
February 20, 2012
Pennsylvania applicants have posted more than 1702 Form 470's for FY 2012! If you are one of the handful of schools or libraries that have not yet submitted your Form 470, this is your final friendly reminder that tomorrow -- Tuesday, February 21 -- is the final day to file this form online (it's too late to file on paper). To post a Form 470, go to: http://www.sl.universalservice.org/menu.asp and click on 'Create Form 470' (stay clear of the interview version). At the bottom of this message are some helpful reminders and answers to the most common questions I've been receiving about the Form 470. On Wednesday, I'll begin sending reminders and FAQs related to the Form 471.
As always, if you have any E-rate questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at jtschell@comcast.net.
1) File in both the Telecom and Internet categories. If you are at all unsure which category of service you should choose on the 470, put the services in both. It never hurts to have your service description listed in too many places and provides you the maximum flexibility when selecting the correct category of service on your Form 471. If you are filing for cellular data services (Blackberry/Internet, etc.), you should file in the both categories listing 'cellular service with data plans'. Also, if you're planning to request funding for dark fiber service, lit fiber service, or hosted VOIP service, these services also should be listed in both the telecom and Internet categories to ensure that all possible vendors (telecom and non-telecom vendors) are able to submit proposals.
2) # of Billed Entities: Under Item 15 'Billed Entities' you do not need to list the entity number of every building in your district. The only entity number(s) that should be listed are those of the entity that will be paying the bills to the vendor. In the case of most school districts, you would only list the billed entity number of your school district (usually a 6-digit number that begins 125 or 126). How do vendors know how many buildings require service? That item has been moved to 5c 'Number of eligible entities for which services are sought.' Don't forget to include all administrative buildings when calculating this number.
3) Rebidding contracts and MTM services. You must post a 470 every year for every service unless you are under a multi-year contract (that was originally competitively bid using a Form 470) that expires after June 30, 2012.
4) Correcting a 470. It is not possible to make a chance to a 470 after it's been submitted. But you can simply file a new 470 and have your 28-day clock restart. If you have released an RFP, you can amend your RFP without posting a new 470 as long as the changes don't entail a major change to the scope of the project.
5) Extensions of contracts. If you wish to exercise a voluntary extension of a contract without posting a 470, you may only do so if your contract contains the terms of the voluntary extensions (meaning the exact number of years or dates that the extensions can be exercised and it's not just open-ended). For example, language which states, "At the end of the initial term, this contract will automatically renew" is not acceptable. Acceptable extension language would be, "The contract term is three years, with two 1-year renewal options."
6) Include all of your services on a single 470. There is no maximum number of 470's that you may submit, although it is a good idea to place all of your services on a single Form 470 because then you only have a single 470 number to keep track of for this year. However, there is no harm in filing two or more 470's.
7) Instead of using the print preview feature, after you've submitted your 470, go back to the "apply online" page and choose the "search posted" option. Then type-in your 470 number and print off a complete, clean copy of your application. At the top of the completed form it also will show you your allowable contract date (ACD), which is the first date you can sign contracts and file your 471.
8) Signing contracts before the Allowable Contract Date. If you post a 470 on Tuesday, February 21, the only day you will be permitted to file select vendors, sign contracts and submit the Form 471 is March 20. Be sure not to sign contracts before this date!
Julie Tritt Schell
PA E-rate Coordinator
717-730-7133 - o
717-730-9060 - f
jtschell@comcast.net
www.e-ratepa.org
Penn*link
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