Time to File Form 470s for FY 2022
December 6, 2021
If you haven’t already done so, this is the week you will want to file your E-rate Form 470s to initiate the competitive bidding process for the services or equipment you seek to purchase for Funding Year 2022. Although the Form 471 deadline is likely to be mid-late March, it’s important to file the Form 470’s now to get your 28-day bidding clock ticking so you can do your bid evaluations in January and seek board approvals no later than the February meetings. Please see detailed information below that will help get you started.
Category 1: For all month-to-month services or services that will not be under contract as of July 1, 2022, you must post a Form 470 to seek vendor proposals. For help with the Form 470 filing process for Category 1 services, and discover whether your contract is slated to expire, please refer to: https://e-ratepa.org/?p=33799. A helpful Category 1 Eligibility and Form 470 Filing Guide is available at: https://e-ratepa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Category-1-Eligibility-and-Form-470-Filing-Guide-FY-2022.pptx. Also, there’s a new Form 470 for FY 2022 which contains descriptive options with progressive disclosures instead of a drop down menu. To make the options a little more understandable, I’ve created this helpful guide that contains screenshots of the new Form 470 sections with plain language annotations to help you select the appropriate option(s): https://e-ratepa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Guide-to-New-Form-470-Options.pdf. If you’re unsure if you have to rebid your service, or which options to select, please e-mail me for assistance!
Category 2 Form 470s or PEPPM Mini-Bids: For all equipment for which you will be seeking E-rate funding in FY 2022, you must conduct a competitive procurement and sign a vendor contract. Bidding rules for PA public schools are more complex than those of non-public schools and libraries, so be careful to ensure that you’re fully complying with the laws and rules that pertain to your entity type. Also, the Form 470 for Category 2 also has changed for FY 2022, but not as drastically as for C1. Here are links to helpful guides for Category 2that will hopefully provide you with a step-by-step path to ensure your E-rate success:
- Public Schools C2 Eligibility and Bidding Guide: https://e-ratepa.org/?p=33807
- Public Schools PEPPM Mini-Bid Guide: https://e-ratepa.org/?p=33820
- Non-Public Schools and Libraries C2 Eligibility and Bidding Guide: https://e-ratepa.org/?p=33812
E-rate RFP & Form 470 Narrative Guide Available: I am often asked what information should/must be contained on a Form 470 or RFP. To assist applicants with preparing these bidding documents, I’ve created this RFP & Form 470 Narrative Guide that contains the following information related to both Category 1 and Category 2 service/equipment requests:
- When are RFPs required?
- What should be included in an RFP?
- What should be included on a Form 470 if no RFP is issued (including sample narratives)?
- What are the biggest mistakes applicants make on their 470’s or RFPs?
- Category 1 and Category 2 RFP Outlines – information to provide to bidders and information to request from vendors
- Bidding requirements for leased lit fiber, leased dark fiber, and self-provisioned fiber
- Sample vendor response templates
- Where to request PA Prevailing Wage Determination for structured cabling projects
All of the documents mentioned above are also posted under the Helpful Documents section of the www.e-ratepa.org website.
Please don’t wait any longer to begin your bidding process for FY 2022. If you have any questions about filing your Form 470’s, issuing RFPs, or the PEPPM mini-bid process, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Stay warm and healthy, E-raters!
— Julie
Julie Tritt Schell
PA E-rate Coordinator
717-730-7133
jtschell@comcast.net
www.e-ratepa.org