PA Cyber Pilot Update – August 2025

August 15, 2025

~ CPP Form 471 Training Scheduled Aug 21 ~

Hello PA Cyber Pilot Program (CPP) Participants!  We’re nearing the home stretch for the deadline to submit the CPP Form 471 and so I hope you read these reminders and consider joining the CPP Form 471 webinar that I will be conducting next week.

  • CPP Form 470 Deadline:  Monday, August 18 is the absolute last day you can post a CPP Form 470 and still be able to meet the September 15 Form 471 deadline.  If you wait until August 18, this will give you only a single day to review your bids, conduct your bid evaluation, obtain district/board approval, sign your contract(s) and submit your CPP Form 471.  Please do not wait this long and begin your procurement ASAP if you haven’t yet done so.Be sure that if you are mentioning a preferred product line that you always include “or equivalent” to allow other manufacturers to submit proposals.  CPP Form 470 User Guide:  Pilot-FCC-Form-470_User-Guide.pdf.      
  • CPP Form 471 and Form 484 Part 2 Deadline:  Monday, September 15 is the hard deadline to submit both the CPP Form 471 and Form 484 Part 2.  I do not believe there will be an extension or a way to request a waiver, so be sure not to miss this deadline.Note:  You can submit your Form 484 Part 2 before the Form 471 is submitted. 

** CPP Form 471 Webinar Scheduled:  On Thursday, August 21, I will be holding a CPP Form 471 training beginning at 10:00 am for PA CPP participants.  If you haven’t already submitted this form, please register and attend.  If you cannot attend, the session will be recorded and made available upon request.  Register at:  https://cciu.zoom.us/meeting/register/qJ4at0wBSMGDW8ZxZ04jcA.

  • Form 484 Part 2 Questions – CPP Participants must complete the Form 484 Part 2 to provide additional information related to their cybersecurity data and Pilot project information.  This is a confidential, but required, form and may be submitted now, but is not due until September 15, 2025.  This form is fairly simple, so don’t put it off.  It can be submitted in advance of our CPP Form 471 submission.  Form 484 Part 2 User Guide:  Pilot-FCC-Form-484-Part-2_User-Guide.pdf.  To see just a list of the questions asked in the Form 484 Part 2, see:  Form-484-Part-2-Questions-Only.pdf. 
  • CPP PEPPM Mini-Bid Procedures/Form 471 Filing – If you will be using the CPP PEPPM mini-bid for your CyberPilot procurement(s), begin by reviewing the comprehensive step-by-step CyberPilot PEPPM Mini-Bid Guide, available at:https://e-ratepa.org/?page_id=35967, and then be sure to use the CPP PEPPM resources on that page.  CPP PEPPM uses different product lines, a different cover e-mail template, and a different mini-bid template than the traditional E-rate PEPPM mini-bid.  
  • Form 471 Using PEPPM:  If you’re citing PEPPM on your CPP Form 471, you will answer the FRN Procurement Questions as follows:
  • Is this a State Master Contract?  Yes
  • What is the Contract/State Master Contract ID?  You can leave this blank, or you may want to list the PEPPM contract number that corresponds to the product line for which you are purchasing.  See Column H of the PEPPM Cybersecurity Product List.
  • What is the Establishing Form 470?  259999999 (this is a generic 470 number that the CPP Form 471 Guide instructs you to use). 
  • CyberPilot Form 471 – The CPP Form 471 can be found on the CyberPilot page in EPC by clicking on the waffle (9 squares) in the upper right corner of your EPC Landing Page.  Then click on Actions on the right side of the page.  It’s a fairly easy form, very similar to the E-rate Form 471.  CPP Form 471 User Guide:  Pilot-FCC-Form-471_UserGuide.pdf.
  • CPP PIA Reviews and FCDLs:  To date, no PIA reviews have been conducted on submitted CPP Form 471s, thus no funding commitment decisions letters have been issued.  It appears they may be waiting until September to begin their reviews.
  • What if I Don’t See the Form 471 (or 484 part 2 or 470) option on our CyberPilot page?  This likely means that your EPC Account Administrator has not given you permission to file this form.  Your EPC AA can grant you permission under Related Actions > Manage User Permissions (see slide 31 at: EPC-How-To-Guide-as-of-Nov-2024.pdf). 
  • Two PA Participants with Partial Budgets:  Homer Center SD and Perseus House Charter School were selected as CPP participants, but with a reduced budget.  Because several applicants have notified the FCC that they have withdrawn from CPP, these schools with partial budgets should plan to apply for CPP funding on their Form 471s as if they were granted a full budget of $45,000 each.  I don’t know how or when they will be notified of their new budget, but they should not wait to be notified. 
  • USAC “Urgent Review” E-mails:  On August 13, USAC sent “Urgent Review” messages to CPP participants.  Just FYI, these are not actually urgent review inquiries, but instead are simply reminders to the applicants that they will have to file the Form 484 Part 2 before the close of the CPP Form 471 window on September 15.
  • PA CPP Listserve:  If this message was forwarded to you, please let me know and I’ll subscribe you to the PA CPP Listserve directly. 

Additional Resources:

If you have any questions, please contact me at jtschell@comcast.net. 

— Julie

Julie Tritt Schell
Pennsylvania E-rate Coordinator
717-730-7133 – o
jtschell@comcast.net
www.e-ratepa.org

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