FY 2027 Rebidding Status for Category 1 FRNs
November 9, 2026
Good morning, E-Rate Community.
As you plan for FY 2027, which covers services provided from July 1, 2027, to June 30, 2028, the most important step is determining whether your Category 1 contracts (data transmission services and Internet access) require rebidding. If so, assess your future bandwidth needs and begin the bidding process.
FY 2027 Eligible Category 1 Services:The FY2027 Eligible Services List (ESL) has not been released yet, but we do not anticipate any changes to the Category 1 eligible services. While the FY 2027 Form 471 filing dates have not yet been announced, they are expected to be similar to those of last year, which ranged from early January to mid-late March.
How do you know when your existing contracts expire?
The most definitive source is the vendor contract itself. But assuming you entered the contract expiration date and extension options accurately in your Contract Records, I’ve created a list of all FY 2026 funded and pending Category 1 FRNs and their expiration dates located at FY2027-C1-Bidding-Status.xlsx. In the spreadsheet, there’s also a column – “Lorrie’s Rebidding Status Notes” – that explains whether I think the service must be rebid for FY 2027. My data is derived from the information you entered into the FY 2026 Form 471, and my conclusions are based on the contract expiration date you listed and whether you indicated that your original contract included optional contract extensions, so rebidding isn’t necessary. Column “J” shows the last possible contract expiration date if you choose to use any optional extensions that were listed in the Contract Record. Also, if you have a C1 contract and your entity’s name doesn’t appear on the list, it likely means your entity did not file a Form 471 in FY 2026.
Please refer to Column N of the attached spreadsheet (Lorrie’s Rebidding Status Notes); the data is color-coded as follows:
- Red: Must rebid services either due to end of contract or using MTM (unless using CABIO).
- Blue: May need to rebid, depending on whether contract extension is available and if you want to utilize.
- Black: Service under contract and no rebid is required.
Based on the status, you can determine the need to file a Form 470 to competitively bid for services.
As a reminder, a Form 470 must be filed:
- If a service is covered on a Month-to-Month basis (meaning no contract exists – these are mostly cable modem-type services) AND your services do not qualify for the CABIO bidding exemption;
- At the beginning of any new contract. Note: If you posted a Form 470 in a previous year and then signed a multi-year contract that expires on or after June 30, 2028, you are not required to file a Form 470 for FY 2027.
- If you’re upgrading service and the upgrades and associated prices are not included in the original contract.
Important Reminder on Voluntary Extensions:
If your current contract includes voluntary extensions, and you want to exercise one of those extensions, first check to be sure that the extensions are finite and not open-ended (meaning the extensions are written for the exact number of years). If they are written as “automatically renew,” they likely aren’t eligible to be used unless you post a new 470. If they are finite, you are not required to post a new Form 470 to use one of the extensions, but you must have written documentation to the vendor notifying them that you are electing to extend your contract, pursuant to one of the extension terms in your original contract.
If you have any questions about the data in this message, please let me know. I will send competitive bidding/Form 470 information in a subsequent message.
Sincerely,
Lorrie
Lorrie Germann
Pennsylvania E-Rate Coordinator
717-576-2737 – o
lgermann@e-ratepa.org
www.e-ratepa.org