After completing the Service Request section of your FCC Form 470, you’ll be asked to enter contact information for a technical person at your organization.
Starting your FCC Form 470 [videos]
Today we’ll cover how to start your FCC Form 470 to request Category 1 services, which are voice, Internet, and data transmission.
Let’s go!
Decide on Services and Post for Bids
The first step to receiving funding is to decide what services you’re going to apply for. Check out this year’s Eligible Services List to see what services qualify. Once you’ve decided on the services you want, it’s time to fill out and post an FCC Form 470.
Keep the bidding process open and fair
A key feature of E-rate’s competitive bidding rules is that the school/library buyer remains “open and fair” throughout the process. This means that there can be no secrets, exclusivity, or special treatment with any of the vendors providing offers to you.
It means that all bidders are treated the same, and all have access to the same information.
How competitive bidding works
Competitive bidding starts when you submit an FCC Form 470 and ends at least 28 days later, when you evaluate bids, select a vendor, and begin filling out your FCC Form 471.
The steps to the E-rate Program’s competitive bidding process are:
Intro to competitive bidding
A lot of non-profit and government organizations use competitive bidding to make sure they get the best value when they’re purchasing a new product or service, and the E-rate Program requires it!
Competitive bidding is a formal process to identify the products/services you need, and allow vendors to submit bids to provide them. The goal of competitive bidding is to attract as many bidders as possible, so you can receive better service and a lower price. For E-rate, you also need to remain fair and open so all vendors have an equal opportunity to win you as a customer.
