Step 2: Respond to Applicant Bid Requests

Applicants for E-Rate funding must complete a competitive bidding process to receive USF support. This process requires the applicant to request bids for service by posting one or more FCC Forms 470 to the USAC website for a minimum of 28 days.

The entity that will conduct or run the competitive bidding process – the applicant, a state procurement agency, or another entity authorized to negotiate on the applicant’s behalf – must ensure that the process is open and fair and must be prepared to receive and evaluate bids and negotiate with service providers.

Service providers then review and respond to applicants’ bid requests based on the information contained in the FCC Form 470 and, if one is issued, a request for proposal (RFP).

RFPs are not generally required for E-Rate program purposes, but applicants must issue RFPs if they are required by state or local competitive bidding rules or if they are seeking to self-provision their own network. Applicants may also choose to issue RFPs to provide more information than is permitted on an FCC Form 470. If an applicant issues an RFP, it must be attached and uploaded with their FCC Form 470. Remember, if the applicant amends or modifies the RFP, the updated amendment or other bid-related documentation must be added to the FCC Form 470 and uploaded into the E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC).

The Service Provider’s Role

Your actions must not compromise the competitive bidding process. You should avoid conduct that gives the appearance that the competitive bidding requirements have been compromised or that the process is not fair and open.

• You must not prepare, sign, post, or certify an FCC Form 470 or provide any input into the RFP documents. You cannot serve as a contact on the FCC Form 470, nor can your contact information appear on this form.
• After the FCC Form 470 is posted, you should limit outreach to the applicant to requests for information needed to submit responsive bids. Note that requests for information should not be generic emails or other communications soliciting business but should be specific and related to the posted FCC Forms 470 and any RFP documents.
• Gifts from service providers or potential service providers are prohibited. You are not allowed to solicit, offer, or provide any gifts to the applicant or any of the applicant’s representatives (i.e., consultants). There are limited exceptions to the gift prohibition, which mirror the federal government gift regulations. You are also prohibited from providing rebates (i.e., waiving the non-discounted share of costs) or free equipment or services as explained further in the Free Services Advisory.

The equipment and services you provide may be eligible, ineligible, partially, or conditionally eligible. Your bid responses (and contracts, if you are chosen as the service provider) should clearly identify ineligible equipment and services and provide cost allocations for equipment and services that are partially or conditionally eligible.

Review Submitted FCC Forms 470 and Contact Applicants to Submit Bids

There are three ways for service providers to search and review FCC Form 470 information:

• The E-Rate FCC Form 470 Download Tool provides a means to search and download FCC Form 470 information and RFP documents.
• The E-Rate FCC Form 470 Tool Data Set can be used to create custom reports or to access the data and RFP documents via an Application Program Interface (API) call.
• FCC Form 470 information can also be accessed in EPC. From the service provider landing page, select “Search FCC Forms 470.”

Service providers must be compliant with all E-Rate program rules and all applicable state and local procurement rules and regulations, including any competitive bidding requirements. You should also review the FCC Form 470 and RFP for specific requirements related to the competitive bidding process and make sure to abide by any requirements.

Next Steps

If your bid is chosen by an applicant, the next step is to negotiate a contract or other legally binding agreement with the applicant and assist them with filing the FCC Form 471 and navigating USAC’s application review process.