Exemptions

If your site meets one of the competitive bidding exemptions below, you are not required to submit the FCC Form 461 (Request for Services Form) and go through the competitive bidding process. You must indicate your intent to use a competitive bidding exemption when you file the FCC Form 462 (Funding Request Form).

You are exempt from competitive bidding if any of the following apply:

1. You are seeking support for $10,000 or less of total undiscounted eligible expenses for a single year. Note: This exemption is for HCF only. If you select this option on your FCC Form 462, you will not be able to request a multi-year funding commitment.
2. You are seeking support for services and equipment purchased from master service agreements (MSAs) negotiated by a federal, state, Tribal, or local governmental entity on the applicant’s behalf, and awarded pursuant to applicable federal, state, Tribal, or local competitive bidding requirements.
3. The applicant is opting into an existing MSA approved under the HCF program and is seeking support for services and equipment purchased from the MSA, as long as the MSA was developed and negotiated in response to an RFP or request for services that specifically solicited proposals that included a mechanism for adding additional sites to the MSA.
4. You have an existing contract already endorsed by USAC as evergreen.
5. You are using a member of a consortium with participants in the Schools and Libraries (E-Rate) program and is purchasing services and/or network equipment under a contract approved under the E-Rate program as a master contract.

If you do not meet any of the exemptions above you must submit an FCC Form 461 to USAC and competitively bid the requested services.

For more information about preparing for competitive bidding, please see Step 2.

The material on these webpages is provided for general information only and should not be relied upon or used as the sole basis for making decisions without consulting the RHC program rules, orders, and other primary sources of information. Applicants and service providers are ultimately responsible for knowing and complying with all RHC program rules and procedures.