Once the Form 470 is posted, you are required to wait for a 28-day competitive bidding period to expire before you can close your competitive bidding process, select a service provider, sign a contract, and submit a Form 471 to request E-Rate discounts for those products and services.

LEARN MORE Learn more about the competitive bidding process and the Form 470.

If the 28-day competitive bidding period for your Form 470 has not yet expired, you can gather the data you will need to complete your Form 471 and even begin it by filling in known information. Then after the 28 day waiting period has expired, you can complete the form with the relevant vendor, Form 470 specifications, and contract information, and any remaining fields.

If your 28-day waiting period has already expired (meaning your Allowable Contract Date has passed), you may submit your Form 471 if you have conducted your bid evaluation, selected your vendor(s), and signed a contract (unless you are just purchasing on a month-to-month basis).

The Allowable Contract Date (ACD) is the 29th day after you submit your Form 470, and is the first date that you are permitted to submit your Form 471.