Schools and libraries have started their E-rate procurement for Category Two projects at a near record pace. Applicants are releasing their Form 470 competitive bidding requests for Category Two projects at nearly the same rate as FY2015, the first year of the E-rate Modernization Order. However, E-rate stakeholders are also waiting for the FCC to release details of how Category Two will be funded after FY2019. On October 2017, Funds For Learning, filed joint comments with the Consortium for School Networking and the Education Superhighway in response to the FCC Category Two Public Notice with ideas on how to make the process for applying less cumbersome on applicants.
The posting of FY2019 Category One Form 470s are slightly behind FY2018, but overall, there is approximately a 7% increase in the total number of Form 470s for FY 2019 to date than FY 2018.
The last date for schools and libraries to post FY2019 Form 470s is February 27, 2019, but waiting until the last minute provides very little time to select a vendor, negotiate contracts, possibly get board approval and actually prepare, submit and certify the Form 471 by March 27, 2019.
