Key takeaways
- FY2027 Form 470s have been available in USAC's system since July 1, 2026, and each must stay posted at least 28 days before the applicant can choose a vendor.
- USAC's Form 470 Download Tool, its open data set and EPC let you see new bid requests every week.
- Service providers can't write, shape or be listed on a Form 470 or RFP. Once one posts, outreach should be specific questions about that bid.
- Since Sept. 8, 2026, USAC pays service providers only if they have an active SAM.gov registration and their UEI on their FCC Form 498.
E-Rate is the federal program that discounts internet access, internal networks and related equipment for schools and libraries. Every funding year starts with the FCC Form 470, the public bid request an applicant posts through USAC. If you sell eligible services and miss a district's 470, you usually miss that district for the year.
The FY2027 funding year runs from July 1, 2027, to June 30, 2028, but the bidding happens now. Here's what's open, how to keep up and what the rules allow.
What's open right now
USAC made the FY2027 Form 470 available on July 1, 2026, so applicants with long procurement cycles could start early. More will post through the winter.
Each 470 must stay posted at least 28 days before the applicant closes bidding and picks a vendor. It also has to be certified at least 28 days before the Form 471 filing window closes, according to Funds For Learning. State and local procurement rules can add time on top of that.
USAC's EPC administrative window opened Oct. 21, 2026. Applicants are updating their profiles now, and the window closes shortly before the FY2027 Form 471 window opens in early 2027.
FY2027 is also the second year of the FY2026–2030 Category Two budget cycle. Category Two covers internal connections such as Wi-Fi equipment and switches. Applicants whose student counts or library square footage changed can ask for a recalculated budget during the administrative window. If you sell Category Two equipment, it's worth knowing which accounts haven't yet used their five-year budgets.
The form itself changed only a little. Bus Wi-Fi and hotspot services were removed, the Category Two screen now shows guiding language, and choosing "Other" as a manufacturer adds the required "or equivalent" language.
How to find new Form 470s every week
USAC gives service providers three ways to see bid requests:
- The FCC Form 470 Download Tool lets you search and download Form 470 details and any RFP documents.
- The Form 470 Tool data set on USAC's Open Data site supports custom reports and API access.
- EPC has a "Search FCC Forms 470" option on the service provider landing page.
Build a weekly routine. Pull new postings, filter by the services you sell and the states you cover, and note each posting date and the earliest date bidding can close. Download any RFP, since applicants must upload it with the 470, and check back for amendments, which also have to be added in EPC.
Then match each posting to an account. A 470 from one of the largest school districts may need a different response than one from a single rural library. Our K-12 purchasing guide explains how districts approve and fund purchases beyond E-Rate.
What you can and can't do once a 470 posts
USAC's rules for service providers are strict, and breaking them can put the applicant's funding at risk. According to USAC:
- You can't prepare, sign, post or certify a Form 470, give input on the RFP, or appear as a contact on the form.
- After a 470 posts, limit outreach to the information you need to submit a responsive bid. Generic emails soliciting business don't qualify.
- Gifts to applicants or their consultants are prohibited, with narrow exceptions. So are free equipment or services and waiving the applicant's share of the cost.
- Bids should clearly identify ineligible items and show cost allocations for anything partly eligible.
This is where a respectful approach pays off. A short, specific question about quantities or site locations in a posted 470 is reasonable. A follow-up sequence asking for a demo is not. If the applicant doesn't answer, bid on the information you have.
Scrutiny is rising, too. In an April 30, 2026, order (FCC 26-30), the FCC voted to create a competitive bidding portal and document repository to give more visibility into how applicants run and evaluate bids. Assume your bid documents will be read closely.
Where to add value before the next 470
Many applicants file every year, and contracts expire on a schedule. The best time to be known is before a bid request goes up, without crossing into writing it.
- Track past filings. Prior 470s and contract end dates show which accounts are likely to post next.
- Keep early outreach educational. Share how your product has worked elsewhere, ask whether it's useful, and accept a no.
- Stay out of the drafting. If an applicant asks for help writing its bid request, point to USAC's public guidance instead.
Our guide on when to pitch school districts shows how the school-year calendar shapes the best timing.
Get your own paperwork in order
- 498 ID (SPIN). You need one to take part in E-Rate as a service provider.
- SAM.gov and your UEI. Since Sept. 8, 2026, USAC pays E-Rate invoices using SAM.gov banking information. Service providers filing the FCC Form 474 need an active SAM.gov registration with a bank account and their UEI on their FCC Form 498. Without them, you can submit invoices but won't be paid. USAC says registration can take up to six weeks, and SAM.gov registrations must be renewed every year.
- FCC Form 473. File the Service Provider Annual Certification each funding year. USAC can't pay invoices from you or the applicant until it's certified and approved.
- Lowest corresponding price. Review USAC's rules on it before you price a bid.
How KSG helps
Kensington Sales Group's B2G lead generation team helps vendors who sell to schools and libraries identify the accounts most likely to buy next. Our SDRs set meetings with IT directors and E-Rate coordinators well before a bid request goes up, and keep every conversation within the program's rules.
Sources: USAC, E-Rate announcements (July–October 2026); USAC, Step 2: Respond to Applicant Bid Requests; Funds For Learning, Filing Your FY2027 Form 470 (August 18, 2026); Federal Register, FCC notice on E-Rate competitive bidding rules (September 14, 2026).