What is Form 470?
Published May 7, 2026
Form 470 is the FCC competitive-bidding notice a school or library files with USAC before they can request E-Rate funding. It describes the services they want, opens a mandatory 28-day vendor-response window, and once certified is published as part of the public USAC record.
What does a Form 470 contain?
A Form 470 lists the services the applicant wants to procure with E-Rate funding — connectivity, internal network equipment, managed broadband, structured cabling, and so on. It identifies the applicant by Billed Entity Number (BEN), names a contact, lists service categories, and sets minimum requirements for vendor responses.
The filing is signed and certified electronically through the E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC). Once certified, USAC publishes the filing on opendata.usac.org. That published record is what tools like ERateSignal index.
How does the 28-day window work?
From the date a Form 470 is certified, the applicant must wait at least 28 calendar days before signing a contract or selecting a vendor. During that window, eligible service providers may submit responses describing what they would offer and at what price.
After the window closes, the applicant evaluates responses, selects a winner using their published evaluation criteria, and proceeds to Form 471 to request the funding commitment.
Where do public Form 470s come from?
Every certified Form 470 is published in the USAC Open Data dataset jt8s-3q52. That feed includes the applicant, the application number, the certification date, the service requested, and the deadline date. It does not include vendor responses or bid prices.
Common questions
- Is the Form 470 public?
- Yes. Once certified, every Form 470 is published by USAC on opendata.usac.org. The filing itself is public; vendor bids submitted in response are not.
- Can a service provider help an applicant fill out a Form 470?
- No. Under 47 CFR § 54.503, service providers may not prepare, draft, or assist with an applicant's Form 470. Doing so disqualifies that provider from bidding on the resulting contract.
- How long is a Form 470 valid?
- A Form 470 is generally valid for the funding year in which it is filed. Multi-year contracts signed off a Form 470 do not require a new 470 each year, but a new 471 is filed each funding year against the existing contract.
- What's the difference between Form 470 and Form 471?
- Form 470 opens the competitive bidding window. Form 471 is the actual funding request filed after the window closes and a vendor is selected.
Track this in real product data.
ERateSignal turns the public USAC datasets behind Form 470 into a working tool for E-Rate sellers — Form 470 alerts, SPIN market share, and territory analytics on the apex domain.
This entry summarizes publicly available FCC and USAC guidance for educational purposes and is not legal or procurement advice. Verify all information directly with USAC or qualified counsel before making business decisions. ERateSignal is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by USAC, the FCC, or the U.S. Government.