Process & Timing

The E-Rate filing window, step by step.

Quick answer

The E-Rate filing window is USAC's annual application period for Form 471 funding requests. It typically opens in mid-January and closes in late March for the following funding year (July 1–June 30). Form 470 filings are accepted year-round but must be in place at least 28 days before any contract is signed.

The full cycle

  1. Stage 1Year-round; minimum 28 days before contract signing

    Form 470 — competitive bidding

    An applicant files Form 470 to publicly describe the services they want. Once certified through EPC, USAC publishes the filing on the open-data portal and the mandatory 28-day vendor-response window begins. Service providers may submit responses any time during the window.

  2. Stage 2After day 28 of the Form 470 window

    Vendor selection

    Applicants evaluate vendor responses against their published criteria, select a winner, and sign a contract or month-to-month agreement. This selection is what gets named on Form 471.

  3. Stage 3Typically mid-January through late March

    Form 471 — annual filing window

    Applicants file Form 471 during USAC's annual filing window. Each contract becomes one or more Funding Request Numbers (FRNs) inside the 471. Late filings are not accepted in the normal process.

  4. Stage 4Weeks to months after Form 471 is certified

    USAC review (PIA)

    USAC's Program Integrity Assurance team reviews each Form 471. PIA issues information requests and ultimately a Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL) committing or denying funding.

  5. Stage 5Within 120 days of service start or FCDL issuance

    Form 486 — receipt of service

    Once service has begun (or the FCDL is issued, whichever is later), the applicant files Form 486 confirming services have started. This unlocks invoicing.

  6. Stage 6Within 120 days after the last day of service for the funding year

    Invoicing — BEAR or SPI

    Reimbursement happens via BEAR (applicant invoices) or SPI (service-provider invoices). The funding year runs July 1 through June 30; invoicing deadlines fall 120 days after.

Funding year vs filing window

These two dates often get confused. The filing window is when applicants submit Form 471 — typically mid-January to late March. The funding year is the 12-month period the requested funding covers — July 1 through June 30. Applicants in the spring 2026 filing window are requesting funding for FY2026, which runs July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.

Why timing matters for service providers

Form 470s spike heavily in the weeks leading up to the Form 471 filing window — applicants need their 28-day windows to close so they can certify a vendor on the 471. Late January and February see the densest 470 activity, with hundreds of new filings posting on busy days.

Service providers who depend on email-only alert services often miss filings during peak weeks because subject-line notifications don't scale to 400 filings a day. The structured-data view is what makes the volume tractable.

FAQ

Common questions

When does the E-Rate filing window typically open and close?
The annual Form 471 filing window typically opens in mid-January and closes in late March for the following funding year (which runs July 1 through June 30). USAC publishes the exact dates each year on usac.org/sl.
Can a Form 470 be filed outside the window?
Yes. Form 470 filings are accepted year-round. The 28-day vendor-response window starts when the Form 470 is certified, not when the annual Form 471 window opens.
What's the deadline for Form 486?
Form 486 (Receipt of Service Confirmation) is due 120 days after the service start date or 120 days after the Funding Commitment Decision Letter is issued — whichever is later.
When does invoicing have to be submitted?
BEAR (applicant-invoicing) and SPI (service-provider-invoicing) deadlines are 120 days after the last day of service for the funding year, with extensions available on request.
What happens if an applicant misses the Form 471 window?
Late Form 471 filings are not accepted in the normal sense. USAC offers a limited late-filing waiver process under specific circumstances, but applicants should plan to certify well before the published window-close date.
Related

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This guide summarizes publicly available FCC and USAC guidance for educational purposes and is not legal or procurement advice. The exact filing-window dates and deadlines change each funding year; verify the authoritative current schedule with USAC at usac.org/sl. ERateSignal is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by USAC, the FCC, or the U.S. Government.