The E-rate competitive bidding season is finally heating up. This past week, over 2,100 Forms 470 were posted, bringing the total number of 470s to more than 26,500. This pace is a record for FY2016. It is also a pace that is on par with the submission rate of 470s in prior funding years at this stage of the filing window. Applicants who have not yet submitted their Form 470 applications are encouraged to do so now, prior to the April 1 deadline to start the E-rate program’s mandatory competitive bid process.
Funding Requests Follow Pace of FY2015
Although the pace of new 470s has lagged behind last year, the pace of new funding requests is keeping stride with FY2015. During the first 37 days of the FY2016 filing window, applicants submitted funding requests totaling $130.8 million. The deadline for Form 471 funding applications is April 29, 2016.
