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NC School Connectivity Initiative

Deadlines and Reminders

January 31, 2022

In this newsletter:
NEW: Added USAC ECF Training Schedule

  1. ECF Reimbursement Updates
  2. 471 Filing Reminders
  3. Invoice Deadlines
  4. Vendors and Bidding Evaluations

ECF Requirements for Reimbursement:

The FCC has rolled back the “preimbursement” feature within ECF. All submissions for reimbursement must include the following: 

  • Invoice (A quote is not acceptable and will delay your reimbursement) 
    • Showing the date(s) the service and/or equipment was delivered or shipped 
      • No equipment or services can have a start date earlier than that which was approved on your FCDL, should be 7/1/2021. 
    • The make/model must match  
      • The quote previously uploaded during the F471 filing  
      • The equipment approved during PIA review – confirm with your FCDL 
      • The equipment approved after a Post Commitment Submission 
    • Any bundled items must be included in the above. E.g. If Google licenses were bundled into the cost of the Chromebook on the quote, the same must appear on the invoice 
    • The cost per item is the same or less than what USAC approved. 
    • The Service Provider is the same, unless changed and approved during a Post Commitment Submission 
  • The packing list, if any of the above, is not clear on the invoice 

Additional Information: 

  • SAM.GOV: Make sure your entity registration is active and correct 
  • DUNS/EIN
    • Confirm the correct information is listed in your EPC profile for your BEN.  
    • If not, update it and communicate with the reviewers through the ECF portal 

471 Filing Reminders:

C1: WANs with continuing contracts should file their 471s immediately. Today is our self-imposed NC deadline. If you can’t get them filed today, please do so by the end of the week. If there are any outstanding issues as to why your recurring WAN can’t be filed soon, please contact us and let us know. Those who are waiting for new contracts should file their 471s as soon as contracts are signed. Please complete a thorough CONTRACT RECORD in EPC with your new contract and UPLOAD the new contract into EPC. 

C2: The deadline for submitting quote requests to vendors is February 28, 2022. This will enable vendors to do a walk though if necessary and still give them two weeks to respond to your quote request and give you enough time to file your 471. Last year we had applicants sending out quote requests with two days left to file. This does not give vendors adequate time to respond nor you enough time to evaluate and file. So please plan ahead and send your quote requests out by February 28th or wait until next filing year for any C2 projects. If you require technical assistance in developing your Scope of Work, please reach out to MCNC at cne@mcnc.org and schedule an appointment. 

Invoice Deadlines: 

Please check your FRNs (Cat1 and Cat2) from 2020 and invoice their corresponding service delivery and invoice deadlines. The next invoicing deadline is 2/25/22. If you have undisbursed funds, these need to be invoiced by either your vendors (SPI billing) or you (BEAR filing) by the deadline. OR if you need an extension, please file an Invoice Deadline Extension Request (IDER) by the deadline. Otherwise, those funds will be forfeited. If these funds were not used, as in a Cat2 job was not done, please file a Form 500 and cancel the FRN(s). Be sure to use your PSU name in the nicknames of the extensions/form 500s, etc. 

Upcoming Webinars (From USAC ECF Newsletter):

USAC will host a series of ECF Reimbursement Webinars and Office Hours sessions in the month of February, where applicants and service providers can learn about best practices for submitting requests for reimbursement (i.e., ECF FCC Forms 472/474) and ask questions about the reimbursement process. Register for these sessions at the below links:

  • Tuesday, February 8 @ 3 p.m. ET: ECF Reimbursement Webinar for Applicants Using ECF FCC Form 472 or BEAR Method – Register
  • Wednesday, February 9 @ 3 p.m. ET: ECF Reimbursement Webinar for Service Providers Using ECF FCC Form 474 or SPI Method – Register
  • Wednesday, February 16 @ 3 p.m. ET: ECF Reimbursement Office Hours – Register
  • Wednesday, February 23 @ 3 p.m. ET: ECF Reimbursement Office Hours – Register

Visit the Training section of the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program website to access e-learning modules, register for webinars and office hour sessions, and view recordings of past trainings and office hours sessions.

Vendors Requesting Bidding Evaluations:

You are NOT required to share your evaluations with losing bidders. While attending the USAC 470 training on January 18, 2022, this exact question was asked. It was answered by USAC staff accordingly, “It is up to the applicant to provide additional information, but it is not required.” Vendors may certainly do a FOIA request to obtain information, but many will not go that far. You may certainly respond that you are not required to share it.