Sign contract with CRW Consulting for the upcoming school year. Fax the signed signature page to CRW at 918.445.0049.

School should be putting together a list of equipment/services desired for the next school year. This list should include everything that the school wishes to do, even if they are not sure if all of the items are eligible for E-rate discounts.

If you are going to apply for hardware or maintenance services on eligible hardware, your Technology Plan for the NEXT school year must include a description of any E-rate equipment or maintenance of such equipment (click here for more details).

CRW Consulting Files Your Form 472 (BEAR) if you were a customer from the previous year and did not receive credits on your bills (we will need the total amount spent with the service provider).

CRW consulting files your 486 if you have been funded for the current school year (funding is ongoing, usually through October).

CRW Consulting Prepares and Gathers Info For Your 470 Form

Confirm items to be bid for upcoming year. CRW will send you a reminder of what you listed on your Form 470 from last year. Complete the bid list sheet (adding anything new that you wish to have bid), sign and fax back to CRW at 918.445.0049.

At this point, you must have a written (not yet approved for the upcoming year) technology plan for the UPCOMING school year if you are applying for hardware or maintenance on hardware.

Please be sure to identify to us any local bidding rules (such as bonding requirements, or media notification) that may apply.

CRW Consulting Files Your Form 470

In the end, you don't have to purchase everything on the 470, but you do have to allow vendors equal opportunity to bid, and you HAVE TO BE RESPONSIVE to their inquires for legitimate information. When we file the Form 470, this starts a 28 day competitive bidding cycle during which you must allow vendors the opportunity to bid on your services if they want. If you have a vendor that you think you might want to use, you should solicit bids from them after we have filed the 470 form.

Bid Evaluation/Contract Awards

Evaluate all of the bids you receive (price must be the most heavily weighted factor in your evaluation process). You don't have to take the lowest priced bid, but you should have other reasons to outweigh price if you don't take the lowest cost bid.

If you receive multiple bids for the same service you MUST use an evaluation sheet which is available here.

Award the contracts/bids that you want to accept (this can only be done after your 28-day bid period has closed). The school board, or the equivalent, should document that the school has permission to file for E-rate and that the school has budgeted to pay for its non-discounted share of services. Send the awarded contracts/bids to CRW Consulting.

You may not receive bids for all of your services (such as local phone service). If you don't receive a bid for something, send us an email indicating that "no bids were received."

CRW Consulting will send you a 471 Checklist requesting the items we need to begin preparing your application (free and reduced lunch numbers, signed contracts, etc.).

CRW Consulting Files Your Form 471

CRW Consulting will file your 471 application for E-rate funding for the upcoming school year.

CRW Consulting Answers SLD Inquires About Your Application

Update your technology plan to reflect the funding requests that were included on your application. This should include budget information (how much your share will cost). CRW Consulting will send you this information during this time period.

Technology Plan Approval Letter, If Needed

If you are applying for Priority Two (equipment or maintenance of equipment) for the upcoming funding year starting 7/1, we need to make sure that we have a copy of your Technology Plan approval letter from your technology plan approver (which is usually the State Department of Education or State Educational Agency). CRW Consulting can identify the appropriate technology plan approver if needed.

Ensure that your up-to-date technology plan is approved by the state NO LATER than June 30th.