Work out the date
The short answer
- The certification day counts as day 1, so the allowable contract date is the certification date plus 28 days: a 470 certified January 1 has an ACD of January 29.
- A 470 has to be certified at least 28 days before the Form 471 window closes. For funding year 2026 the window closed April 1, 2026, so the last day was March 4, 2026.
- USAC hasn't announced the funding year 2027 window yet. When it does, enter the closing date above.
The rule
An applicant must wait at least 28 days after certifying its Form 470 before it chooses a provider, signs a contract or certifies its Form 471. USAC counts the certification day as day 1, so the earliest it can do any of those is day 29, which EPC prints on the posted form as the allowable contract date. The calculator uses USAC's own example: certified January 1, 2024, allowable contract date January 29, 2024.
Source: USAC, 28-day waiting period. More in our guide to the allowable contract date.
When the date moves
- Substantial changes. If the applicant makes a substantial change to the 470, the 28 days start again and EPC moves the date out.
- Later bid deadlines. The ACD is the earliest the applicant can sign, not your deadline. Applicants can set a later due date in the 470 or RFP.
- EPC's own figure. USAC has said EPC's calculation was updated for funding year 2027 470s. The date on the posted form is the one to work from.
E-Rate Workbench counts down to the ACD on every Form 470 it matches for you, so you don't have to run this by hand. See Form 470 alerts.
Questions providers ask
How many days is the E-Rate waiting period?
At least 28 days after the Form 470 is certified, counting the certification day as day 1. The applicant can sign on day 29.
What is the last day to file a Form 470 for the Form 471 window?
28 days before the window closes, so the waiting period ends by the close. For funding year 2026 that was March 4, 2026. The funding year 2027 dates haven't been announced.