What It Does
The E-Rate Document Generator pulls school and district data from ThinkKits' Knowledge Graph and produces E-Rate-ready documents. No more manually copying addresses, enrollment, and FRL rates into forms. The tool uses the official E-Rate discount matrix, C2 budget rules, and filing calendar.
Three outputs: Form 470 data, Technology Plan, and Bid Evaluation Matrix.
Three Tools
1. Form 470 Pre-Fill
Pulls applicant info, recipient entities, service request details, discount rate, and C2 budget (for Category 2) from the school profile. Ready to copy into the USAC EPC portal.
2. Technology Plan
Generates a district-wide technology plan narrative: infrastructure assessment, goals, implementation timeline, budget overview, and compliance notes. Uses district LEA ID.
3. Bid Evaluation Matrix
Creates a competitive bid evaluation template with weighted scoring: Price (40%), Experience (25%), Service Quality (20%), References (15%). USAC requires price as primary factor.
Service Types Supported
internet, wan, wifi, switches, cabling, bmic, managed_wifi. Category 1 (internet/WAN) and Category 2 (internal connections) both supported.
Form 470 Pre-Fill — What You Get
- Applicant information — Entity name, address, city, state, zip, phone
- Recipient entities — School name, NCES ID, enrollment, FRL%, locale, discount rate
- Service request — Category, ESH category, typical services, narrative
- Discount information — FRL%, locale classification, discount rate, calculation explanation
- C2 budget (Category 2 only) — Total, used, remaining, E-Rate share, applicant share
- Filing timeline — Form 470 post date, bidding window, Form 471 window
- Next steps — Step-by-step checklist for filing
Technology Plan — What You Get
- District profile — Name, LEA ID, school count, total enrollment, avg FRL%, discount rate
- Schools served — List with enrollment and level
- Infrastructure assessment — Narrative + assessment areas (bandwidth, Wi-Fi, switching, cabling, filtering, security)
- Technology goals — Goals with metrics, timelines, E-Rate alignment
- Implementation timeline — Phases: Assessment, E-Rate filing, Implementation, Evaluation
- Budget overview — C2 budget, discount, E-Rate share, category breakdown
- Compliance notes — CIPA, documentation retention, competitive bidding
Bid Evaluation Matrix — What You Get
- Weighted criteria — Price 40%, Experience 25%, Service Quality 20%, References 15%
- Scoring guides — How to score each vendor on each criterion
- Vendor columns — Configurable (2–10 vendors)
- Selection rationale template — For documenting why you chose a vendor (especially if not lowest price)
- Required documentation list — What to keep on file for 10 years
How to Use
- For Form 470: Search for a school, open profile, go to Tools → E-Rate Generator. Select service type (e.g., wifi, internet). Copy the pre-filled data into USAC EPC.
- For Technology Plan: Use the district LEA ID. Go to Tools → E-Rate Generator, select "Tech Plan", enter LEA ID. Export or copy the narrative.
- For Bid Evaluation Matrix: Select service type and number of vendors. Download or print the matrix. Fill in vendor bids and scores during the 28-day bidding window.
API Access
Professional and Business tier users can call these via API. Endpoints (when wired):
| Endpoint | Method | Description |
|---|---|---|
/api/erate/470-form | POST | Generate Form 470 pre-fill for school + service type |
/api/erate/tech-plan | POST | Generate technology plan for district LEA ID |
/api/erate/bid-matrix | POST | Generate bid evaluation matrix for service type |
Form 470 Request
Tech Plan Request
Bid Matrix Request
The generator uses the official E-Rate discount matrix (urban/rural), $167/student C2 budget, and 28-day competitive bidding requirement. For full eligibility checks and discount calculations, use E-Rate C2 Budget Tracker and the platform's E-Rate eligibility endpoints.
Related Tools
- E-Rate C2 Budget Tracker — Find schools with unspent C2 budgets
- Procurement Quick-Start — How to buy with federal funds
- Funding Playbook — End-to-end funding workflow including E-Rate filing
Tier Access
E-Rate Document Generator requires Professional or Business tier.
Document Summarizer · AI Grant Writer · E-Rate C2 · Back to Platform
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