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Good afternoon, Funding waves 1-4 for ECF funds have been obligated, and I wanted to share some helpful reminders regarding reimbursements. Please see below some tidbits of information - pulled from USAC's latest Emergency Connectivity Fund Newsletter<https://www.emergencyconnectivityfund.org/wp-content/uploads/ecf/Emergency-Connectivity-Fund-Program-Newsletter-November-2-2021.pdf> - regarding reimbursement procedures for ECF funding. If you wish to see *all* of the announcement, please click on the link to view the full newsletter. ***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Request for Reimbursement Submission Invoicing is available through the ECF Portal. Service providers and applicants have access to the ECF Portal through their One Portal dashboard and can view any funding requests that they are associated with through the ECF Portal. Applicants and service providers who agree to invoice on behalf of applicants can also use the ECF Portal to submit requests for reimbursement (i.e., ECF FCC Forms 472 or 474) for the Program. You can find e-learning modules that provide a walkthrough of the reimbursement forms including the ECF FCC Form 472 (BEAR)<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/click.outreach.usac.org/?qs=e7f0c28a9fa1e6ef99f17d84afc9651312178b02ed20b2294c7125a358b266619510d08afd0b7f738d24831cfa56cdb6348c5cbc7059a227__;!!PRtDf9A!5KnLSgEMv5ypjrGRAKfsQM5VB_spruUCpJ8XcJfgXPP9H6Vd5kqTHFM7mjlK-0S0HA$> and ECF FCC Form 474 (SPI)<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/click.outreach.usac.org/?qs=e7f0c28a9fa1e6efbba84491b6f5faeb1a67a51ba89f405255c9c2d7a0c3e00eebbf6243774255de2d499bc03c31ee97118b3bce38312b5d__;!!PRtDf9A!5KnLSgEMv5ypjrGRAKfsQM5VB_spruUCpJ8XcJfgXPP9H6Vd5kqTHFM7mjm6ROl3pQ$> on the Training<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/click.outreach.usac.org/?qs=e7f0c28a9fa1e6ef803d430e4730965d2fc42dd467ad4d330853d564a0de059804c23ba9d5867f9338b985036588b1dfcee936a0932b5141__;!!PRtDf9A!5KnLSgEMv5ypjrGRAKfsQM5VB_spruUCpJ8XcJfgXPP9H6Vd5kqTHFM7mjkK4FVE8w$> section of the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program website. Please note that applicants and service providers who agree to invoice on behalf of applicants will not be able to receive Emergency Connectivity Fund Program funding until they have completed their SAM.gov registration. The SAM.gov banking information will be used for issuing payments to applicants and service providers. If you will be submitting Emergency Connectivity Fund Program requests for reimbursement (i.e., ECF FCC Form 472 or ECF FCC Form 474) and have not completed your SAM.gov registration, please do so now. You may use this link to complete or renew your SAM.gov registration: https://usfcr.com/sam-registration/<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/click.outreach.usac.org/?qs=e7f0c28a9fa1e6efbb2de533a908a36dd03be62d9db8081678d4357b0918ec0ba0556d3cd3ed9eabd5df66aa046fda3922b058efbc428cba__;!!PRtDf9A!5KnLSgEMv5ypjrGRAKfsQM5VB_spruUCpJ8XcJfgXPP9H6Vd5kqTHFM7mjkWRoGnnQ$>. Please be aware that both the DUNS TIN/EIN that was used for SAM.gov registration and the FCC Registration Number TIN/EIN of the entity who will be invoicing must match to ensure that banking information is accurate and can be validated. Request for Reimbursement Decision Notification Once USAC has completed its review of a request for reimbursement, USAC will send a notification through the ECF Portal via email to all users with access to the request for reimbursement, which are set by the account administrator. USAC issues this notification when it has sent the payment batch to the FCC for processing. It can take up to five business days for the FCC to process the payment with the U.S. Treasury, and for the funds to be disbursed into the bank account on file with SAM.gov. When amounts are deposited, the U.S. Treasury will then issue a notification to the contacts in SAM.gov. Appeals and Post-Commitment Requests To find more information regarding how to file Appeals<https://www.emergencyconnectivityfund.org/file-an-appeal/> and Post-Commitment requests for applicants<https://www.emergencyconnectivityfund.org/ecf-post-commitment-request-form/> and service providers<https://www.emergencyconnectivityfund.org/ecf-post-commitment-request-form-service-providers/> , please visit EmergencyConnectivityFund.org<https://www.emergencyconnectivityfund.org/>. You can find an e-learning module that provides a walkthrough of how to submit a Post-Commitment request<https://www.emergencyconnectivityfund.org/video/ecf-post-commitment/story.html> on the Training<https://www.emergencyconnectivityfund.org/training/> section of the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program website. Frequently Asked Questions How can I change the service provider or the make or model of equipment after I've received a funding commitment decision letter (FCDL)? After an FCDL has been issued, you will need to submit a request to change the service provider or the equipment and/or service through a Post-Commitment Request Form in the ECF Portal. USAC will review your request and notify you of its decision and/or whether more information is needed via email. Please visit USAC's Emergency Connectivity Fund website for additional information regarding the Post-Commitment Request process for applicants<https://www.emergencyconnectivityfund.org/ecf-post-commitment-request-form/> and service providers<https://www.emergencyconnectivityfund.org/ecf-post-commitment-request-form-service-providers/>. Can I submit an invoice for a partial FRN and a partial Line Item within one FRN? Yes, invoices for a partial FRN and also a partial Line Item within one FRN are acceptable. Please ensure that all requests for reimbursement are submitted by the Invoice Deadline Date listed on the FCDL and ensure that requested amounts are within the approved amount on the FCDL. For equipment and non-recurring services, what is the deadline for filing requests for reimbursement? For equipment or other non-recurring services that have not been received at the time the application was submitted, applicants may use June 30, 2022 as the service end date and the invoice filing deadline will be 60 days from the date of the funding commitment decision letter; a revised funding commitment decision letter approving a post-commitment change or a successful appeal of previously denied or reduced funding; or August 29, 2022 (i.e., 60 days after June 30, 2022), whichever is later. FCDLs include the Invoice Deadline Date. Please see the FCC's Public Notice DA 21-881<https://click.outreach.usac.org/?qs=2e20594deaedafee9d4644cd43f62280fb1e725f6c09ef9df69551d4c9a6c896eae09d78766b3c640e44b69630e3789651a75d5f294f4621> for more information about the deadline submitting invoices for non-recurring services and equipment purchases. Need Help? Contact Us! Please contact the Emergency Connectivity Fund Customer Support Center (CSC) at (800) 234-9781 or create a case in the ECF Portal ****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Additionally: * If you are a recipient of ECF funds, I would strongly recommend signing up for the ECF Newsletter from USAC. Here's how! USAC will continually update the website to provide more information about the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program, including the timing for the Program's upcoming application filing window. We will also conduct Emergency Connectivity Fund Program outreach, including informational emails and trainings. Sign up<https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6296809/Emergency-Connectivity-Fund> to stay informed about the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program and receive information about future training sessions. * Also, please remember to continue checking the FCC's Emergency Connectivity Fund FAQs page<https://www.fcc.gov/emergency-connectivity-fund-faqs> for updated information and specific questions clarified by the FCC. All the best, Liz Liz Thigpen Schreck | Director Ocoee River Regional Library State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries Office of Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett 718 George St., NW, Athens, TN 37303 P. (423) 745-5194 - office; (423) 649-1583 - direct Regional Toll Free - (855) 692-8186 Fax (423) 649-1501 [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> This electronic mail may be subject to the Tennessee Public Records Act, Tenn. Code Ann. §10-7-503 et seq. Any reply to this email may also be subject to this act. The mission of the Office of the Secretary of State is to exceed the expectations of our customers, the taxpayers, by operating at the highest levels of accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and accountability in a customer-centered environment. Secretary of State Social Media Links: www.facebook.com/TennesseeSecretaryofState<http://www.facebook.com/TennesseeSecretaryofState> www.facebook.com/TNStateLibraryArchives/timeline<http://www.facebook.com/TNStateLibraryArchives/timeline>