USACE-RateCybersecurity Pilot ProgramApplicant Process
Select a Service Provider

Select a Service Provider

After you close your competitive bidding process, you must consider all bids received and choose the bid that is the most cost-effective using price as the primary factor. You may consider as many factors in your evaluation as you want, but the price of the Pilot-eligible equipment and/or services must be the primary factor and must be weighted more heavily than any other single factor.

Remember, your Pilot FCC Form 470 and your RFP, if you issued one, must both be publicly available for at least 28 days before you can close your competitive bidding process, select a service provider, sign a contract, or certify a Pilot FCC Form 471.

If you received only one bid during your competitive bidding process, the bid must still be the most cost-effective option. If you receive only one bid and determine that it is cost-effective, you should memorialize that fact with a memo or email for your records.

If you did not receive any bids, you should keep a written record of this fact. Pilot participants that do not receive any bids may, after the 28-day waiting period, contact service providers to solicit bids, and can then review and evaluate any bids received as a result. They can also ask their current service provider(s) to submit bids in response to their Pilot FCC Form 470. However, keep in mind that state and local procurement rules may also require you to take certain actions if you do not receive any bids and you must be in compliance with all of your state and local procurement rules and regulations, in addition to any Pilot Program competitive bidding rules.

Next Steps

After the minimum 28-day competitive bidding window closes and you’ve evaluated all of the bids received, you may select a service provider and sign a contract with them. Once you have chosen your service provider(s) and signed a contract (if applicable), you can apply for Pilot Program funding by filing the Pilot FCC Form 471 during the application filing window period. Your service provider(s) is/are allowed to help you during the application and invoicing processes.