ETSNext FAQs

ETSNext is the next generation of the E-Gov Travel Service program, replacing E-Gov Travel Service 2 (ETS2). Managed by GSA, ETSNext will deliver an enterprise-wide travel and expense shared service to support the missions of government agencies through an intuitive, streamlined, and secure customer experience, mitigating transition costs and risks. All agencies must fully transition to the new ETSNext Shared Service by March 2027 to allow adequate time for ETS2 contract closeout. Our vision is to make travel and expenses easier for civilian federal travelers.

The E-Gov Travel Service is a mandatory solution used by over 124 civilian agencies. All task orders for the current ETS2 contract end on June 3, 2027.

All civilian agencies, as defined in the Federal Travel Regulation per FTR 301-50.3, are required to use the ETS program. This includes all the Chief Financial Officer act agencies, except for the Department of Defense FTR 301-1.1.

Our market research shows that a centralized approach will make it more feasible to implement features that improve user experience and reduce administrative burden, including:

• Improved mobile capabilities
• Intuitive user experience to reduce time and increase policy compliance
• Better integration with credit cards to speed up expense reporting
• Reduced administrative burden with centralized contract administration, configuration support and other functions

ETSNext is committed to transitioning all agencies by FY 2027 Q2. If extenuating circumstances arise that prevent an agency from transitioning on time, GSA has the option to unilaterally extend the ETS2 master contract once up to six months beyond the June 3, 2027 expiration date. A master contract extension would allow agency task order holders to unilaterally extend their task order to match the length of the master contract extension, limited to six months. At this time GSA does not plan to extend the contract beyond the target expiration date.

Connect.gov provides access to agency tools, resources, meeting information, etc. [PIV card required].

Key milestones that have enabled common requirements:

• Travel and Expense (T&E) Business Standards, which follow the processes established by OSSPI and OMB guidance in OMB Memorandum M-19-16 Centralized Mission Support Capabilities for the Federal Government, were approved by OMB in 2020.
• ETS was designated as a Shared Service in 2022.
• Governmentwide T&E standards streamline agency policy and processes and provide clarity to vendors with a consolidated set of requirements to meet government T&E needs.
• The T&E Business standards were used as the basis for ETSNext requirements.

As a government leader in shared solutions and performance improvement, GSA seeks to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of governmentwide mission support services, including travel. A shared service model for ETSNext will improve performance, customer experience, and reduce administrative burden. Further, travel is recognized as a shared service solution in OMB Memo 19-13: Category Management: Making Smarter Use of Common Contract Solutions and Practices. For additional information on governmentwide shared services, see ussm.gsa.gov.

ETSNext is committed to transitioning all agencies by Q2 FY 2027. If extenuating circumstances arise that prevent an agency from transitioning on time, GSA has the option to unilaterally extend the ETS2 master contract one time up to six months beyond the Jun. 3, 2027 expiration date. A master contract extension would allow agency task order holders to unilaterally extend their task order to match the length of the master contract extension, limited to six months. At this time GSA does not plan to extend the contract beyond the target expiration date.

• Service Strategy: Reducing duplicative customizations and configurations through a common governance framework that advises and prioritizes enhancements and opportunities for innovation.
• Service Delivery: Oversight and quality assurance for operating and controlling the technology managed services and travel management company integration in an efficient and effective manner, achieving key outcomes in customer and user satisfaction, and continuous improvement and secure travel and expense services.
• Service Management: Centrally managed and integrated project, tracking customer and vendor activities, reporting progress, mitigating risks, and communicating with all stakeholders in a transparent and coordinated approach.

ETSNext will be configured to support the travel & expense business standards which agencies have developed as part of the cross-agency standards development process, Federal Integrated Business Framework (FIBF). GSA met with agencies during the market research phase to understand agency-specific ETS2 capabilities and desired enhancements. With ETSNext, agencies will have various opportunities to participate in continuous improvement, including user group workshops, user experience testing of new features and releases, participation in satisfaction surveys, and in a change control board and governance process to prioritize service improvements.

With ETSNext, agencies will separately contract for TMC services, choosing from qualified vendors on the Travel Agent Services 561510 on the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (a self-directed option) or may elect to receive help from the GSA Assisted Acquisition Services (AAS) team. Small travel volume agencies, less than 1,200 bookings a year, can participate in a reduced-cost AAS option available to small agencies who bundle their requirements.

The benefits of agencies selecting and managing TMC performance are:

• Agencies have direct access to the TMC and can tailor travel agent services to reflect unique mission needs.
• Increased small-business set asides, which supports small business spending to meet government requirements.
• Increased standardization and transparency of fees and motivates traveler behavior to utilize online bookings.
• Directly aligns with Governmentwide Category Management goals of Spend Under Management, increased cost avoidance, and no contract duplication by utilizing a contract that supports small business.

Initial Operating Capability (early adopter) agencies will complete TMC acquisition by October 2024, while all remaining agencies will complete their TMC acquisition between May 2025 - May 2026. TMC acquisition must be completed no later than 1 month prior to ETSNext transition. The TMC acquisition schedules can be found on connect.gov at community.connect.gov/x/kVnMk for federal employees with a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card.

• Pre-Work Phase - Identify & Define TMC Services - 11 months prior to ETSNext transition.
• RFQ Prep Phase - Identify Team & Document Requirements - 9 months prior to ETSNext transition.
• Evaluation Phase - Respond & Evaluate - 4 months prior to ETSNext transition.
• Award Phase - Negotiate & Award - 1 month prior to ETSNext transition.

Agencies will sign Interagency Agreements with GSA to document terms and pricing. ETSNext will support the use of G-Invoicing as soon as practicable and in alignment with Department of Treasury guidance. The ETSNext Service Access Fee (SAF) will be automatically added to each approved travel voucher. The SAF will be a flat rate for all agencies and will cover travel & expense vendor cost and ETSNext operating costs. ETSNext fees will not be finalized until after award, but fees are anticipated to be in line with ETS2 fees, which include TMC costs. Under ETSNext TMC services will be purchased separately by agencies. Total trip fees could increase approximately 20% to 30% over the life of the 15-year contract.

Agencies will need to reconfigure existing ETS2 Financial Management (FM) system integrations to ETSNext. GSA has published draft interface specifications with the ETSNext RFP, and will provide additional details once the ETSNext contract is awarded. Agencies are responsible for the development and maintenance of their integration to ETSNext. Agencies will need to:

• Establish a team of functional and technical subject matter experts
• Review ETSNext FM documents (available on Connect.gov Note: PIV Card required - contact etsnext@gsa.gov if you need assistance)
• Analyze existing ETS2 FM interfaces and to validate current needs, and identify any gaps
• Determine interface approach and scope and estimate development effort
• Work with your agency’s FM Systems team to ensure resources will be available when needed

ETSNext travel & expense solution will be provided as a cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS). Federal regulations require SaaS solutions to obtain a Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) authorization to operate (ATO). If an awardee doesn’t already have a FedRAMP ATO, GSA will assess the SaaS solution according to GSA’s Moderate Impact SaaS (MiSaaS) process. If the system meets the MiSaaS security requirements, GSA will issue a MiSaaS ATO for up to 12 months while GSA acts as the initial agency partner for the awardee to obtain a FedRAMP moderate ATO for the Cloud Service Offering (CSO).

As described in FedRAMP’s Reuse Quick Guide, OMB Circular A-130 requires agencies to individually authorize operation of an information system and to explicitly accept the risk. Each agency that wishes to use the CSO will conduct its own risk review of the authorization package and grant its own ATO or authorization to use. Agencies leveraging the CSO will be responsible for documenting their customer responsible security controls (as defined in the CSO security authorization package) according to their own agency security policies. For further details, see the ETSNext IT Security Fact Sheet on Connect.gov. [PIV required]