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Are all RWA customer letters required?
The Acceptance, Completion, and Closeout letters are required for nonrecurring RWAs for Federal Customers (A, B, F, and N Type RWAs), with the exception of F-types which do not require a completion letter. The Follow-Up Letter and Cancellation Letter are both optional for all RWA Types.
Are the customer letters signed by PBS?
These letters are official RWA correspondence generated by PBS’s official RWA system, RETA. They are not signed by PBS, but are intended to communicate with the customer at important trigger points throughout the project.
Who receives the customer letters?
PBS requires customer letters be sent to all contacts (PBS and Customer) listed on the RWA. Additionally, PBS may add anyone else identified as being involved with the project.
Does PBS send a rejection letter?
No, but eRETA will send the customer an automated communication whenever their Work Request/RWA is cancelled (either by GSA or the customer).
Who can access the customer letters in RETA/eRETA?
GSA and Customers can access the letters in RETA/eRETA. Customer access is limited only to Agency Bureau Codes they are authorized to use.
Does GSA send an acceptance letter for amendments?
The Acceptance Letter is sent specifically for amendment that changes the authorized amount and/or the Description of Requirements (scope). Administrative amendments do not require an acceptance letter.
What is the Acceptance Letter?
The Acceptance Letter communicates PBS’s acceptance of the RWA, signaling the project execution of the RWA, and it is when customer agencies should obligate the funding associated with the RWA. It is important to remember customer agencies should only obligate once the agency receives the Acceptance Letter from PBS.
What is the timeline to send the Acceptance Letter (i.e. when the RWA is accepted in RETA)?
When routing an RWA for signature, the GSA Data Entry User should select the option for RETA to automatically send the Acceptance Letter once signatures are captured (this option is disabled if the RWA requires Central Office review, and the region will receive an email to create the Acceptance Letter in RETA after Central Office has approved the RWA). If the Acceptance Letter is sent manually, it must be within 5 business days of when PBS signs and accepts the RWA.
What is the purpose of the Follow-Up Letter?
The Follow-Up Letter is used when no activity has been performed on an RWA and PBS is not able to move forward on a project until the customer responds with information. PBS uses the Follow-Up Letter when normal communication lines have not proven successful. Further delay could result in the closure of the RWA, and need for additional funding when/if the issue(s) preventing the continuation of the project is provided.
What is the difference between the Completion Letter and the Closeout Letter?
The Completion Letter is sent when the project or service is substantially complete. It informs the customer that the bulk of work is done and the product is ready to use for its intended purpose (for projects: minor defects will likely remain — called a “punch list”), however financial activity is NOT complete and the funds are still needed. The Closeout Letter is sent when all payments have been completed and no financial activity remains.
Should a customer de-obligate funds when they receive the Completion Letter?
No. De-obligation should NOT occur until the customer receives the Closeout Letter, which comes AFTER the Completion Letter and identifies financial closeout.
Does PBS issue the Completion and Closeout Letters on F Type RWAs since they close automatically at the end of the fiscal year?
F Type RWAs do not require a Completion Letter, but they do require a Closeout Letter.
What should a customer do when they receive a Closeout Letter?
The customer should follow the instructions included in the Closeout Letter. Receipt of this letter indicates the customer may de-obligate the amount identified.
What does RETA stand for?
RWA Entry and Tracking Application.
How are RWA Numbers generated in RETA?
When a customer creates a Work Request in eRETA, a unique seven-digit tracking number is automatically generated. This number stays the same throughout the lifecycle of the WR and even after it becomes an accepted RWA. The only exception is for A and B-type RWAs: their number will change, but the RWAs can still be tracked by both the original number generated in RETA and the A/B-type ASID generated from IRIS.
Who should customers contact for assistance with general questions about how to use eRETA?
gsa.gov/ereta has lots of great training materials, including recorded training videos and guides to help you through the process. eERTA users may also email eRETA@gsa.gov to speak directly to our eRETA Experts who can walk you through most general questions regarding the application.
I received an error message in eRETA. Who can I reach out to for assistance?
Please reach out to eRETA@gsa.gov for assistance with any technical difficulties including error messages and system outages.
What does eRETA stand for?
External RWA Entry and Tracking Application.
What is the difference between eRETA and RETA?
RETA is used internally by GSA associates. eRETA is a customer-facing version for RWA customer agencies. Customer agencies have access to view and edit Work Requests and RWAs associated with Agency Bureau Code(s) their user ID has access to. GSA RETA users have access to all Work Requests and RWAs within their own region (regardless of Agency Bureau Code).
What is the difference between a Work Request (WR) and an RWA?
A WR is sent by a customer to PBS via eRETA as an identification of a need for a project or service, and it does not contain any financial information. PBS will develop requirements with the customer and after requirements are fully developed (and an estimate is linked and approved to the WR), the customer may enter remaining required information in eRETA and send to GSA for potential acceptance when they are ready to fund the WR. A WR does not become an RWA until requirements are developed and it is signed by the customer and PBS. If you have any questions visit www.gsa.gov/ereta where we have an eRETA “Quick Tip” on the difference between a WR and an RWA.
Can customers send Work Requests/RWAs to GSA outside of eRETA?
Starting October 1, 2019, all federal customers must use eRETA to send all WR/RWA information to GSA. Non-federal customers (e.g. private entities, state and local governments) cannot access eRETA and thus must manually submit WR/RWAs.
Are there any user guides for submitting Work Request/RWA information in eRETA and/or user guides for interpreting the data available in eRETA?
Yes, go to www.gsa.gov/ereta and navigate to the “eRETA Training Materials” page located on the left navigation pane.
Are customers able to see financials in eRETA?
Yes, the “RWA Search” and Summary screens have summary level financial information about the RWA. The “Financial Review” section includes a more detailed breakdown of financial activity against the RWA.
After customers submit a Work Request or RWA in eRETA, when does it appear in the system?
Immediately. Work requests initiated by the customer electronically in eRETA will be visible at all times after it is saved, routed to GSA, and on to become an eventual RWA.
After a customer clicks the “Send to GSA” button on the Customer Approval tab, can they still edit the RWA?
Yes, up to a certain point. As long as the Work Request/RWA has a status of “Planning/Estimate” or “Pending-New” the customer can still make changes to the WR/RWA. However once GSA routes for signatures, the status changes to “Sig-Requested” and becomes unavailable to edit. If a customer needs to edit the RWA after GSA has routed for signatures, they need to reach out to a GSA POC to abandon signatures. Modifications sent to GSA are not editable by the customer — if the customer needs edits after the modification is submitted to GSA, GSA must first reject or delete the pending amendment.
I sent the RWA to GSA and it’s in Sig-Requested status but my Fund Certifying Official hasn’t received an email to apply digital signature. Why not?
If the Fund Certifying Official is not receiving the email to apply digital signature, do the following:
What is the Closeout Letter date in eRETA?
The Closeout Letter date reflects the timing of when the most recent Closeout Letter sent to the customer by GSA.
On the eRETA “Customer Approval” tab, I selected “Electronic Signature” and entered my supervisor’s email address in the “Fund Certifying Official” block and clicked Save/Send to GSA. How come my supervisor hasn’t received an email to digitally sign the RWA yet?
Emails requesting digital signature are not routed until after GSA has entered the data on the “GSA Only” tabs in RETA (the equivalent of page 2 of the RWA 2957 Form). Once a GSA RETA Data Entry user finishes entering all fields and clicks the “Request Signatures” button, then the customer Fund Certifying Official will receive an email requesting their digital signature.
Who do customers contact concerning issues with user ID and/or password when logging into the PBS Portal Extranet?
Contact the National Application Helpdesk (NAH) at COPBSApp@gsa.gov or at 866-367-7878.
Who do customers contact if they need to change or add the Agency Bureau Codes (ABCs) they have access to in eRETA?
Email eRETA@gsa.gov to request the new AB Codes while copying your supervisor on the email, and state in the body of the email “I have copied my supervisor on this request.”
Is eRETA different than the Vendor and Customer Self-Service (VCSS) Portal?
Yes. eRETA provides global project and financial information on individual Reimbursable Work Authorization (RWA) projects. eRETA also includes a document storage tool that includes copies of signed RWA forms, estimates, customer letters, other customer communications, and much more. VCSS is a complementary application to eRETA and specifically provides access to bills and billing data for not only RWAs, but all GSA business lines. For more information on VCSS, please go to vcss.gsa.gov.
Will my eRETA user log-in work for VCSS and vice versa?
No. To gain access to eRETA, please visit www.gsa.gov/ereta and click on the “How Do I Access eRETA” on the left pane. To gain access to VCSS, visit vcss.gsa.gov and click on the “New Registration and Account Access Requests” button.
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Rates for Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories and possessions are set by the Department of Defense.
Rates for foreign countries are set by the Department of State.
Rates are available between 10/1/2023 and 09/30/2026.
The End Date of your trip can not occur before the Start Date.
Traveler reimbursement is based on the location of the work activities and not the accommodations, unless lodging is not available at the work activity, then the agency may authorize the rate where lodging is obtained.
Unless otherwise specified, the per diem locality is defined as "all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city, including independent entities located within those boundaries."
Per diem localities with county definitions shall include"all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city as well as the boundaries of the listed counties, including independent entities located within the boundaries of the key city and the listed counties (unless otherwise listed separately)."
When a military installation or Government - related facility(whether or not specifically named) is located partially within more than one city or county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the entire installation or facility is the higher of the rates which apply to the cities and / or counties, even though part(s) of such activities may be located outside the defined per diem locality.
U.S. General Services Administration