ETSNext FAQ

Thank you for learning more about ETSNext, the next iteration of an end-to-end travel and expense service. If your question is not answered below please reach out to us at ETSNext@gsa.gov. For the latest updates, check the ETSNext Industry Community page on Interact.

  • The E-Gov Travel Service (ETS) is a mandatory solution used by over 124 civilian agencies.
  • All task orders for the current ETS2 contract end in June 2027.

Vision statement: Making travel and expense easier, everywhere, every time.

Mission statement: Deliver a single, shared, travel and expense service to support the missions of government agencies through an intuitive, streamlined, and secure customer experience, mitigating transition costs and risks.

ETSNext will be a single centralized Travel and Expense service that GSA will contract and manage for governmentwide use. ETSNext will support the Travel & Expense business standards developed as part of the Federal Integrated Business Framework.

ETS2

  • Governmentwide Travel and Expense contract that agencies can place task orders against.
  • TMC services included, or can be contracted for separately if preferred.
  • Agencies responsible for task order administration and all system configurations.

ETSNext

  • Governmentwide Travel & Expense service managed by GSA.
  • Agencies select and award contract for TMC services.
  • Centralized configuration to meet T&E standards and unique agency needs.
  • One contract award for T&E technology services managed by GSA.

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 travel and expense needs.
  • The T&E Business standards will be used as the basis for ETSNext requirements.

GSA makes it easy to select the best TMC for your agency with qualified vendors on the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), or with help from our assisted acquisition group. Agencies often have specialized travel needs, and this approach gives agencies more choice.

TMC services also helps agencies meet their small business utilization goals, and market research indicates that agencies can get better pricing by buying TMC services directly.

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:

  • Mobile usability.
  • Duty of Care.
  • Constructed Cost Comparisons.
  • Intuitive user experience to reduce time and increase policy compliance.
  • Better integration with credit cards to speed up expense reporting.

Yes, agencies, as defined in the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), are required to use ETS. This includes all of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) act agencies, except for the Department of Defense FTR 301-1.1.

Since launching over 20 years ago, ETS has delivered the following results to government and US taxpayer:

  • Reimbursement time from 30 to 3 days.
  • Online adoption from 5% to over 70%.
  • Average annual savings $21 million dollars.

  • Meeting with potential vendors to articulate our shared service goals and to understand vendor support capabilities.
  • Meeting with agencies to understand agency needs and expectations.
  • Developing deployment plan for ETSNext governance to ensure processes and policies are in place and running smoothly.
  • Inventorying existing skill sets, anticipating increased staffing needs and reviewing timing for on-boarding to ensure agency needs are met.

ETSNext will be configured to support the travel and expense business standards which agencies have developed together as part of the FIBF process. GSA is meeting with agencies during the market research phase to understand current capabilities and desired enhancements, which will be incorporated into the RFP. Once ETSNext is launched, agencies will participate in a shared governance body responsible for change management and prioritization.

HR system integrations will be easier for agencies to implement with a standard API. This will allow for automation of profile changes and deactivations including role changes within approval routing lists. For agencies who are not ready to integrate with their HR system, ETSNext will continue to support flat file imports used with ETS2.

Note: this content is only accessible to those with PIV cards.

The ETSNext Capability & Unique Needs Virtual Workshops Landing Page (below) provides access to the repository for all the agency meetings information.

Last Reviewed: 2023-04-04