2016
September 2016
TrAMS is Closed for FY 16 Financial Activity (9/23/2016)
At 8 PM EST on September 23, TrAMS closed for FY 2016 financial activities. This is part of our standard procedure that allows FTA to conduct its annual year-end financial reconciliation. Financial transactions such as funds reservation, grant obligation and award, deobligations and financial purpose code/scope code transfers are now restricted. Users can continue to use TrAMS for non-financial functions. We will post an update when TrAMS re-opens for FY 17 financial activities. Additional information about TrAMS and Year End Close can be found at https://www.transit.dot.gov/trams.
Additional Information on TrAMS Year-End Close (9/1/2016)
Information about TrAMS functions after the year-end close
August 2016
TEAM goes offline on August 15, 2016!
A Quick Reference Checklist is available on what to check between TEAM and TrAMS and what to print from TEAM.
July 1, 2016
Task Launch for Federal Financial Reports and Milestone Progress Reports
On July 1, the next TrAMS Tasks for Federal Financial Reports and Milestone Progress Reports will launch. After the first task issuance in TrAMS, a number of requests were made to modify or correct the reporting frequency. FTA is working through a number of system changes; as a result, the requested changes are still forthcoming. We apologize for the delay; changes will be addressed prior to the next reporting cycle.
Sandy Reporters: Please complete your report for the 3rd quarter ending June 30 by July 30. FTA will resolve issuance of tasks for monthly reports prior to August 1, and the reporting frequency for Sandy Grants will be changed from monthly to quarterly. If your FTA representative made a request on your behalf to change a reporting cycle from quarterly to annual, or vice versa, please contact your FTA regional office for directions.
June 2016
TrAMS Alert: Post-Award Actions on TEAM grants with Non-Add Scope Budget Codes
Recently, FTA became aware that recipients were experiencing technical difficulties completing budget revisions, closeout amendments, and other amendments to grants that were awarded in TEAM and migrated into TrAMS that contained non-add scope codes (e.g. scopes in the 900 Series). Our help desk has resolved this issue. Recipients who have been waiting to start a NEW budget revision, closeout amendment, or other amendment to a grant with non-add scopes may now proceed with these actions. (Note: if you have a pending action with our helpdesk, please wait until you hear from the helpdesk that your specific issue has been resolved before proceeding)
March 2016
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Reporting Requirements
The process for completing your Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Report is similar to the FFRs and MPRs; it is task based. Your first reporting cycle in TrAMS will be for reports due on June 1, 2016. The associated DBE task to complete your report will launch on April 1. You may only start your report at that time.
March 2016
Federal Financial Reports (FFRs) and Milestone Progress Reports (MPRs) Requirements
Once TrAMS deploys, reporting cycles will commence with the next required due date. Reporting is task based, and all recipient users will be assigned required user roles. If you do not complete the FFR or MPR, we suggest that you work with your organization’s User Manager to adjust your TrAMS User Roles. The following outlines how FFR/MPRs will be handled upon deployment of TrAMS:
Recipients will be required to reconcile their reports in the next reporting cycle to cover the period beginning October 1, 2015. Recipients are encouraged to participate in a training session on FFR and MPR reporting. The first cycle after TrAMS deploys is as follows:
- The first Monthly Reporting Task will be issued March 1 and be due March 30
- The first Quarterly Reporting Task will be issued April 1 and be due April 30
- Supporting documentation may be attached to the applicable application
- All recipients must formally submit their FFR/MPRs electronically via TrAMS
- Recipients will not have access to create FFR or MPR for prior reporting cycles; use the first cycle in TrAMS to reconcile prior period information.
February 2016
Fiscal Year 2016 Annual List of Certifications and Assurances for FTA Grants and Cooperative Agreements
FTA’s 2016 Certifications and Assurances have been loaded into TrAMS; each recipient organization must PIN its certifications in TrAMS. See the FY 2016 Certifications and Assurances (C&As) notice, requirements and “How to PIN in TrAMS” documents.
2015
December 30, 2015
Federal Financial Report and Milestone Progress Reports
TEAM closed and moved to a read-only status on November 30, 2015. The functionality to complete the Milestone Progress Report and Federal Financial Report via TEAM is currently disabled. FTA is therefore waiving requirements to file monthly reports due on December 30, 2015 and monthly and quarterly reports due on January 30, 2016. For those reporting monthly, the next report will be due by February 29, 2016. For those reporting quarterly, the next report will be due by April 30, 2016. The first reports filed in TrAMS should represent the cumulative financial and progress on awards. In the interim, recipients should report any significant events affecting grants and projects directly to the Regional Office.
FTA’s Fiscal Year 2015 Certifications and Assurances (C&As) and Master Agreement will remain in effect until the Transit Awards Management System (TrAMS) deploys. FTA will publish the FY 2016 C&As in the Federal Register in coordination with the deployment of TrAMS. At that time recipients can execute (PIN) their certification in the TrAMS system.
November 2015
FTA’s grants management software, TEAM, closed November 30, 2015. Please review our Q&A for more information on what to expect following the closing of TEAM and FTA’s transition to TrAMS.
October 2, 2015
Information about the transition from TEAM to TrAMS (PDF)
August 12, 2015
Year-End Transactions (PDF)
FTA has completed development of the new transit grant-making system, TrAMS, and has performed an initial round of end-to-end testing on the system. The information and active participation by FTA grantees in reaching this stage has been critical and is greatly appreciated. While the TrAMS progress is notable, the current FTA grant-making system, TEAM, will continue in operation until the normal fiscal year closing date in late September 2015. When FTA re-opens the grant-making process for FY 2016 during October of this year, TrAMS will go into operation. Effective immediately, grant development and award activity can continue to proceed in TEAM.
FTA is taking this approach for a number of reasons. First, while the initial testing was encouraging, additional technical improvements are needed. The goal is a system that is 100 percent ready-to-go. Second, it is important that there is ample training for FTA and grantee staff, including the opportunity to use a training version of the system before it’s deployed. During the past three months, FTA has done extensive training, and 96 percent of the FTA’s over 800 grantees receiving TrAMS training indicated that they were excited about what they saw in the new grant-making system. Further information about training opportunities will be shared soon. Finally, the timing of the FY 2015 Appropriation law’s enactment and the subsequent apportionment creates potential hardships for FTA grantees, an issue many grantees have brought to FTA’s attention. For these reasons, the TrAMS operating date will be moved from April to October 2015.
TrAMS will deliver many benefits to FTA grantees, including the ability to award grants containing funds from multiple FTA programs (e.g. a single grant with Urbanized Area and State of Good Repair funds) which will eliminate the need to fund a single project with multiple grants and reduce grantee reporting. TrAMS will also have the ability to match disbursements with project activities. In addition, changes to FTA’s ECHO-web grantee payment system will be deployed with TrAMS, making it easier for grantees to submit and track payment requests.
January 7, 2015
User Manager Outreach Notice (PDF)