Fedora Reimbursement Requests (FRRs)

This document outlines the current process for Fedora Project contributors not employed by Red Hat to request and receive reimbursement from Red Hat for pre-approved, project-related expenses. These requests are known as Fedora Reimbursement Requests (FRR). Please follow the steps detailed here, as they reflect current Red Hat policies and procedures.

Fedora Reimbursement Requests (FRRs) typically cover the following types of pre-approved expenses:

  • Travel: Airfare, train, or bus tickets.

  • Accommodation: Hotel or hostel stays. Home-sharing services such as Airbnb are NOT allowed.

  • Other Specific Expenses: Event registration fees. Visa application fees may be covered in extraordinary circumstances and with specific pre-approval.

Meals and local transport (e.g., metro, bus, taxi) are NOT eligible for reimbursement through this program.

Before You Begin: Essential Prerequisites

Before starting the Fedora Reimbursement Request (FRR) process, please ensure you meet the following prerequisites:

  • Fedora Account System (FAS) account: You must have an active FAS account. Experienced Fedora contributors typically already have this.

  • USD Reimbursement: All reimbursements Red Hat issues are in US Dollars (USD) only, regardless of the currency in which you incurred expenses.

  • Tax Responsibility: You are personally responsible for any tax obligations in your country of residence that may arise from receiving this reimbursement. Red Hat does not provide tax advice or handle individual tax liabilities.

Stage 1: Obtaining Pre-Approval for Your Expenses

This first stage must be completed before you incur any expenses that you expect Red Hat to reimburse.

Step 1.1: Secure Fedora Community Funding Approval

Before Red Hat can consider an FRR, your activity and associated funding must be approved by an appropriate Fedora Project governance body. For event-related expenses, this is typically the Fedora Mindshare Committee.

  1. Follow the current procedures outlined by the Fedora Mindshare Committee below to request sponsorship. These processes may be under review or restructuring, but they represent the publicly-known guidelines:

  2. Once approved, you will use the public URL from the Mindshare Committee GitLab issue that documents this community approval and the budgeted amount.

Keep this URL handy; you will need it later for your FRR.

Step 1.2: Obtain Red Hat BEAR Pre-Approval (If Sponsoring Travel or Accommodation)

If your FRR includes funding for travel (such as flights, train, or bus tickets) or accommodation (like hotel stays), you must also obtain pre-approval from Red Hat’s internal Business Entertainment and Amenities Review (BEAR) team.

BEAR pre-approval is not required if your sponsorship only covers an event registration fee and does not include any Fedora-funded travel or accommodation.

To obtain BEAR pre-approval:

  1. You need to fill out the form in the Red Hat OSPO BEAR GitLab repository. This form asks for the following:

    • Your full, legal name; FAS username; preferred email.

    • Details about your employer (name, type such as government, commercial, self-employed).

    • Requested travel dates.

    • Estimates for your travel and accommodation costs in US Dollars (USD). For airfare or rail, provide the total estimated cost.

    • Event details, including any conference fees if applicable.

    • Answers to compliance-related questions.

  2. Submit this form by creating a new confidential issue on the repository linked previously. Ensure you check the box to make the issue confidential.

  3. The Fedora Community Architect (FCA) will be notified of your request and will facilitate the internal review by Red Hat Legal.

  4. The FCA will communicate the outcome of the BEAR review (approved or rejected) to you. The BEAR approval is documented with a new comment in the request.

Start Collecting Receipts Immediately!

Once your funding is approved (by both the Fedora community and Red Hat’s BEAR team, if applicable), you must begin collecting itemized and dated receipts for every single expense you intend to claim in your FRR.

Without proper itemized and dated receipts, Red Hat cannot reimburse your expenses. This is a strict requirement.

Stage 2: Attending Your Event & Crucial Expense Documentation

This stage covers your participation in the approved activity and the critical task of correctly documenting your expenses for the FRR.

Step 2.1: Participate in Your Approved Activity

Attend your conference, deliver your talk, or participate in the Fedora activity as approved.

Step 2.2: Collect Itemized and Dated Receipts — This is Critical!

Proper receipts are the cornerstone of your reimbursement claim. Failure to collect the correct type of receipts will prevent reimbursement.

No Itemized, Dated Receipt = No Reimbursement

Red Hat’s policy strictly requires that you provide an itemized AND dated receipt for every expense.

  • Itemized Receipt: The receipt must clearly list each individual item or service purchased.

    • For example, a hotel bill (folio) must show the nightly rate and any individual charges. A simple credit card transaction slip with a total amount is not sufficient.

  • Dated Receipt: The receipt must clearly show the date the expense was incurred.

Credit card statements or bank transaction lists alone are not sufficient because they are not itemized. Always ask for and retain the detailed merchant receipt. Make sure to get a proper receipt for transactions such as:

  • Airfare, train, or bus tickets: E-tickets and booking confirmations that show payment and travel details usually suffice.

  • Hotel folios: This is the final, itemized bill from the hotel at checkout.

  • Event registration fees: Confirmation emails showing payment are typical.

  • Visa application fees: An official receipt from the visa service is needed, if pre-approved in extraordinary circumstances.

Keep all physical receipts safe. It is a good practice to take clear digital photos or scans of them as soon as you receive them.

Step 2.3: Prepare Your Event Report

For most Fedora-funded events, you are required to write an event report. This could be a blog post or a summary on Fedora Discussion. Alternatively, you can share social media posts about your participation and the event.

  • Consult the Fedora Mindshare Committee’s Event Report Policy for guidance.

  • Publish your report. Keep the URL handy; you will need to provide this link when you submit your FRR.

Flock, the annual Fedora contributor conference, is exempt from this mandatory reporting. However, sharing your experiences is still highly encouraged!

Stage 3: Submitting Your Reimbursement Request via GitLab

After your event is over, and you have gathered all your receipts and prepared your event report, you can submit your FRR.

Step 3.1: Prepare Your Banking Information for USD Deposit

Red Hat issues all reimbursements via direct bank deposit and only in US Dollars (USD).

You will need to provide the following banking details accurately:

  • Your Full Legal Name: This name must be exactly as it appears on your bank account.

  • Bank’s Full Remit Address: This is the complete legal address of your bank branch where your account is held.

  • Official Bank Proof Document: This is a formal document from your bank that verifies your account details. Examples include a voided check (if common in your banking system) or an official letter or statement from your bank containing all the below details. It must clearly show:

    • Your full legal name as it appears on the account.

    • The bank’s name and full remit address.

    • Your bank account number.

    • Relevant routing numbers (e.g., SWIFT/BIC code for international transfers, IBAN, ABA routing number, sort code, depending on your bank’s location).

    • Ideally, it should also confirm the account’s capability to receive USD deposits.

Currency Conversion Fees Not Reimbursed

You are responsible for ensuring your bank can process incoming USD international transfers. Red Hat cannot reimburse any fees your bank might charge for receiving a USD deposit. Nor can Red Hat reimburse any fees you might incur if you convert currencies yourself when making a payment. The reimbursement will cover the USD equivalent of your approved expenses.

Step 3.2: Create a Reimbursement Request Issue in GitLab

All FRRs are tracked as issues in the Red Hat OSPO Sponsorship GitLab repository.

  1. Navigate to: https://gitlab.com/redhat/ospo/sponsorship

  2. Create a New issue.

  3. Select the "Reimbursement Request" template from the "Choose a template" dropdown.

  4. Crucially, ensure the "This issue is confidential…​" checkbox at the bottom of the form is checked. This protects your personal and financial information.

  5. Complete all fields in the template accurately:

    • Full legal name: As per your bank records.

    • FAS username: Your Fedora Account System ID.

    • Event name:

    • Event date(s): Formatted as YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD.

    • URL to public approval ticket: The link to your Fedora Mindshare (or other body) funding approval.

    • URL to your event report and/or social media: Link to your published report.

    • URL to your BEAR Compliance Request ticket (if applicable): Link to your issue in https://gitlab.com/redhat/ospo/bear if you had one.

    • Total amount budgeted: The total amount in USD approved by the Fedora community body.

    • Total amount spent: The total amount in USD you are requesting for reimbursement.

    • Do you have receipts for all expenses?: yes/no/TBD - should be "yes" by this stage.

    • Full Remit Address: Your bank’s full legal address.

    • Do you have a bank proof?: yes/no/TBD - should be "yes" by this stage. (Refer to Step 3.1 for details on acceptable bank proof documents.)

  6. Submit the issue. It will automatically be assigned labels like check1::needs triage, check2::needs triage, and check3::needs triage. The Fedora Community Architect will manage these.

Step 3.3: Prepare and Submit Your Detailed Expense Documentation

After you open the FRR, the Fedora Community Architect (FCA) will be notified and will guide you on the next steps for submitting your detailed documentation. The general process is as follows:

  1. Expense Tracker Spreadsheet: The FCA will provide you with an expense tracker spreadsheet template. You must meticulously complete this spreadsheet, listing each expense individually with:

    • Receipt Date

    • Receipt Description

    • Vendor

    • Amount (in the original currency of the transaction)

    • Currency Code (e.g., USD, EUR, INR, MXN)

    • Amount (converted to USD)

      • Currency Conversion to USD: If your expenses were not in USD, you need to convert each one to USD for the spreadsheet. Use a reputable online currency converter (e.g., Wise.com) for exchange rates applicable on the date you are preparing the spreadsheet. Make a note of this conversion date in your spreadsheet (e.g., "Conversions via Wise.com on YYYY-MM-DD"). The FCA will verify these conversions.

  2. Submitting Your Documents (Receipts, Bank Proof, Spreadsheet):

    • Preferred Method: Secure Google Drive Folder

      • The FCA will typically create a secure Google Drive folder specifically for your FRR and share the link with you via email and as a comment in your confidential GitLab issue.

      • Upload the following to this Google Drive folder:

        • Each itemized, dated receipt as a separate, clearly named digital file (e.g., PDF, JPG, PNG). Do not combine all receipts into one giant file.

        • Your official bank proof document (PDF format is preferred).

        • Your completed expense tracker spreadsheet.

    • Alternative Method: Email (if you do not have a Google Account)

      • If you do not have a Google account and cannot use Google Drive, please state this clearly in your GitLab reimbursement issue.

      • In this case, the FCA will instruct you to compile all your documents into a single ZIP file, including all receipts, your bank proof, and your completed expense tracker spreadsheet.

      • Email this ZIP file directly to the Fedora Community Architect at fca [at] fedoraproject [dot] org.

Stage 4: Reimbursement Processing by Red Hat (Internal Steps)

Once you have submitted all your documentation for your FRR, the Fedora Community Architect and internal Red Hat teams will handle the processing. This stage is mostly for your awareness of what happens next.

  • FCA Verification: The FCA will thoroughly review your FRR and all submitted documents (receipts, bank proof, spreadsheet, event report link, BEAR approval if applicable).

  • GitLab Label Updates: As the FCA verifies each part of your submission, they will update the scoped labels on your GitLab issue (e.g., from check1::needs triage to check1::approved in ticket, then check3::docs provided once all documents are confirmed complete and correct).

  • Internal ServiceNow Request: Once the FRR passes all three checks, the FCA will create a "Payment Exception Approval" request within Red Hat’s internal ServiceNow system. This internal request uses the information you provided (your legal name, bank details, USD expense totals) and attaches your collated documentation. It also uses Red Hat internal details like GL Code (721300), Cost Center (708), and a reason for payment (e.g., "Reimbursement of BEAR-approved expenses for volunteering at the Fedora booth at the FOSDEM open source conference in February 2025.").

  • Manager Approval: The FCA’s manager will then approve this Payment Exception Request directly within ServiceNow.

Stage 5: Receiving Your Reimbursement

This is the final stage where you receive your funds.

  • Payment: After all internal Red Hat approvals are complete, the payment will be processed. It will be deposited in USD into the bank account you provided.

  • Timeline: While there is no strict Service Level Agreement (SLA), Red Hat aims for a reimbursement turnaround of approximately 30 days. This 30-day period typically starts after all your documentation has been correctly submitted, verified by the FCA, and the internal ServiceNow request has been fully approved. Delays can occur if documentation is initially incomplete, incorrect, or if there are questions.

  • Payment Reference: When you receive the deposit, the payment reference or note from Red Hat will usually be in the format: Ticket redhat/ospo/sponsorship#XY. EVENT_NAME, MONTH YEAR. (e.g., "Ticket redhat/ospo/sponsorship#123. FOSDEM, February 2025"). This helps you identify the source and purpose of the funds.

  • Confirming Receipt of Funds: It is your responsibility to confirm when the reimbursement has been deposited into your account. Once you have received the funds, you must add a comment to your confidential GitLab reimbursement issue. This notification confirms to the Fedora Community Architect that the payment has been successfully received. It also finalizes the reimbursement process for your request. Timely confirmation is crucial for accurate tracking.

Tax Liability Reminder

As stated at the beginning, you are personally responsible for any and all tax obligations in your country of residence that may arise from receiving this reimbursement.

Questions or Need Help?

  • Fedora Community Approval Process: For questions related to the initial funding approval process within the Fedora Project, please consult the Fedora Mindshare Committee directly or the specific Fedora group handling the funding.

  • BEAR Pre-Approval or Reimbursement Submission: For questions about the BEAR pre-approval process or any part of the reimbursement submission process (Stages 3 onwards) after you have Fedora community approval, your primary point of contact is the Fedora Community Architect. You can reach them by:

This documented process replaces older methods that Fedora contributors might have used in the past, including those involving different vendor onboarding steps or payment platforms like PayPal (which is no longer used for these reimbursements). The aim is to provide a clear and consistent procedure aligned with current Red Hat policies.

Appendix: Glossary of Key Terms

  • BEAR: Business Entertainment and Amenities Review. A Red Hat internal pre-approval process for certain types of expenses, particularly travel and accommodation.

  • FAS: Fedora Account System. The account system used by Fedora Project contributors.

  • FCA: Fedora Community Architect. Your primary Red Hat liaison and facilitator for this reimbursement process.

  • GitLab Issue: A ticket you create in the specified Red Hat OSPO GitLab repositories to request BEAR pre-approval or to submit your reimbursement claim.

  • Itemized Receipt: A receipt that lists each individual item or service purchased, along with its price, not just a total amount.

  • Mindshare Committee: The Fedora Mindshare Committee. A governance body often responsible for approving budget requests for community activities and events.

  • OSPO: Open Source Program Office. The team within Red Hat that often manages community engagement and funding for open source projects.

  • ServiceNow: An internal Red Hat platform used for managing various service requests, including the "Payment Exception Approval" requests needed for these reimbursements.

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