diff --git a/src/app/api/management/plans/[id]/retention/route.test.ts b/src/app/api/management/plans/[id]/retention/route.test.ts
index 6f594d1..326e399 100644
--- a/src/app/api/management/plans/[id]/retention/route.test.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/management/plans/[id]/retention/route.test.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,12 @@ describe("project monthly retention edits", () => {
     }) }));
     expect(m.revalidate).toHaveBeenCalledWith("/dashboard/management/retention");
   });
+  it("saves retention for a planned project that is awarded or outside the retention calculation", async () => {
+    expect((await call({ ...body, projectId: "sammy-marks" })).status).toBe(200);
+    expect(m.update).toHaveBeenCalledWith(id, expect.objectContaining({ history: expect.objectContaining({
+      retentionEdits: { "sammy-marks": { "7": { forecast: 123456.78, actual: 120000 } } },
+    }) }));
+  });
   it("rejects edits to a project outside this plan", async () => {
     expect((await call({ ...body, projectId: "unknown" })).status).toBe(400);
     expect(m.update).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
diff --git a/src/app/api/management/plans/[id]/retention/route.ts b/src/app/api/management/plans/[id]/retention/route.ts
index f0bcc7d..4cd931d 100644
--- a/src/app/api/management/plans/[id]/retention/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/management/plans/[id]/retention/route.ts
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ export async function PATCH(request: Request, ctx: { params: Promise<{ id: strin
   const snapshot = rowsToSnapshot(rows);
   const { projectId, month, forecast, actual } = parsed.data;
   const project = snapshot.projects.find((p) => p.id === projectId);
-  if (!project || !project.retentionEligible || project.excludedFromCashflow || project.status === "awarded") return NextResponse.json({ error: "invalid_project" }, { status: 400 });
+  if (!project) return NextResponse.json({ error: "invalid_project" }, { status: 400 });
   const previous = retentionCell(project, month, plan.history.retentionEdits);
   const value = { forecast: forecast ?? actual, actual };
   const retentionEdits = { ...plan.history.retentionEdits, [projectId]: { ...plan.history.retentionEdits?.[projectId], [month]: value } };
diff --git a/src/app/dashboard/management/retention-comparison.tsx b/src/app/dashboard/management/retention-comparison.tsx
index 8a47a9d..5067db8 100644
--- a/src/app/dashboard/management/retention-comparison.tsx
+++ b/src/app/dashboard/management/retention-comparison.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import { useState } from "react";
 import { useRouter } from "next/navigation";
 import type { ManagementBoard, PlanningProject, RetentionEdits } from "@/lib/management/model";
-import { retentionCell, retentionComparison } from "@/lib/management/retention-series";
+import { retentionCell, retentionComparison, retentionManualOnly } from "@/lib/management/retention-series";
 import { IncomeCellDialog } from "./income-cell-dialog";
 import { RetentionStartDialog } from "./retention-start-dialog";
 import { RetentionPayoutDialog } from "./retention-payout-dialog";
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ export function RetentionComparison({ board }: { board: ManagementBoard }) {
       <Stat label="Forecast retention held" value={compact(data.forecast)} accent={chartColors.forecast} note="Selected projects and months · purple" />
       <Stat label="Actual retention held" value={compact(data.actual)} accent={chartColors.payout} note="Selected projects and months · green" />
       <Stat label="Actual vs forecast variance" value={compact(data.variance)} note={`Actual − forecast · ${data.matchedCells} cells with both values`} />
-      <Stat label="Retention projects" value={String(data.jobs.length)} note="Active, retention-eligible projects in view" />
+      <Stat label="Retention projects" value={String(data.jobs.length)} note="All planned projects in view, including not-yet-active" />
     </div>
     <div className="mgmt-stat-grid">
       <div role="button" tabIndex={board.planId ? 0 : -1} aria-disabled={!board.planId || saving} aria-label="Edit RETENTION start" title="Double-click to set starting retention" className="cursor-pointer rounded-lg focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:outline-primary" onDoubleClick={openStart} onKeyDown={(event) => { if (event.key === "Enter" || event.key === " ") { event.preventDefault(); openStart(); } }}>
@@ -105,11 +105,11 @@ export function RetentionComparison({ board }: { board: ManagementBoard }) {
       <div className="mgmt-table-scroll"><table className="mgmt-table mgmt-project-table mgmt-retention-table">
         <caption className="sr-only">Forecast and actual retention held by project and month, in rand</caption>
         <thead><tr><th className="mgmt-sticky" scope="col">Project</th>{months.map((m) => <th key={m.index} scope="col">{m.label}</th>)}<th scope="col">Forecast total</th><th scope="col">Actual total</th><th scope="col">Variance</th></tr></thead>
-        <tbody>{data.jobs.map(({ project, cells, forecast, actual, variance }) => <tr key={project.id}><th className="mgmt-sticky" scope="row">{project.name}</th>{cells.map((cell) => <td key={cell.index}><button type="button" className="mgmt-cell-button" disabled={!board.planId || saving} aria-label={`Edit ${project.name} ${board.months.find((m) => m.index === cell.index)!.name} retention`} onClick={() => { setError(""); setEditing({ project, index: cell.index }); }}><span style={{ color: chartColors.forecast }}>Fcst {cellMoney(cell.forecast)}</span><span className="mgmt-cell-sub" style={{ color: chartColors.payout }}>Actual {cellMoney(cell.actual)}</span></button></td>)}<td style={{ color: chartColors.forecast }}>{cellMoney(forecast)}</td><td style={{ color: chartColors.payout }}>{cellMoney(actual)}</td><td>{cellMoney(variance)}</td></tr>)}</tbody>
+        <tbody>{data.jobs.map(({ project, cells, forecast, actual, variance }) => <tr key={project.id}><th className="mgmt-sticky" scope="row" style={{ color: project.excludedFromCashflow ? "#dc2626" : undefined }}>{project.name}{retentionManualOnly(project) && <span className="mgmt-project-meta" style={{ color: project.excludedFromCashflow ? "#dc2626" : undefined }}>{project.excludedFromCashflow || project.status === "awarded" ? "Awarded, not started" : "Not in retention calculation"} · enter values manually</span>}</th>{cells.map((cell) => <td key={cell.index}><button type="button" className="mgmt-cell-button" disabled={!board.planId || saving} aria-label={`Edit ${project.name} ${board.months.find((m) => m.index === cell.index)!.name} retention`} onClick={() => { setError(""); setEditing({ project, index: cell.index }); }}><span style={{ color: chartColors.forecast }}>Fcst {cellMoney(cell.forecast)}</span><span className="mgmt-cell-sub" style={{ color: chartColors.payout }}>Actual {cellMoney(cell.actual)}</span></button></td>)}<td style={{ color: chartColors.forecast }}>{cellMoney(forecast)}</td><td style={{ color: chartColors.payout }}>{cellMoney(actual)}</td><td>{cellMoney(variance)}</td></tr>)}</tbody>
         <tfoot><tr><th className="mgmt-sticky" scope="row">Monthly totals</th>{data.months.map((m) => <td key={m.index}><span style={{ color: chartColors.forecast }}>Fcst {cellMoney(m.forecast)}</span><span className="mgmt-cell-sub" style={{ color: chartColors.payout }}>Actual {cellMoney(m.actual)}</span></td>)}<td>{cellMoney(data.forecast)}</td><td>{cellMoney(data.actual)}</td><td>{cellMoney(data.variance)}</td></tr><tr><th className="mgmt-sticky" scope="row">Retention payout · company</th>{data.months.map((m) => <td key={m.index} style={{ color: chartColors.retentionPayout }}>{cellMoney(m.payout)}</td>)}<td colSpan={3} style={{ color: chartColors.retentionPayout }}>{cellMoney(data.payout)}</td></tr><tr><th className="mgmt-sticky" scope="row">Retention balance · company</th>{data.months.map((m) => <td key={m.index}>{cellMoney(m.retentionBalance)}</td>)}<td colSpan={3}>{cellMoney(data.months.at(-1)?.retentionBalance ?? null)}</td></tr></tfoot>
       </table></div>
       {data.jobs.length === 0 && <p className="mgmt-empty">No retention projects match these filters.</p>}
-      <p className="mgmt-source-note">Starting figures use each project’s forecast or invoiced income multiplied by its retention rate. Saved monthly values override that calculation. A missing forecast starts at the actual value. Blank actual means not supplied; zero is a recorded amount. Variance compares only cells containing both forecast and actual values. These figures are retention held, before releases.</p>
+      <p className="mgmt-source-note">Starting figures use each project’s forecast or invoiced income multiplied by its retention rate. Saved monthly values override that calculation. Awarded and non-calculated projects stay blank until values are entered. A missing forecast starts at the actual value. Blank actual means not supplied; zero is a recorded amount. Variance compares only cells containing both forecast and actual values. These figures are retention held, before releases.</p>
     </Panel>
     {editing && selected && <IncomeCellDialog key={`${editing.project.id}-${editing.index}`} open title={`${editing.project.name} · ${board.months.find((m) => m.index === editing.index)!.name} retention`} description="Enter forecast and actual retention held in rand for this project and month. A blank forecast copies the actual value. Leave actual blank for none. This does not change income or scheduled releases." forecast={selected.forecast} actual={selected.actual} saving={saving} closeOnSave={false} error={error} onSave={(forecast, actual) => { void save(forecast, actual); }} onOpenChange={(open) => { if (!open && !saving) setEditing(null); }} />}
     {editingStart && <RetentionStartDialog value={retentionStart} saving={saving} error={error} onSave={(value) => { void saveStart(value); }} onOpenChange={(open) => { if (!open && !saving) setEditingStart(false); }} />}
diff --git a/src/lib/management/retention-series.test.ts b/src/lib/management/retention-series.test.ts
index 496fa7c..f9716ae 100644
--- a/src/lib/management/retention-series.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/management/retention-series.test.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,18 @@ describe("retention actual and forecast comparison", () => {
     expect(retentionCell(project, 0)).toEqual({ forecast: 8, actual: 9.6 });
     expect(retentionCell({ ...project, excludedFromCashflow: true }, 0)).toEqual({ forecast: null, actual: null });
   });
+  it("lists every planned project, keeping awarded and non-eligible ones blank until values are entered", () => {
+    const board = buildManagementBoard({ ...snapshot, retentionStart: 0, manualRetentionPayouts: Array(12).fill(null),
+      projects: [job({ forecastIncome: values(100) }), job({ id: "awarded", name: "Awarded", status: "awarded", excludedFromCashflow: true, retentionEligible: false, forecastIncome: values(900) }), job({ id: "outside", name: "Outside", retentionEligible: false, forecastIncome: values(500) })],
+      retentionEdits: { outside: { "0": { forecast: 7, actual: null } } },
+    });
+    const data = retentionComparison(board, [0]);
+    expect(data.jobs.map((j) => j.project.id)).toEqual(["job", "awarded", "outside"]);
+    expect(data.jobs[1].cells[0]).toMatchObject({ forecast: null, actual: null });
+    expect(data.jobs[2].cells[0]).toMatchObject({ forecast: 7, actual: null });
+    expect(data.forecast).toBe(17);
+    expect(data.months[0].retentionBalance).toBe(17);
+  });
   it("seeds a blank forecast from an actual zero, leaving other months calculated from income", () => {
     const project = job({ forecastIncome: Array(12).fill(100) });
     const edits = { job: { "0": { forecast: null, actual: 0 } } };
diff --git a/src/lib/management/retention-series.ts b/src/lib/management/retention-series.ts
index 875e282..a790f40 100644
--- a/src/lib/management/retention-series.ts
+++ b/src/lib/management/retention-series.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 import type { ManagementBoard, PlanningProject, RetentionEdits } from "./model";
 
+/** Projects that are not calculated from income: awarded (not started) or outside the retention calculation. */
+export const retentionManualOnly = (project: PlanningProject) => !project.retentionEligible || project.excludedFromCashflow === true || project.status === "awarded";
+
 export function retentionCell(project: PlanningProject, index: number, edits: RetentionEdits = {}) {
-  if (!project.retentionEligible || project.excludedFromCashflow || project.status === "awarded") return { forecast: null, actual: null };
   const saved = edits[project.id]?.[String(index)];
   if (saved) return { ...saved, forecast: saved.forecast ?? saved.actual };
+  // Not-yet-active projects are listed for planning but hold nothing until a value is entered.
+  if (retentionManualOnly(project)) return { forecast: null, actual: null };
   const rate = project.retentionRates?.[index] ?? .1;
   const amount = (value: number | null | undefined) => value == null ? null : Math.round(value * rate * 100) / 100;
   return { forecast: amount(project.forecastBaseline?.[index] ?? project.forecastIncome?.[index] ?? project.actualIncome?.[index]), actual: amount(project.actualIncome?.[index]) };
@@ -15,7 +19,8 @@ const varianceFor = (cells: { forecast: number | null; actual: number | null }[]
   return matched.length ? Math.round(matched.reduce((s, c) => s + c.actual! - c.forecast!, 0) * 100) / 100 : null;
 };
 export function retentionComparison(board: ManagementBoard, indexes: number[], query = "") {
-  const companyProjects = board.projects.filter((p) => p.retentionEligible && !p.excludedFromCashflow && p.status !== "awarded");
+  // Every planned project is listed; awarded and non-eligible ones only add what is entered for them.
+  const companyProjects = board.projects;
   // Carry the balance through the full financial year before applying the view's month filter.
   // Opening retention and payouts are company totals, so this line always includes all projects.
   let runningBalance = board.retentionStart;
@@ -28,7 +33,7 @@ export function retentionComparison(board: ManagementBoard, indexes: number[], q
     if (runningBalance !== null) runningBalance = Math.round((runningBalance + added - (board.manualRetentionPayouts[month.index] ?? 0)) * 100) / 100;
     balances.set(month.index, runningBalance);
   }
-  const projects = board.projects.filter((p) => p.retentionEligible && !p.excludedFromCashflow && p.status !== "awarded" && `${p.name} ${p.client ?? ""}`.toLowerCase().includes(query.toLowerCase()));
+  const projects = board.projects.filter((p) => `${p.name} ${p.client ?? ""}`.toLowerCase().includes(query.toLowerCase()));
   const jobs = projects.map((project) => {
     const cells = indexes.map((index) => ({ index, ...retentionCell(project, index, board.retentionEdits) }));
     return { project, cells, forecast: sum(cells.map((c) => c.forecast)), actual: sum(cells.map((c) => c.actual)), variance: varianceFor(cells) };