PSC AB13

Overview

The Product and Service Code (PSC) system classifies what the U.S. federal government buys so that contract actions can be tracked, analyzed, and reported consistently across systems. Agencies record PSCs in the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) and follow the PSC Manual maintained on Acquisition.gov. These codes support spend analysis, category management, and governmentwide reporting. ¹

AB13 denotes Research and Development (R&D) services in the Community and Regional Development major area (AB) for the sub-area “community development,” at the “experimental development” stage. In the R&D code structure, the third character identifies the sub-area and the fourth character identifies the R&D stage; “3” signifies experimental development. Agencies assign AB13 when the principal purpose is experimental development related to community development. ¹

See also on G2X:

• G2X — AB12 (Community development; Applied Research)
• G2X — AB23 (Area and regional development; Experimental Development)

What this PSC covers

• Experimental development work for community development, as defined in the PSC Manual’s stages of R&D. ¹
• Creative and systematic efforts to produce new or improved community development products, processes, or methods, drawing on prior research and practical experience. ¹
• Design, construction, and testing of experimental prototypes or systems/methods supporting community development outcomes. ¹
• Technology demonstrations conducted at scale for the first time, where additional refinements are realistically expected after the demonstration. ¹
• Classification under “community development” within the AB major area; projects centered on broader “area and regional development” fall under AB23. ¹
• Excludes user demonstrations validating costs/benefits for a specific use case and pre-production development (e.g., tooling or production facilities). ¹
• Excludes procurement of products in support of R&D; such items must be coded using the appropriate product PSC rather than AB13. ¹

Related NAICS and PSC codes

How to interpret the AB13 code

• Major area (2nd position): “B” indicates Community and Regional Development within R&D codes. ¹
• Sub-area (3rd position): “1” distinguishes the “community development” sub-area from “area and regional development” (which uses “2”). ¹
• Stage of R&D (4th position): “3” = Experimental Development; “1” = Basic Research, “2” = Applied Research, “4” = R&D Administrative Expenses, “5” = R&D Facilities and Major Equipment. ¹

Boundaries and exclusions

• Use an R&D code only when the principal purpose is research and experimental development services; do not code as R&D when purchasing products supporting R&D activities. ¹
• Experimental development includes prototype design, construction, and testing, and certain first-of-a-kind technology demonstrations; it does not include user demonstrations validating a specific use case or low-rate initial production. ¹

Frequently asked questions

• What does AB13 mean in federal reporting?
  AB13 is the Community and Regional Development R&D code for the “community development” sub-area at the Experimental Development stage. It is used when the work’s predominant purpose is experimental development associated with community development. ¹

• How is AB13 different from AB12?
  AB12 is Applied Research; AB13 is Experimental Development. Applied research acquires knowledge with a practical aim, while experimental development produces or improves products/processes using knowledge from research and experience. ¹

• Are pilot projects or technology demonstrations part of AB13?
  Yes, when a system is demonstrated at scale for the first time and additional refinements are realistically expected, it is within experimental development. User demonstrations for validating a specific use case and low-rate initial production are excluded from R&D. ¹

• Can AB13 be used to buy equipment?
  Routine product purchases supporting R&D should use the appropriate product PSC, not AB13. Expenses for R&D facilities or major equipment are represented by separate “5” codes (e.g., AB15) when that is the primary purpose. ¹

• Is there an official NAICS crosswalk for AB13?
  Not specified by official sources. ²

Useful resources

• G2X — PSC AB13 overview
• GSA Acquisition.gov — PSC Manual (April 2025 edition, PDF). ¹
• GSA Acquisition.gov — PSC Manual landing page (current and archived editions). ²
• DFARS PGI 253.219-70 — references PSC and NAICS code selection in acquisition planning artifacts. ³

References

1. PSC Manual April 2025 (PDF), Acquisition.gov — Section A: Research and Development Codes; code structure; stage definitions; inclusions/exclusions; FPDS entry. https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf
2. Product and Service Code Manual (index), Acquisition.gov — current/archived manuals and spreadsheets. https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
3. DFARS PGI 253.219-70, DD Form 2579 — PSC and NAICS references. https://www.acquisition.gov/dfarspgi/pgi-253.219-70-dd-form-2579small-business-coordination-record