PSC AF11

Overview

The Product Service Code system is a governmentwide taxonomy that classifies what the federal government buys, supporting procurement reporting, analytics, and oversight. PSCs are entered on contract actions in the Federal Procurement Data System and are governed by the General Services Administration’s PSC Manual. Agencies rely on these codes to consistently categorize products, services, and research and development. ¹

AF11 denotes Education, Training, Employment, & Social Services R&D Services — Education Services R&D; Basic Research. It is part of the AF major area (Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services R&D) and indicates work at the Basic Research stage (fourth digit “1”). Use when the predominant effort is basic research within education services; this code helps distinguish basic research from applied research and experimental development in the education domain. ²

See also on G2X:

• G2X — PSC AF11 overview
• G2X — PSC AF12
• G2X — PSC AF13

What this PSC covers

• Basic research activities within the Education Services sub-area of the AF R&D family. ²
• Efforts undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge of underlying phenomena without a specific immediate application. ³
• Projects where “basic” is the stage of R&D (stage code “1”), not applied research or experimental development. ³
• Classification of the precise R&D service being purchased based on sufficient information from the requiring activity. ³
• Excludes products purchased in support of R&D; such items should be coded with the appropriate product PSC. ³
• Entry of the PSC as FPDS Data Element 8A to identify the product or service procured. ⁴

Related NAICS and PSC codes

How R&D PSCs are structured

• R&D PSCs contain two letters and two digits: “A” indicates R&D; the second letter identifies the major area; the third character (1–6) indicates a sub-area; the fourth digit is the R&D stage (1–5). ³
• Stages are defined as: 1 Basic Research; 2 Applied Research; 3 Experimental Development; 4 Administrative Expenses; 5 Expenses for R&D Facilities and Major Equipment. ³
• Do not assign an R&D PSC for non-R&D purchases supporting research (e.g., general supplies); use the applicable product PSC. ³

Frequently asked questions

• What does AF11 represent?
  AF11 is the PSC for Education Services R&D at the Basic Research stage within the Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services R&D family. It should be selected when the predominant effort is basic research focused on education services. ²

• How is “basic research” under AF codes distinguished from applied and experimental development?
  Basic research seeks new knowledge of underlying principles without a specific application; applied research targets a practical aim; experimental development creates or improves products/processes using prior knowledge and experience. These stages directly map to PSC stage digits 1, 2, and 3. ³

• When should AF11 be used instead of AF12 or AF13?
  Use AF11 when the effort is basic research; choose AF12 for applied research with a defined practical objective; select AF13 for experimental development aimed at producing or improving products/processes. Classify based on the predominant effort. ³

• Does AF11 determine the NAICS code or small business size standard?
  No. PSCs classify what is purchased; NAICS determines industry classification and the applicable SBA small business size standard for the procurement. See SBA’s Table of Small Business Size Standards for NAICS-based thresholds. ⁵

• Where is the PSC captured in FPDS?
  PSC is Data Element 8A (“Product or Service Code”) in FPDS and must reflect the predominant product/service for the action. Values must be valid PSCs per the PSC Manual. ⁴

Useful resources

• G2X — PSC AF11 overview
• Product and Service Code Manual (index and downloads). ¹
• PSC Manual April 2025 (current edition, definitions and code lists). ²
• FPDS Data Dictionary — Product or Service Code (DE 8A). ⁴

References

1. Product and Service Code Manual (Acquisition.gov) — index and current/archived editions: https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
2. PSC Manual April 2025 (PDF), Section A — AF codes and descriptors: https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf
3. PSC Manual April 2024 (PDF), Section A — R&D code structure and stage definitions: https://login.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202024.pdf
4. FPDS-NG Data Dictionary — Product or Service Code (DE 8A): https://www.fpds.gov/wiki/index.php/V1.4_FPDS-NG_Data_Dictionary
5. SBA Table of Small Business Size Standards: https://www.sba.gov/document/support--table-size-standards