PSC AF15

Overview

The Product Service Code (PSC) system standardizes how the U.S. federal government classifies the goods, services, and research it buys so spending can be tracked, analyzed, and reported in FPDS and related acquisition systems. PSCs are governed by the PSC Manual maintained on Acquisition.gov and used across federal procurement reporting. ¹

PSC AF15 denotes Education Services research and development when the primary objective is expenses for R&D facilities and major equipment that enable education-services-related research. Within the AF (Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services) R&D family, the “15” objective specifically covers facility and major-equipment investments rather than basic/applied research or experimental development activities. ¹

See also on G2X:

• G2X — PSC AF15 overview: https://app.g2xchange.com/psc/AF15
• G2X — PSC AF25 (Training & Labor R&D; R&D Facilities & Maj Equip)
• G2X — PSC U008 (Education/Training — Training/Curriculum Development)

What this PSC covers

• Expenses for facilities used to conduct education services R&D (e.g., establishing or expanding research labs, centers, or testbeds dedicated to education research). ¹
• Procurement of major R&D equipment where the principal purpose is to enable education services R&D programs or projects. ¹
• Capital modernization or upgrades of research infrastructure supporting studies in education services, learning systems, or curricula. ¹
• Integrated facility-and-equipment projects in which the dominant outcome is enhanced capacity for education services R&D. ¹
• Large instruments, platforms, or specialized systems acquired primarily as R&D enablers for education-services-focused investigations. ¹
• Programmatic investments categorized under the AF education-services domain when the R&D objective is “Facilities & Major Equipment.” ¹

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Coding boundaries and adjacent categories

• Use an R&D PSC only when the action is for research and experimental development; do not assign an R&D PSC to stand‑alone product purchases made merely in support of R&D—those are coded to the appropriate product PSC. ¹
• Non‑R&D education and training delivery (e.g., IT/telecom training) falls under Category U service codes, such as U012, not AF‑series R&D codes. ¹
• The AF “15” objective is for facilities and major equipment; when the dominant purpose is basic, applied, or experimental development work, select the corresponding AF objective code instead of “15.” ¹

Frequently asked questions

• What exactly does PSC AF15 represent?
  PSC AF15 identifies Education Services R&D actions whose primary objective is expenses for R&D facilities and major equipment, within the AF family covering education, training, employment, and social services research. It is distinct from AF codes used for basic, applied, or experimental development. ¹

• When should AF15 not be used?
  Do not use an R&D PSC for purchases of supplies or equipment that merely support R&D; those should use the correct product PSC. Delivery of training or other non‑R&D education services belongs in Category U codes, not AF‑series R&D. ¹

• Does AF15 include construction of new research labs for education studies?
  Yes, when the principal purpose is an R&D facility that enables education services research, AF15 covers such facility expenses and major equipment acquisitions tied to that objective. Other project-specific construction details are not specified by official sources. ²

• How are AF-series R&D objectives differentiated?
  The two letters designate the domain (AF = education/training/employment/social services), and the last two digits indicate the R&D objective: 11 basic, 12 applied, 13 experimental development, 14 administrative expenses, and 15 facilities & major equipment. ¹

• How is the PSC captured in federal reporting?
  PSC is entered in FPDS to indicate “what” was bought; additional reporting attributes are captured in separate elements. Use R&D PSCs only when the action is for research and experimental development. ³

Useful resources

• G2X — PSC AF15 data page: https://app.g2xchange.com/psc/AF15
• Acquisition.gov — PSC Manual (April 2025 edition, PDF). ¹
• Acquisition.gov — PSC Manual landing page and document library. ²
• FPDS — ezSearch help and user assistance. ³

References

1. Acquisition.gov. Product and Service Codes (PSC) Manual, April 2025 (PDF). https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf
2. Acquisition.gov. Product and Service Code Manual (document library and index). https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
3. FPDS. Help — FPDS-NG ezSearch User Information. https://www.fpds.gov/help/index.jsp