PSC AF23

Overview

The Product Service Code (PSC) system is a governmentwide taxonomy used to categorize products, services, and research and development (R&D) in federal procurement. PSCs appear on contract actions reported in FPDS/SAM to enable consistent classification, analytics, and statutory reporting, and are maintained through the official PSC Manual. ¹

AF23 is the R&D PSC for Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services focused on Training & Labor at the Experimental Development stage. Experimental development comprises creative and systematic work to produce new processes or improve existing ones, including design, construction, and testing of experimental prototypes or technology demonstrations when refinement is expected. ²

What this PSC covers

• Experimental development of new workforce training processes, methods, or tools intended to be validated and refined through iterative testing. ²
• Design, construction, and testing of experimental prototypes for training and labor solutions (for example, novel curricula development methods or assessment mechanisms). ²
• First-of-a-kind technology demonstrations for labor or training systems where further design feedback is anticipated. ²
• Systematic improvement of existing training and employment processes based on research-derived knowledge. ²
• R&D services directed at labor market interventions, training delivery approaches, or employment support methods that meet the five OMB R&D characteristics (novel, creative, uncertain, systematic, transferable/reproducible). ²
• Excludes pre-production or user demonstrations validating costs/benefits for a specific use case or low‑rate initial production; such activities are not R&D. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Coding guidance nuances for AF23

• Report an R&D code only when the contract action is for R&D services; select the code for the precise R&D service being purchased. ²
• Do not use an R&D PSC to buy products in support of R&D (for example, equipment or supplies); code such items with the appropriate product PSC. ²
• The fourth digit “3” in AF23 signifies the Experimental Development stage; use “2” for Applied Research (AF22) and “1” for Basic Research (AF21). ²
• Exclude activities categorized as pre‑production development or low‑rate initial production; these are not R&D and should be coded elsewhere. ²

Frequently asked questions

• What does AF23 represent?

  • AF23 denotes Training & Labor R&D at the Experimental Development stage under the Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services R&D family. It covers creative, systematic work to produce or improve processes, including experimental prototypes and certain technology demonstrations. ²

• How is AF23 different from AF22?

  • AF22 is Applied Research—original investigation aimed at a specific practical objective—whereas AF23 is Experimental Development that builds and tests solutions based on prior research, often via prototypes or demonstrations intended for refinement. ²

• Are pilots and demonstrations included under AF23?

  • Technology demonstrations may fall under AF23 when components are first demonstrated at scale and additional design refinement is expected; user demos validating costs/benefits or low‑rate initial production are excluded from R&D. ²

• Should AF23 be used to purchase training materials or equipment?

  • No. Products bought in support of R&D must be coded with the appropriate product PSC, not an R&D PSC. AF23 applies to R&D services only; choose the predominant product or service code otherwise. ²

• Where are AF23-coded awards reported?

  • PSCs, including AF23, are recorded on contract actions in FPDS and accessed via SAM.gov’s Contract Data interfaces for search and reporting. ³

Useful resources

• G2X — PSC AF23 Data Page: https://app.g2xchange.com/psc/AF23
• Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual landing page: https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
• PSC Manual April 2025 (PDF), Section A: R&D Codes: https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf
• SAM.gov — Contract Data overview: https://sam.gov/content/contract-data

References

1. Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Code Manual: https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
2. PSC Manual April 2025 (PDF), Section A: Research and Development Codes: https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf
3. SAM.gov — Contract Data: https://sam.gov/content/contract-data