PSC AH15

Overview

The Product Service Code (PSC) system standardizes how the U.S. government classifies what it buys, supporting consistent entry and analysis in systems such as FPDS and SAM. Codes and definitions are maintained in the PSC Manual issued by GSA, which provides the official taxonomy and usage guidance for contracting personnel. ¹

PSC AH15 is defined as “Natural Resources & Environment R&D Services; Water Resources; R&D Facilities & Major Equipment.” It applies when obligations fund the purchase, construction, manufacture, rehabilitation, or major improvement of facilities and major movable equipment necessary to execute water-resources R&D programs, and excludes minor equipment purchases. ²

What this PSC covers

• Construction of facilities required to conduct water-resources R&D (e.g., laboratories, test sites), including land, major fixed equipment, and supporting infrastructure directly tied to the R&D program. ²
• Major improvements or rehabilitation of existing R&D facilities that materially enhance water-resources research capability. ²
• Acquisition, design, or production of major movable R&D instruments and systems used for water-resources R&D (e.g., large analytical instruments or major field platforms). ²
• Programs devoted to purchasing or constructing R&D major equipment for water-resources research. ²
• Installation and integration of major R&D equipment at facilities when necessary for the R&D mission. ²
• Facility components proportionally allocable to R&D use when buildings mix office and laboratory functions (only the R&D fraction applies). ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Verified related PSCs within the same sub-area (Water Resources) and family (Natural Resources & Environment R&D Services). ²

Code structure and placement

R&D PSCs use a four-character pattern: “A” indicates R&D; the second letter denotes the major area (“H” for Natural Resources & Environment); the third digit is the sub-area (“1” for Water Resources); and the fourth digit is the stage of R&D (“5” for Expenses for R&D Facilities and Major Equipment). ²

Distinguishing AH15 from non-R&D environmental services

Non-R&D environmental and natural resources services (e.g., Environmental Systems Protection such as F103 Water Quality Support) fall under Category F service codes, not R&D. Use AH15 only when the purpose is facilities/major equipment for water-resources R&D, not routine environmental services. ²

Coding tips and boundaries

• Do not assign an R&D PSC to products purchased in support of R&D; use the appropriate product PSC for such items. ²
• Exclude minor equipment (e.g., personal computers, standard microscopes, simple spectrometers); those are reported with product PSCs, not AH15. ²
• Include construction or acquisition of facilities and major movable instruments necessary to execute the R&D program; obligations for these are treated as an R&D stage. ²

Frequently asked questions

• What does PSC AH15 encompass?
  PSC AH15 covers obligations for facilities and major movable equipment necessary to execute water-resources research and development programs, including construction, major improvements, and acquisition or production of major R&D instruments. Minor equipment is excluded. ²

• How is AH15 different from AH11–AH14?
  AH11–AH14 denote research stages (basic, applied, experimental development, and R&D administrative expenses). AH15 denotes the facilities/major-equipment stage, a separate R&D stage used for capital assets supporting water-resources R&D. ²

• Can equipment-only buys be coded AH15?
  Yes, when acquiring “major movable R&D equipment” for water-resources R&D (e.g., large instruments or research platforms). Purchases of minor equipment or common items should use the appropriate product PSC instead of AH15. ²

• Are specific NAICS codes prescribed for AH15?
  Not specified by official sources. ¹

• How to distinguish AH15 from environmental service codes like F103?
  Category F codes (e.g., F103) are for environmental services, not R&D. Use AH15 only when the obligation is for R&D facilities or major R&D equipment in the Water Resources sub-area. ²

Useful resources

• G2X — PSC AH15 overview
• Product and Service Code Manual (PSC) landing page, current and archives. ¹
• PSC Manual April 2025 (PDF) — authoritative definitions and code lists. ²
• PSC April 2025 (XLSX) — machine-readable code set. ³

References

1. Product and Service Code Manual — Acquisition.gov. https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
2. PSC Manual April 2025 (PDF). https://login.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf
3. PSC April 2025 (XLSX). https://www.acquisition.gov/content/psc-april-2025.xlsx