PSC AS13

Overview

The Product Service Code system is a governmentwide taxonomy for classifying what the U.S. federal government buys. PSCs are recorded on contract actions in FPDS/SAM to support tracking, analysis, and reporting, and are governed by the GSA‑maintained PSC Manual. Agencies use these standardized codes to consistently categorize products, services, and R&D across award records. ¹

PSC AS13 identifies Transportation Research and Development Services for “Surface transportation, public transit, and rail” at the Experimental Development phase. In the PSC Manual’s R&D structure, “A” marks R&D, “S” indicates the Transportation domain, and “13” denotes Experimental Development work, such as creating or improving products or processes through systematic prototyping and testing. ²

See also on G2X:

• G2X — PSC AS13 overview
• G2X — PSC AS12 overview
• G2X — PSC AS23 overview

What this PSC covers

• Experimental development for surface transportation systems, including iterative prototyping and testing of technologies for roads, transit, and rail. ²
• Development efforts aimed at producing new or improved transportation products or processes (e.g., control, safety, mobility, or infrastructure concepts) rather than basic or applied research. ²
• Pilot-scale demonstrations and other systematic activities that build on prior research to validate feasibility for public transit and rail applications. ²
• Engineering development to mature concepts toward operational viability within surface transportation and public transit domains. ²
• Activities that generate transferable or reproducible knowledge while progressing toward deployable transportation solutions. ²
• Experimental development distinct from administrative costs or facilities/equipment line items, which are coded separately. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type | Code | Descriptor

• | - | - PSC | AS11 | Transportation R&D Services; Surface transportation, public transit, and rail; Basic Research ² PSC | AS12 | Transportation R&D Services; Surface transportation, public transit, and rail; Applied Research ² PSC | AS14 | Transportation R&D Services; Surface transportation, public transit, and rail; R&D Administrative Expenses ² PSC | AS15 | Transportation R&D Services; Surface transportation, public transit, and rail; R&D Facilities & Major Equipment ²

How to interpret AS13

• R&D code composition: two letters + two digits. “A” = R&D; the second letter = major domain (here, “S” for Transportation); the digits indicate stage ( AS11 Basic, AS12 Applied, AS13 Experimental Development, AS14 Administrative Expenses, AS15 Facilities & Major Equipment). ²
• Experimental Development is “creative and systematic work” that produces or improves products/processes, drawing on prior research and practical experience. It is distinct from basic/applied research and from non‑experimental pre‑production. ²

Scope boundaries for AS13

• Use AS13 when the principal purpose is experimental development for surface transportation, public transit, or rail. Do not apply an R&D PSC to supplies purchased in support of R&D; such items must use the appropriate product PSC. ²
• Exclusions include user demonstrations validating costs/benefits for a specific use case and pre‑production activities such as tooling for full production; these are not R&D. ²

FPDS/SAM reporting notes

• PSCs are captured in FPDS/SAM as data element 8A (“Product or Service Code”) to indicate what was bought; select the PSC that best reflects the predominant purpose of the action. For R&D, report the proper R&D PSC (e.g., AS13) rather than a general service code. ²
• The PSC Manual is the authoritative source for R&D definitions and the AS-series descriptions used across agencies. ²

Frequently asked questions

• What activities fit under PSC AS13? Experimental development under PSC AS13 includes structured, build‑test‑learn work that transforms transportation research outcomes into new or improved products and processes. Typical efforts mature prototypes, run pilot validations, and generate transferable knowledge in surface transportation, public transit, and rail, going beyond basic or applied research alone. ²

• How is AS13 different from AS12? AS12 covers Applied Research focused on practical objectives but still oriented toward generating new knowledge. AS13 advances to experimental development, emphasizing creation or improvement of products/processes via systematic prototyping, integration, and testing that build on prior research toward operational viability. ²

• When should administrative or facility costs be coded instead of AS13? Charge administrative expenses for transportation R&D to AS14, and dedicated facilities or major equipment purchases to AS15. Use AS13 only for experimental development work itself, not for management overhead or capital assets procured to support R&D. ²

• Are there official NAICS codes crosswalked to AS13? Not specified by official sources ¹. Agencies typically select NAICS based on the predominant work (e.g., engineering services) while assigning the PSC to reflect the R&D phase and domain. Always follow solicitation or agency instructions if a specific NAICS is prescribed.

• Should supplies for experiments be coded as AS13? No. Do not assign an R&D PSC to supplies or equipment purchased in support of R&D. Code those items with the appropriate product PSC, while the R&D service effort carries the applicable R&D PSC, such as AS13 for experimental development in the transportation domain. ²

Useful resources

• G2X — PSC AS13 overview
• Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Code Manual index. ¹
• PSC Manual (April 2025 edition, current) — authoritative R&D definitions and AS-series descriptions. ²

References

1. Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Code Manual index: https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
2. PSC Manual April 2025 (PDF), Sections introducing FPDS usage and Section A (R&D codes, AS-series): https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf