PSC AS35

Overview

The Product and Service Code (PSC) system standardizes how the U.S. federal government classifies the products, services, and research and development acquired, enabling consistent tracking, analysis, and reporting of spend data across FPDS/SAM and related reporting tools. The PSC Manual governs the structure, definitions, and use of these codes in federal contract reporting. ¹

PSC AS35 denotes Transportation R&D Services; Water Transportation; Expenses for R&D Facilities and Major Equipment. Per the PSC Manual, “Expenses for R&D Facilities and Major Equipment” covers the purchase, construction, manufacture, rehabilitation, or major improvement of physical assets and the acquisition/design/production of major movable R&D equipment necessary to conduct a water transportation R&D program. ¹

What this PSC covers

• Construction or major improvement of R&D facilities required for water transportation research (e.g., laboratories, test ranges, supporting infrastructure like sewer lines or remote housing), limited to the portion directly related to R&D. ¹
• Acquisition, design, or production of major movable R&D equipment used in water transportation research, such as research vessels and other large instruments. ¹
• Programs of $1 million or more devoted to the purchase or construction of R&D major equipment, as characterized in the PSC Manual (which references OMB Circular A‑11 for major instrument programs). ¹
• Obligations for R&D facilities and major equipment that are treated as a stage of R&D and recorded under the “Facilities and Major Equipment” category. ¹
• Use within the Transportation R&D “Water Transportation” sub-area of the AS3x series (distinct from Surface Transportation/Public Transit/Rail and Aerospace sub-areas). ¹
• Selection and reporting as the predominant purpose of the contract action in FPDS/SAM when the principal objective is R&D-related facilities or major equipment for water transportation. ¹

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Source: PSC Manual (FY 2025 edition). ¹

Scope notes and exclusions

• Excludes construction of non‑R&D facilities (e.g., general office space); those are not coded as R&D “Facilities and Major Equipment.” ¹
• Excludes minor equipment purchases (e.g., personal computers, standard microscopes, simple spectrometers); these should be coded using an appropriate product PSC rather than R&D “Facilities and Major Equipment.” ¹

FPDS/SAM reporting pointers

• PSC is reported in FPDS as data element 8A and is selected based on the predominant product or service acquired for the action; environmental attributes are separately recorded under data element 8L when applicable. ¹
• PSC definitions in the Manual are controlling for categorization; use the AS3x Water Transportation series when the R&D domain is water transportation. ¹

Frequently asked questions

• What does PSC AS35 represent in practice?
  AS35 represents obligations for constructing or substantially improving R&D facilities and for acquiring, designing, or producing major movable R&D equipment needed to execute water transportation research programs. Examples include research vessels, large test instruments, and specialized infrastructure integral to the R&D mission. ¹

• How is AS35 different from AS33 and AS34?
  AS33 covers Experimental Development work, while AS34 covers R&D administrative expenses. AS35 is specifically for facilities and major equipment costs that support the R&D program, not the research tasks themselves or program administration/overhead. ¹

• Are there dollar thresholds associated with “major equipment”?
  The PSC Manual notes that programs of $1 million or more devoted to the purchase or construction of R&D major equipment fall under this category, aligning with the “major instrument” concept referenced in OMB Circular A‑11. Agencies should apply this definition when selecting the PSC for water transportation R&D actions. ¹

• Does AS35 include building out general office areas or purchasing standard IT?
  No. Construction of general office space and minor equipment purchases (e.g., personal computers, standard microscopes) are excluded from R&D “Facilities and Major Equipment.” Use the appropriate non‑R&D or product PSCs for such items, reserving AS35 for R&D‑specific facilities and major instruments. ¹

• What specific subtopics are defined under “Water Transportation”?
  Not specified by official sources. Agencies select from AS31, AS32, AS33, AS34, or AS35 to reflect the R&D phase or expense type within the Water Transportation domain, per the PSC Manual. ²

Useful resources

• G2X — PSC AS35 overview
• Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual, FY 2025 edition (PDF). ¹
• Product and Service Code Manual library (current and archived editions). ²
• SAM.gov Contract Award Data (PSC-coded award search). ³

References

1. Acquisition.gov — PSC Manual April 2025 (PDF), FY 2025 Edition, effective April 2025. https://login.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf
2. Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Code Manual library. https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
3. SAM.gov — Contract Award Data. https://alpha.sam.gov/contract-data