PSC B552

Overview

The Product and Service Codes (PSC) system is a governmentwide taxonomy that categorizes what the U.S. government buys, supporting consistent reporting, analysis, and transparency across procurement systems such as FPDS and SAM.gov. The codes and their definitions are maintained in the official PSC Manual on Acquisition.gov, which provides the authoritative structure and descriptions for use by contracting officials and analysts across agencies. ¹

PSC B552 identifies “Special Studies/Analysis — Manpower.” It resides in Section C (Service Codes), Category B5 (Special Studies/Analysis, Not R&D), and is used to record non–research-and-development analytical studies with a manpower subject focus. Agencies select the predominant service in FPDS data element 8A; choose B552 when the principal deliverable is a manpower-focused analysis rather than an R&D effort. ¹

What this PSC covers

• Special studies/analysis with a manpower subject focus, as titled for B552. ¹
• Classification within Service Codes, Category B5 (Special Studies/Analysis, Not R&D). ¹
• Use for reporting the predominant service when the primary deliverable is a manpower-focused analytical study in FPDS element 8A. ¹
• Distinction from adjacent subject codes such as B550 (organization/administrative/personnel) and B551 (mobilization/preparedness). ¹
• Specific inclusions/exclusions beyond the title: Not specified by official sources. ¹

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
PSC	B550	Special Studies/Analysis — Organization/Administrative/Personnel
PSC	B551	Special Studies/Analysis — Mobilization/Preparedness
PSC	B553	Special Studies/Analysis — Communications
PSC	B554	Special Studies/Analysis — Acquisition Policy/Procedures

Selection and reporting notes

The PSC Manual directs agencies to report “what was bought” in FPDS, selecting the PSC for the predominant product or service; for manpower-focused analytical studies that are not R&D, B552 is the applicable subject code within Category B5. Environmental attribute reporting is managed separately under FPDS data element 8L. ¹

Frequently asked questions

• What does B552 represent?
  It designates Special Studies/Analysis — Manpower within Service Codes, Category B5 (Special Studies/Analysis, Not R&D). It is intended for non-R&D analytical efforts where the subject area is manpower, workforce, or human resource planning as identified by the PSC Manual. ¹

• How is B552 used in federal systems?
  Agencies enter PSCs in FPDS data element 8A to identify the predominant product or service purchased. Select B552 when the principal deliverable is a manpower-focused analytical study; SAM.gov leverages these classifications in opportunity and award data displays and reporting. ¹

• Are there official inclusions, exclusions, or examples for B552?
  Not specified by official sources; the PSC Manual provides the title and placement (Service Codes, Category B5) but does not publish detailed scope notes or examples for this specific code. ¹

• Is there an official NAICS crosswalk for B552?
  Not specified by official sources; the PSC Manual does not establish NAICS pairings. Agencies assign NAICS separately based on the requirement, while PSC records the “what was bought” subject area. ¹

• Where can award data tagged with B552 be analyzed?
  The SAM.gov Contract Data DataBank provides public reporting on contract awards by PSC and other fields, and FPDS remains the authoritative searchable source during the transition period noted by GSA. ³

Useful resources

• G2X — PSC B552 overview
• Acquisition.gov — PSC Manual April 2025 (PDF). ¹
• Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Code Manual document library (current and archives). ²
• Acquisition.gov — PSC April 2025 (XLSX master list). ⁴
• SAM.gov — Contract Award Data (DataBank and FPDS notice). ³

References

1. Acquisition.gov. 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. https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual/all
3. SAM.gov. Contract Award Data — DataBank overview and FPDS note. https://alpha.sam.gov/contract-data
4. Acquisition.gov. PSC April 2025 (XLSX). https://www.acquisition.gov/content/psc-april-2025.xlsx