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PSC AC11: National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense - Military; Basic Research — Active Federal Contracts & NAICS Crosswalk (310+ Bids Open)

Search 310+ Bids open SAM.gov solicitations for Federal PSC AC11 (National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense - Military; Basic Research). Annual fe...

PSC AC11: National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense - Military; Basic Research — Active Federal SAM.gov Contracts & NAICS Crosswalk

Federal procurement intelligence, spending breakdown, NAICS/NIGP crosswalk, and contract capture guide for PSC AC11 (National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense - Military; Basic Research).

Product and Service Code (PSC) AC11 — National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense - Military; Basic Research — is an official federal procurement classification within Portfolio A — Research and Development (R&D) managed by the General Services Administration (GSA) under the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) Product and Service Codes Manual. Across federal agencies, contracting officers obligate approximately $4.8 Billion annually under PSC AC11, with 310+ Bids active solicitations, pre-solicitation notices, and task order RFQs circulating on SAM.gov and agency e-Buy portals. While a 6-digit NAICS code defines a contractor's overall industry and Small Business Administration (SBA) size standard, PSC AC11 specifies the exact defense r&d (6.1) deliverable being purchased on the contract line item (CLIN). In federal solicitation architecture, PSC AC11 is most frequently paired with Primary NAICS 541715 (R&D in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences), which carries an SBA small business size standard of 1,000 Employees (500 SBIR). Major buying commands—led by DARPA / Office of the Secretary of Defense (34% of spend), Department of the Navy (ONR) (26%), and Department of the Air Force (AFRL/AFOSR) (24%)—use PSC AC11 to categorize statements of work encompassing DoD Budget Activity 6.1 Basic Scientific Research in Quantum, Hypersonics & AI; Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs), SBIR/STTR Phase I & Phase II Research Grants; and Advanced Materials Science, Directed Energy, Photonics & Autonomous Swarm Theory. Understanding how contracting officers cross-walk PSC AC11 with NAICS 541715 is critical because many agencies filter dynamic small business searches, GSA e-Buy distributions, and historical FPDS incumbent spend analyses by PSC rather than NAICS alone. Procurement teams issuing awards under PSC AC11 utilize a mix of open-market SAM.gov solicitations and pre-competed contract vehicles such as DARPA / ONR / AFOSR / ARO. Depending on the acquisition threshold and market research results from Sources Sought notices, contracting officers frequently restrict PSC AC11 competitions to certified small businesses—including 8(a) Business Development participants, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB), Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB), and HUBZone firms. Offerors responding to PSC AC11 RFPs must demonstrate strict compliance with applicable FAR and DFARS clauses, deliverable quality standards, and supply-chain or labor regulations. For contractors expanding across both federal and state/local (SLED) markets, PSC AC11 maps directly to NIGP Commodity/Service Code 918-12 (Analytical Studies, Surveys, and Program Evaluation Consulting) used by state procurement portals, municipal purchasing departments, public universities, and K-12 school districts. InTandem's automated government contracting platform continuously monitors live SAM.gov notices tagged with PSC AC11 alongside matching state and local NIGP 918-12 bids, enabling capture teams to uncover hidden opportunities and generate compliant proposals faster.

What Federal Agencies Buy Under PSC AC11

  • DoD Budget Activity 6.1 Basic Scientific Research in Quantum, Hypersonics & AI
  • Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs), SBIR/STTR Phase I & Phase II Research Grants
  • Advanced Materials Science, Directed Energy, Photonics & Autonomous Swarm Theory
  • Cognitive Neuroscience, Synthetic Biology & Cyber Defense Foundational Research
  • FDA 510(k) / PMA Regulatory Clearance, DSCSA Lot Traceability & Cold-Chain Logistics
  • Trade Agreements Act (TAA) & Berry Amendment / Buy American Act Domestic Compliance
  • DLA Troop Support / VA National Acquisition Center (NAC) Electronic EDI Ordering
  • Shelf-Life Management, Lot Expiration Rotation & ISO 13485 / cGMP Quality Assurance

Top Federal Buying Agencies for PSC AC11

  • DARPA / Office of the Secretary of Defense: $1.6 Billion (34% of PSC Spend of obligations)
  • Department of the Navy (ONR): $1.25 Billion (26% of PSC Spend of obligations)
  • Department of the Air Force (AFRL/AFOSR): $1.15 Billion (24% of PSC Spend of obligations)
  • General Services Administration & Civilian Agencies: $185 Million (11% of PSC Spend of obligations)

Common Federal Contract Vehicles & GWACs

  • DARPA / ONR / AFOSR / ARO (GSA Multiple Award Schedule / Best-in-Class Vehicle): Primary pre-competed federal contract vehicle used by contracting officers to issue RFQs and task orders under PSC AC11.
  • SAM.gov Open Market Solicitations (PSC AC11) (FAR Part 12 / 13 / 15 Open Market): Standalone Invitations for Bid (IFBs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and Simplified Acquisitions published directly under PSC AC11.
  • Agency-Specific IDIQs, MATOCs & GWACs (Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity): Multi-year agency task order vehicles at DARPA / Office of the Secretary of Defense and Department of the Navy (ONR) where PSC AC11 is the designated product/service identifier.

PSC AC11 Frequently Asked Questions

What does Federal PSC Code AC11 cover?

PSC AC11 (National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense - Military; Basic Research) is an official Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) Product and Service Code under Portfolio A — Research and Development (R&D). Federal agencies use PSC AC11 to classify procurements for DoD Budget Activity 6.1 Basic Scientific Research in Quantum, Hypersonics & AI, Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs), SBIR/STTR Phase I & Phase II Research Grants, and Advanced Materials Science, Directed Energy, Photonics & Autonomous Swarm Theory.

What is the difference between PSC AC11 and NAICS 541715?

NAICS 541715 (R&D in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences) classifies the contractor's primary industry and establishes the SBA small business size standard (1,000 Employees (500 SBIR)). PSC AC11 (National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense - Military; Basic Research) identifies the specific defense r&d (6.1) being purchased on the solicitation or contract line item (CLIN).

How much does the federal government spend on PSC AC11 annually?

Federal agencies obligate approximately $4.8 Billion per year under PSC AC11, led by DARPA / Office of the Secretary of Defense ($1.6 Billion), Department of the Navy (ONR) ($1.25 Billion), and Department of the Air Force (AFRL/AFOSR) ($1.15 Billion), with roughly 310+ Bids active opportunities annually.

Which GSA Schedule or contract vehicle covers PSC AC11?

Procurements under PSC AC11 are frequently routed through DARPA / ONR / AFOSR / ARO, alongside agency-specific IDIQ contracts and open-market solicitations published directly on SAM.gov.

What is the State & Local (SLED) NIGP code equivalent for PSC AC11?

When bidding on state, county, municipal, or school district solicitations, the primary NIGP cross-reference for federal PSC AC11 is NIGP 918-12 (Analytical Studies, Surveys, and Program Evaluation Consulting).

Related Federal PSC Codes

Browse All 165 Federal PSC Codes | NAICS 541715 Guide | NIGP 918-12 Guide | SBA Set-Asides