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PSC AC12: National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense - Military; Applied Research — Active Federal Contracts & NAICS Crosswalk (520+ Bids Open)

Search 520+ Bids open SAM.gov solicitations for Federal PSC AC12 (National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense - Military; Applied Research). Annual...

PSC AC12: National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense - Military; Applied Research — Active Federal SAM.gov Contracts & NAICS Crosswalk

Federal procurement intelligence, spending breakdown, NAICS/NIGP crosswalk, and contract capture guide for PSC AC12 (National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense - Military; Applied Research).

Product and Service Code (PSC) AC12 — National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense - Military; Applied 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 $12.4 Billion annually under PSC AC12, with 520+ 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 AC12 specifies the exact defense r&d (6.2) deliverable being purchased on the contract line item (CLIN). In federal solicitation architecture, PSC AC12 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 Department of the Air Force (AFRL / Space Force) (38% of spend), Department of the Army (DEVCOM / ARL) (31%), and Department of the Navy (ONR / NAVWAR) (22%)—use PSC AC12 to categorize statements of work encompassing DoD Budget Activity 6.2 Applied Research & Technology Readiness Level (TRL 3–5) Maturation; SBIR Phase II / Phase III Prototyping, Sensor Fusion & Electronic Warfare Algorithms; and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Counter-Drone, Space Payloads & Propulsion Testing. Understanding how contracting officers cross-walk PSC AC12 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 AC12 utilize a mix of open-market SAM.gov solicitations and pre-competed contract vehicles such as AFRL / ARL / ONR / SBIR. Depending on the acquisition threshold and market research results from Sources Sought notices, contracting officers frequently restrict PSC AC12 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 AC12 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 AC12 maps directly to NIGP Commodity/Service Code 925-36 (Engineering Services, General Professional (Multi-Disciplinary & Systems)) 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 AC12 alongside matching state and local NIGP 925-36 bids, enabling capture teams to uncover hidden opportunities and generate compliant proposals faster.

What Federal Agencies Buy Under PSC AC12

  • DoD Budget Activity 6.2 Applied Research & Technology Readiness Level (TRL 3–5) Maturation
  • SBIR Phase II / Phase III Prototyping, Sensor Fusion & Electronic Warfare Algorithms
  • Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Counter-Drone, Space Payloads & Propulsion Testing
  • Other Transaction Authority (OTA) Consortium Prototypes (DIU, SOSSEC, NSTXL)
  • 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 AC12

  • Department of the Air Force (AFRL / Space Force): $4.7 Billion (38% of PSC Spend of obligations)
  • Department of the Army (DEVCOM / ARL): $3.8 Billion (31% of PSC Spend of obligations)
  • Department of the Navy (ONR / NAVWAR): $2.7 Billion (22% of PSC Spend of obligations)
  • General Services Administration & Civilian Agencies: $185 Million (11% of PSC Spend of obligations)

Common Federal Contract Vehicles & GWACs

  • AFRL / ARL / ONR / SBIR (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 AC12.
  • SAM.gov Open Market Solicitations (PSC AC12) (FAR Part 12 / 13 / 15 Open Market): Standalone Invitations for Bid (IFBs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and Simplified Acquisitions published directly under PSC AC12.
  • Agency-Specific IDIQs, MATOCs & GWACs (Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity): Multi-year agency task order vehicles at Department of the Air Force (AFRL / Space Force) and Department of the Army (DEVCOM / ARL) where PSC AC12 is the designated product/service identifier.

PSC AC12 Frequently Asked Questions

What does Federal PSC Code AC12 cover?

PSC AC12 (National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense - Military; Applied 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 AC12 to classify procurements for DoD Budget Activity 6.2 Applied Research & Technology Readiness Level (TRL 3–5) Maturation, SBIR Phase II / Phase III Prototyping, Sensor Fusion & Electronic Warfare Algorithms, and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Counter-Drone, Space Payloads & Propulsion Testing.

What is the difference between PSC AC12 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 AC12 (National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense - Military; Applied Research) identifies the specific defense r&d (6.2) being purchased on the solicitation or contract line item (CLIN).

How much does the federal government spend on PSC AC12 annually?

Federal agencies obligate approximately $12.4 Billion per year under PSC AC12, led by Department of the Air Force (AFRL / Space Force) ($4.7 Billion), Department of the Army (DEVCOM / ARL) ($3.8 Billion), and Department of the Navy (ONR / NAVWAR) ($2.7 Billion), with roughly 520+ Bids active opportunities annually.

Which GSA Schedule or contract vehicle covers PSC AC12?

Procurements under PSC AC12 are frequently routed through AFRL / ARL / ONR / SBIR, 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 AC12?

When bidding on state, county, municipal, or school district solicitations, the primary NIGP cross-reference for federal PSC AC12 is NIGP 925-36 (Engineering Services, General Professional (Multi-Disciplinary & Systems)).

Related Federal PSC Codes

Browse All 165 Federal PSC Codes | NAICS 541715 Guide | NIGP 925-36 Guide | SBA Set-Asides