By Outrider Editorial Team · Updated August 20, 2026
PSC AC24 is stage four applied to atomic energy defense activities: the operating costs of research facilities and equipment and other overhead attached to running the nuclear security enterprise's R&D programs. It is administrative in name and enormous in practice, at $2.9 billion in FY2025, roughly three times the equivalent DoD military code AC14.
An overhead code led by a manufacturer
The top registration is 336414, Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing, at $1.32 billion. A code whose stage definition is "operating costs and other overhead," led by a vendor industry that builds missiles and space vehicles, is the single most striking mismatch in this reference set. It comes from how the large management and operating contractors of the nuclear security complex are registered, not from what the money buys. Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences R&D (541715) follows at $899 million, 541712 at $360 million, engineering services 541330 at $352 million, and 541511 at $8 million.
The two codes in one line
The PSC is the government's classification of the purchase and the NAICS code is the vendor's own industry classification, which is why the two can point in opposite directions.
If you are sizing the nuclear security R&D market, count AC21 through AC25 together. Reading any one of them alone gives a badly distorted picture.
NAICS crosswalk
Where FY2025 AC24 dollars landed, by the winning vendor's registered NAICS code.
- 541712Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)$360.3M
- 541330Engineering Services$352.2M
- 541511Custom Computer Programming Services$7.9M
FY2025 federal contract obligations, USAspending.gov
Frequently Asked
PSC AC24 questions, answered.
What does PSC AC24 cover?
R&D administrative expenses under the atomic energy defense activities subfunction: operating costs of research facilities and equipment and other overhead supporting the nuclear security enterprise's research programs.
What NAICS codes win AC24 work?
Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414) led FY2025 at $1.32 billion, ahead of Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences R&D (541715) at $899 million and 541712 at $360 million.
Why does a manufacturing NAICS lead an administrative expense code?
The management and operating contractors that run the nuclear security complex are registered in manufacturing industries. The NAICS code follows the company, not the task, so overhead obligations carry a manufacturing code.
How does AC24 compare to AC14?
AC14 is the same stage under the DoD military subfunction and carried roughly a third as much in FY2025, with engineering services at the top instead of manufacturing.
Watch AC24 opportunities
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