By Outrider Editorial Team · Updated August 20, 2026
PSC AR15 is stage five for the space flight, research and supporting activities subfunction: purchase, construction, manufacture, rehabilitation, or major improvement of physical assets necessary to execute an R&D program, plus major movable research equipment. The manual excludes ordinary office space and minor equipment, and cites OMB Circular A-11 section 84.3(a) for the $1 million threshold on major equipment programs. FY2025 obligations were $1.43 billion.
Construction hiding in the R&D code set
Third place goes to 236210, Industrial Building Construction, at $273 million. That is a construction firm winning inside an A-series research code, and it is the clearest example in this data set of why builders should search the R&D codes. Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences R&D (541715) leads at $430 million, 336414, Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing, takes $372 million, engineering services 541330 takes $229 million, and 541712 takes $114 million.
PSC and NAICS in one sentence
The PSC describes the purchase, including its R&D stage, while the NAICS code describes the industry of the winning firm.
Compare AR15 with AC15, the DoD military stage-five code of similar size. AC15 is dominated by engine and instrument manufacturers, AR15 by construction and spacecraft. Same stage, different physical assets.
NAICS crosswalk
Where FY2025 AR15 dollars landed, by the winning vendor's registered NAICS code.
- 336414Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing$371.7M
- 236210Industrial Building Construction$272.6M
- 541330Engineering Services$229.5M
- 541712Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)$113.8M
FY2025 federal contract obligations, USAspending.gov
Frequently Asked
PSC AR15 questions, answered.
What does PSC AR15 cover?
R&D facilities and major equipment for space programs: construction, rehabilitation, or major improvement of physical assets needed to execute an R&D program, and acquisition of major movable research equipment.
What NAICS codes win AR15 work?
Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences R&D (541715) at $430 million, Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414) at $372 million, and Industrial Building Construction (236210) at $273 million lead FY2025.
Should construction firms search R&D codes?
For laboratory and test facility work, yes. Stage-five codes across the A series fund facility construction, and AR15's third-largest registration is an industrial building construction firm.
What does stage five exclude?
Construction of ordinary facilities such as office space, and minor equipment purchases like personal computers and simple laboratory instruments, which the manual routes to product PSCs instead.
Watch AR15 opportunities
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