FY2025 obligations by the NAICS code on the award
63% of the $1.5B obligated under R701 in FY2025 went to awards coded NAICS 541810.
- 541810 Advertising Agencies$945.1M
- 541330 Engineering Services$166.0M
- 541820 Public Relations Agencies$90.0M
- 541890 Other Services Related to Advertising$12.2M
FY2025 federal contract obligations, USAspending.gov
PSC R701 is the federal advertising code: media buying, campaign production, recruiting advertising, and public outreach placements. FY2025 obligations came to $1.49 billion, most of it concentrated in exactly the industry you would expect.
Mostly agencies, with one oddity
Advertising agencies under 541810 took $945 million, about 63 percent of the code. Marketing consulting 541613 follows at $247 million and public relations agencies 541820 at $90 million, with other advertising services 541890 at $12 million. The oddity sits at number three: Engineering Services (541330) at $166 million. Engineering firms do not buy media, but prime contractors on large multi-function support vehicles do subcontract outreach and recruiting campaigns, and the award carries the NAICS code assigned to the vehicle.
PSC and NAICS in a sentence
One code describes the requirement, the other describes the industry of the work, and the two need not match.
The takeaway for a creative shop: R701 is a clean, well-behaved code, which is rare. If you register under 541810 or 541613, an R701 alert is close to a complete picture of your federal market. Pair it with R708 public relations, which the manual defines separately to cover writing, event planning, media relations, and press services.
PSC R701 FAQ
What does PSC R701 cover?
Advertising bought as a management support service, including media planning and placement, campaign creative, and recruiting and outreach advertising.
What NAICS codes win R701 work?
Advertising Agencies (541810) at $945 million and Marketing Consulting Services (541613) at $247 million lead FY2025, with Public Relations Agencies (541820) at $90 million.
What is the difference between R701 and R708?
R708 is public relations, and the manual lists writing services, event planning and management, media relations, radio and television analysis, and press services under it. R701 is paid advertising.
Why does an engineering NAICS code appear under advertising?
The NAICS code on an award reflects the industry assigned to the whole contract. When outreach or recruiting advertising is a task under a broader engineering support contract, the obligation carries that contract's code.