If you have been searching SAM using IT product service codes from a training you took two years ago, there is a good chance your market research has gaps in it right now.
In April 2024, the federal government restructured its entire IT services PSC framework. Sixty-eight legacy codes were end-dated. Forty new codes replaced them. The naming convention changed completely. And most small IT contractors have no idea it happened.
This guide explains what PSC codes are, what changed, and exactly how to update your market research so you stop missing opportunities coded under the new system.
PSC stands for Product Service Code. These codes describe what the government is buying on a specific contract action. They are attached to individual contract awards, task orders, and modifications in the federal procurement database.
Here is the important distinction that most small contractors miss: NAICS codes describe your business. PSC codes describe the work being purchased.
If you only search by NAICS code, you see every contractor in your industry category. If you search by PSC code, you see the specific type of work actually being bought. The difference matters enormously for competitive intelligence and market sizing.
Consider NAICS 541512 (Computer Systems Design Services). That single code could describe a dozen completely different kinds of work: software development, help desk operations, cloud migration, cybersecurity assessments, network management. Same NAICS. Very different contracts. PSC codes give you the granularity to tell them apart.
This is why PSC codes are the serious tool for market research, and why the April 2024 restructuring matters so much. If you are still using old codes, you are searching on an outdated map.
The April 2024 update to the PSC Manual (published via FPDS V1.5 Service Pack 21) was the most significant restructuring of IT services codes in years. Here is what actually happened.
The old system used a D3xx structure. The legacy IT services codes started with D3 followed by two digits. The codes most contractors knew were:
~~ D301: ADP Facility Management ~~ D302: ADP Systems Development ~~ D304: ADP Operations and Maintenance ~~ D306: ADP Programming ~~ D307: ADP Systems Analysis and Design ~~ D308: Programming Services ~~ D310: ADP Support (Help Desk) ~~ D314: Telecommunications ~~ D305: Telecommunications and Teleprocessing (later updated to reference cloud computing before being end-dated)
That D305 update was actually a preview of what was coming. The old code structure was straining to accommodate modern IT work like cloud and SaaS, so individual codes kept getting title patches. The April 2024 update replaced that patchwork with a completely new architecture.
The new system uses IT "towers." The 40 new IT services codes follow a two-letter-plus-two-digit format where the first letter is always D and the second letter identifies the technology tower:
~~ DA: Application (software, SaaS, development) ~~ DB: Compute (HPC, mainframe, standard) ~~ DC: Data Center (co-located, DCaaS, managed service providers) ~~ DD: Delivery (IT solutions and delivery services) ~~ DE: End User (client devices, mobile) ~~ DF: IT Management (IT service management, project management, NOC/GOC) ~~ DG: Network (standard, access, satellite) ~~ DH: Platform (platform as a service, enterprise applications) ~~ DJ: Security and Compliance (cybersecurity, ITSM security) ~~ DK: Storage
Note that the letter I is skipped entirely to avoid confusion with the number 1. The third and fourth characters are numeric and identify the acquisition type within each tower: 01 for IT labor services, 10 for capability as a service (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS), and product codes starting with 7 for hardware and perpetual software licenses.
For the full list of activated codes and their definitions, see the official April 2024 PSC Manual at acquisition.gov/psc-manual.
This is the practical reference you can bookmark. Each old code maps to the new equivalent(s). Where the old code maps to multiple new codes, that reflects the new system being more granular, not more complicated. Pick the code that matches what you actually do.
| Old Code | Old Description | New Code(s) | New Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| D301 | ADP Facility Management | DC01 / DC10 | Data Center IT Services / Data Center Capability as a Service |
| D302 | ADP Systems Development | DA01 / DA10 | Application IT Services (Labor) / Application Capability as a Service |
| D304 | ADP Operations and Maintenance | DF01 / DF10 | IT Management IT Services / IT Management Capability as a Service |
| D306 | ADP Programming | DA01 | Application IT Services (Labor) |
| D307 | ADP Systems Analysis and Design | DA01 / DD01 | Application IT Services (Labor) / Delivery IT Services |
| D308 | ADP Programming Services | DA01 | Application IT Services (Labor) |
| D310 | ADP Support (Help Desk) | DE01 / DE02 | End User IT Services (Client) / End User IT Services (Mobile) |
| D314 | Telecommunications | DG01 | Network IT Services |
| D305 | Cloud Computing and Teleprocessing | DC01 / DC10 / DA10 | Data Center IT Services / Data Center CaaS / Application CaaS |
Important note on the mapping: The old D302 code covered everything from legacy systems development to cloud-native application work. The new system separates that cleanly. If your work is labor-based software development, that is DA01. If you are providing software as a service on a subscription model, that is DA10. Both of those replaced D302 in different contexts.
Disclaimer: These mappings represent common equivalents based on the April 2024 PSC Manual. Always confirm the appropriate code using the PSC Selection Tool at psctool.us or by reviewing the specific solicitation, as the correct code depends on the primary scope of work being purchased.
The transition is not instantaneous. Some contracting officers have updated to the new codes. Others are still using legacy codes on new awards. Some are inconsistent across actions on the same contract vehicle. DoD agencies tend to update faster; some civilian agencies lag behind.
That means your market research strategy during this transition period has to account for both code sets.
If you are searching SAM.gov for contract opportunities, running searches only on old D3xx codes may cause you to miss solicitations that have been coded under the new system. Run both.
If you are pulling competitive intelligence from SAM.gov contract data (which absorbed FPDS in 2024, so contract data now lives in SAM rather than a separate system), historical awards still carry old codes and newer awards increasingly use new codes. To get a complete picture of what agencies are buying and from whom, you need to query both code sets and combine the results.
If you use the Advanced Procurement Portal or any other market research platform, confirm the platform has been updated to include the new D-series codes in its database. Legacy tool configurations may not be querying the full code set.
If your capabilities statement references specific PSC codes, review it. A capabilities statement citing D302 for systems development is technically referencing an end-dated code. Updating it to DA01 or DA10 (depending on your delivery model) signals to contracting officers and prime contractors that you understand current procurement language.
Here is the practical to-do list.
Step 1: Map your current codes to the new system. Use the reference table above. For each old D3xx code you have been tracking, identify the new equivalent(s). For any codes that map to multiple new codes, pick the ones that describe your actual work.
Step 2: Update your SAM.gov saved searches and opportunity alerts. Add the new D-series codes alongside the old ones. During the transition period, do not remove the legacy codes from your searches. You want both.
Step 3: Update your competitive intelligence process on SAM.gov contract data. When analyzing spending data, run queries under both the old and new code structures and combine your results. This is the only way to get an accurate picture of the market during the transition.
Step 4: Review your capabilities statement. If it lists specific PSC codes (many do), update the references to current codes. This applies to any written materials you submit to primes or agencies.
Step 5: Bookmark these two resources. The current PSC Manual lives at acquisition.gov/psc-manual. The DPCAP PSC selection tool, which walks you through finding the right code for your work, is at psctool.us.
The PSC Manual includes hardware and software product codes in the 7-series (7A20 for application software products, 7E20 for end user hardware, and so on). These follow the same tower structure as the new D-series services codes. This guide focuses on services because that is where most small IT contractors operate and where the confusion is most acute.
There is also an R-series of professional services codes (R425 for engineering support, for example) that sometimes captures IT work, particularly for defense contracts where the work is framed as engineering rather than information technology. That is worth knowing but is outside the scope of this guide.
If you want to make sure your PSC codes, NAICS codes, and overall market research approach are aligned, USFCR's team works with IT contractors every day on exactly this. Call (877) 252-2700 to speak with a Registration and Contracting Specialist.
What is a PSC code in federal contracting? A Product Service Code (PSC) is a four-character code that describes what the government purchased on a specific contract action. These codes are recorded in the federal procurement database for every contract award, task order, and modification. They describe the work being bought, not the seller, which makes them one of the most precise tools available for market research and competitive intelligence.
What changed with IT PSC codes in 2024? The April 2024 update to the PSC Manual end-dated 68 legacy IT services codes, most of which used the old D3xx format (D302, D304, D310, etc.), and activated 40 new codes organized by IT technology tower. The new codes use a two-letter-plus-two-digit format where the second letter identifies the tower: DA for application and software, DC for data center, DE for end user, DG for network, DJ for security, and so on.
What replaced D302 PSC code? D302 (ADP Systems Development) maps primarily to DA01 for labor-based application development services and DA10 for application capability delivered as a service (SaaS model). Which replacement code applies depends on how your work is delivered and how the contracting officer is categorizing the acquisition.
What replaced D310 PSC code? D310 (ADP Support / Help Desk) maps to DE01 for client-side end user IT services and DE02 for mobile end user IT services. The new end user tower (DE) captures support and help desk functions under the end user technology resource category.
Should I still use old IT PSC codes in my capabilities statement? Legacy D3xx codes are being phased out. For current capabilities statements and any materials submitted to agencies or primes, use the new D-series codes that correspond to your work. The PSC selection tool at psctool.us can help you confirm the right current code for your specific services.
Where is the current PSC Manual? The current PSC Manual is published by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and is available at acquisition.gov/psc-manual. The DPCAP PSC selection tool at psctool.us provides a searchable interface for finding the right code for a given type of work.
How do I find IT contract opportunities using PSC codes on SAM.gov? In SAM.gov contract opportunities, use the PSC code filter to search by specific codes. During the transition period, add both legacy codes (D302, D304, D310, etc.) and new codes (DA01, DF01, DE01, etc.) to your searches to avoid missing opportunities coded under either system. Save your searches with both code sets as alerts.
Sources: PSC Manual April 2024, https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202024.pdf (note: a 2025 version of the manual exists but does not reverse the April 2024 IT code restructuring); GSA ITVMO Guide to Finding the Appropriate PSC Code, itvmo.gsa.gov; Defense Pricing and Contracting PSC Selection Tool, psctool.us
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