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AMSC codes: which DLA solicitations you can quote
The Acquisition Method Suffix Code is one letter on every DLA solicitation. It says whether the government may buy the item from anyone (A, or G with a qualification) or only from sources it has already approved, because it does not hold the technical data or the rights to hand it to a new manufacturer (R, H, T, B, C, D, P and the rest). Read the code before you price anything: it decides whether your offer can be considered at all.
Today: 2,793 of 11,710 open DLA solicitations (24%) are open to any registered seller (AMSC A or G). 44,247 solicitations issued in the last twelve months. As of 2026-09-29.
Every code, with today's numbers
| AMSC | Meaning | Who may quote | Open now | 12 months | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Unrestricted (full and open). The government owns complete technical data; anyone may quote and the item may be made to the drawing. | Anyone | 3 | 14 | 0.0% |
| G | Unrestricted; qualification required. Anyone may quote, but the offered item must meet a qualification requirement (often a QPL or QML). | Anyone | 2,790 | 10,528 | 23.8% |
| Z | Data being reviewed. The data package is under review for competition; the outcome decides whether the item opens up. | Under review | 983 | 5,827 | 13.2% |
| R | Data not complete; source approval required. A new source must submit a Source Approval Request (SAR) and be approved before its offer is considered. | Approved sources | 877 | 3,125 | 7.1% |
| H | Source-controlled (specified sources). The engineering drawing names the approved sources; the item is bought from them. | Approved sources | 144 | 566 | 1.3% |
| T | Qualified products list. The item must come from a manufacturer on the QPL for its specification. | Approved sources | 463 | 1,591 | 3.6% |
| B | Data not available. The government has no technical data package; the item is bought from the sources it names. | Approved sources | 415 | 1,355 | 3.1% |
| C | Data not owned by the government. The manufacturer holds the rights; the item is bought from that source or its licensees. | Approved sources | 1,880 | 5,851 | 13.2% |
| D | Design or test data incomplete. The data on file is not enough to make the item; competition is limited to sources already approved. | Approved sources | 2,628 | 9,698 | 21.9% |
| P | Data rights restricted. Limited-rights data: the government may use it in-house but not hand it to another manufacturer. | Approved sources | 354 | 1,247 | 2.8% |
| K | Data owned but not releasable. The government has the data but cannot release it (export control, proprietary markings, or classification). | Approved sources | 1 | 7 | 0.0% |
| L | Data not physically available. The data exists but is not in a form the buying activity can provide. | Approved sources | 709 | 2,606 | 5.9% |
| M | Data on order or being prepared. A technical data package is being produced; until then the item is bought from known sources. | Approved sources | — | 8 | 0.0% |
| N | Data insufficient; new item. A new item whose data has not yet been reviewed for competition. | Approved sources | 2 | 10 | 0.0% |
| S | Data not yet available. The data package has not been received from the design activity. | Approved sources | 1 | 5 | 0.0% |
| V | Data validation pending. The data is under engineering validation; competition waits on the result. | Approved sources | 3 | 5 | 0.0% |
| Y | Design unstable. The design is changing; the government buys from the design activity's sources until it settles. | Approved sources | — | 3 | 0.0% |
What to do with a restricted code
Offer the approved source's part. A distributor can quote an R, H or T solicitation with the approved manufacturer's part number and CAGE; the restriction is on who makes the item, not who sells it. The NSN page lists the approved sources and their part numbers.
Apply for source approval. For R (and D, N, S when the data is short) a manufacturer submits a Source Approval Request to the engineering support activity with drawings, test data and evidence of having made the same or a similar item. Approval takes months and applies to the NSN, so it is worth it for items DLA buys often: check the buy history first.
Watch Z. Items under data review can open up; when the code changes to A the first competitive buy is usually the one to be on. Watching the NSN sends the alert.
Related: a first quote, step by step · NSN lookup · FOB origin vs destination · long-term contracts open now. Data, not advice: the codes are DLA's; whether to pursue an item is your call.
Questions
- What is an AMSC code?
- The Acquisition Method Suffix Code is a one-letter code on every DLA solicitation that says how the government may buy the item: from anyone (A, or G with a qualification), or only from sources it has approved because it lacks the technical data or the rights to it (B, C, D, H, K, L, M, N, P, R, S, T, V, Y), or while the data is under review (Z).
- Which AMSC codes can any seller quote?
- A (unrestricted) and G (unrestricted with a qualification requirement). Today 2,793 of 11,710 open DLA solicitations (24%) carry one of those two codes. A seller who is not an approved source can still quote a restricted code by offering an approved source's part, or by applying for source approval (SAR).
- What does AMSC R mean?
- R means the technical data is not complete and source approval is required: a new manufacturer must submit a Source Approval Request and be approved by the engineering support activity before its offer is considered. Distributors offering the approved source's part number are not affected.
- Where is the AMSC on a solicitation?
- On DIBBS it is a column in the solicitation list and a field on the solicitation record; in the PDF it is printed beside the NSN in the item description. Every solicitation page on PartsAndPlanes shows it with its meaning, and S.C.O.U.T. alerts carry it as 'who may quote'.