Purpose: To clarify how the NSN (National Stock Number) system works for small businesses and outline alternative, direct methods for suppliers to sell their products to the federal government without needing an assigned NSN.
Federal agencies and the DOW (Department of War) use the NSN (National Stock Number) to procure and manage supplies. An NSN is a 13-digit number for a stock item.
The following video describes what an NSN (National Stock Number) is and how it is generated.
For a high level overview of NSNs and how they are comprised of the FSC (Federal Supply Class) and the NIIN (National Item Identification Number), see the National Stock Numbers (NSNs) page.
The most critical piece of information new companies need to understand is that manufacturers or suppliers cannot directly request an NSN for their product. NSN requests must come from a government sponsor and include valid technical data to allow for Item Entry Control.
DLIS (DLA Logistics Information Services) assigns an NSN when:
- A New Weapon System is Developed: The DOW identifies required spare parts during the provisioning process.
- Demand Planning (Recurring Need): A military service or federal agency repeatedly orders a non-stocked item (usually two or more times in a 6-month period) and submits a cataloging request because they recognize an ongoing need.
Key Insights for Small Businesses Navigating NSNs
- An NSN is NOT always required to make a sale: Military bases and units can typically execute local purchases or one-time buys using a GPC (Government Purchase Card). Suppliers can also upload their commercial items to FedMall using their CAGE Code (Commercial and Government Entity Code) and Part Number without needing an NSN.
- Understand the NSN Assignment Process: View the NSN Assignment Process Flow Guide (PDF) which illustrates how a military unit's request eventually becomes an NSN.
- Market Research via WebFLIS: Rather than trying to create a new NSN, small businesses should use Defense Logistic Agency's WebFLIS (see WebFLIS article) or the DIBBS (DLA Internet Bid Board System) NSN Lookup tools to see if their product's Part Number already cross-references an existing NSN managed by the DOW.
For more information on CAGE, NSN Assignment, or Webflis, see DLA.mil Federal and International Cataloging.
DLA also has several other free training articles and resources on NSNs and cataloging processes: