We compute nonrelativistic ab initio electronic potential surfaces for two metastable 2p ⁵ 3s neon atoms using a multiconfiguration all-electron valence-bond method. Spectroscopic constants and long-range C ₆ dispersion coefficients are presented for ^3,5 Σ _g/u , ^3,5 Π _g/u , and ^1,3,5 Δ _g/u symmetries. In addition, we analyze the role of various atomic configurations in the formation of the neon dimer. Our results can be used to model the suppression of collision-induced ionization of metastable neon, which is believed to be a good candidate for Bose-Einstein condensation.