Maintaining, upgrading or reactivating your organization security clearance
Find out how to maintain, upgrade or reactivate your organization's security clearance with the Public Services and Procurement Canada's Contract Security Program (CSP).
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How to maintain
To maintain your organization's security clearance, you must inform the CSP by email at tpsgc.ssiinscription-issregistration.pwgsc@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca of any changes to your organization's information and key people.
When reporting changes to your organization’s information and key people, you must include documentation to support these changes. For example, if your organization has a new company security officer (CSO) you must submit a new Company security officer appointment, acknowledgement and undertaking form.
You may also report changes and send supporting documents to the CSP by mail, fax, or courier.
Learn more about the process of:
Renewals
The CSP will review the submitted application for registration (AFR) form to renew your organization’s designated organization screening (DOS) or facility security clearance (FSC) and will ensure that your organization security clearance level aligns with your contractual security obligations when you:
- bid on a government solicitation with security requirements
- include a completed AFR form with your bid submission
If your organization is under a long-term contract, subcontract or lease with security requirements, the CSP will contact your CSO as required to renew your organization security clearance. During the renewal process, the CSP will also validate the requirement for your organization to maintain any existing organization security safeguards.
Note
Organization security clearances will be terminated if the CSP cannot validate the requirement for a renewal. Learn more on the eligibility criteria for an organization security clearance.
How to upgrade
- Upgrading your organization security clearance
- Adding or upgrading a document safeguarding capability
Upgrading your organization security clearance
To upgrade your organization security clearance, your organization must be sponsored.
Learn more about the sponsorship process.
The upgrade process includes:
- screening your key senior officials (KSOs)
- providing information to the CSP about your organization's structure, ownership and legal status
- complying with requests by the CSP for additional information
Adding or upgrading a document safeguarding capability
You will need to add a document safeguarding capability (DSC) when the contract you are about to work on requires that your organization store and handle protected or classified information or assets at your business locations. Or you may need to upgrade your DSC to the level required for your organization to store and handle protected or classified information.
To add or upgrade a DSC, your organization must be sponsored.
Learn more about the sponsorship process.
The addition or upgrade process includes:
- screening your alternate company security officers
- completing a physical security inspection
- making required changes to your facility
- screening your parent company (for DSC Protected C or higher)
Note
If you already have a DSC at one business location and need to obtain a DSC at additional business locations, you must submit a request in writing to the CSP identifying the locations and the contract requirement for the DSC.
For more information on the DSC approval process, visit work site security requirements.
How to reactivate
Once terminated, your organization's security clearance can be reactivated if your organization:
- is engaged in another solicitation process (must submit a complete AFR form with your proposal)
- is awarded a contract, subcontract or lease with security requirements within
- 2 years of the termination date for DOS and reliability status
- 1 year of the termination date for FSC at the Secret/Top Secret/North Atlantic Treaty Organization levels and equivalent personnel security clearances
To reactivate your organization's security clearance, your organization must be sponsored.
Learn more about the sponsorship process.
Upon receipt of a valid screening request, the CSP will validate your organization's information and request additional screening documentation from you as needed.
If there are no changes to your organization's key people, the CSP will also request the Personnel screening, consent and authorization form (TBS/SCT 330-23E) for the CSO and if applicable, for the KSO, to reactivate their personnel security screening. Depending on the date their personnel security screening was closed-out, the CSO and KSO may need to undergo a new fingerprint check.
For more information on personnel security screening reactivations and mandatory fingerprinting:
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