Obtain a security screening for your organization
Is your organization bidding on a Government of Canada or a foreign government solicitation with security requirements? Whether a single-person consulting firm or a large corporation, your organization must be screened through Public Services and Procurement Canada's Contract Security Program (CSP). This must typically happen before you are awarded the resulting contract.
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Types of organization security clearances
- Provisional security clearance: required for your organization to access protected or classified information or assets during the pre-solicitation stage of a procurement process
- Designated organization screening (DOS): required for your organization to obtain contracts at the protected level
- Facility security clearance (FSC): required for your organization to obtain contracts at the classified level
Screening process
Your organization must follow the steps of the screening process listed below.
Getting sponsored
To be security screened by the CSP, your organization must first be sponsored.
For more information, visit the sponsorship process.
Getting screened
The CSP will review the sponsorship request. If approved, the CSP will contact your organization directly to start the screening process.
You will be asked to do the following steps:
1. Complete the Application for registration (AFR) form
Note
To be sponsored for a security screening as part of a pre-solicitation, a competitive solicitation or a sole source contract, your organization must complete the AFR form and provide it to the procurement officer overseeing the procurement process or contract.
- In the application you must provide
- information about your organization's structure, ownership and legal status
- names of key senior officials (KSO)
- a KSO is an individual owner as well as any officer, director (of the board), executive and/or partner occupying a position of control or influence over an organization
2. Appoint a company security officer (CSO) and, as required, an alternate company security officer (ACSO) (if you are a sole proprietor or a consultant, you will act as the CSO, ACSO and KSO)
Learn more about appointing a security officer.
3. Complete the required personnel security screening forms for
- the CSO (mandatory for all types of organization security clearances)
- the ACSO (as required for DOS and FSC only)
- 1 KSO and the individuals of your organization's bid preparation team (required for provisional security clearances only)
- all KSOs of your organization requiring a clearance (mandatory for FSCs only)
The CSP will assess the information provided before granting or denying a clearance. You will be contacted directly when the CSP has determined the results of your organization security screening.
Security agreement for organization clearance
During the screening process, you will complete a legal agreement between the organization and the Government of Canada. This requires your organization to abide by the requirements of the Contract Security Manual.
Duration of the screening process
The screening process begins once the CSP confirms the organization's eligibility for security screening.
The length of the screening process depends on many factors, including the:
- completeness of forms
- level of security screening
- complexity of the organization being screened
Estimated timelines for organization screenings
- Provisional security clearance: varies depending on the level
- DOS: up to 4 months
- FSC: 6 months or more
Additional organization security safeguards will add to these timeframes.
Contact the Contract Security Program if you have questions about the screening process.
Clearance validity period
Organization security clearances granted on or after May 2, 2022 will be valid for:
- the duration of the bid solicitation process for a provisional security clearance
- 2 years for a DOS
- 1 year for a FSC
At the end of this period, if your organization is not participating in another solicitation process or executing a contract or subcontract with security requirements, the CSP will terminate its security clearance.
Learn how to reactivate your organization's security clearance.
Maintain your organization security clearance
The information you supply to obtain your clearance must be current. If changes are not reported and not addressed, your organization clearance will no longer be in good standing, and this will impact your ability to bid on future solicitations. For example, you will be considered non-compliant if your CSO leaves and you do not appoint a replacement immediately.
To report any organizational or personnel changes, contact the Contract Security Program.
More information
- Chapter 3: Organization screening of the Contract Security Manual
- Contact the Contract Security Program
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