Security screening for IT suppliers to the Government of Canada

Many federal IT contracts in Canada include a security requirements checklist. If they do, both your firm and the people who'll do the work need the right security clearance before the contract can start, and sometimes before you can bid.

The Contract Security Program

The Contract Security Program, run by Public Services and Procurement Canada, screens private sector organizations and their staff for federal contracts with security requirements.

Organization screening

• Designated Organization Screening (DOS): lets your organization access protected information and assets, and allows staff to hold reliability status.
• Facility Security Clearance (FSC): needed for access to classified information, such as Secret, with staff holding matching personnel clearances.

Some contracts also require safeguarding, meaning you're approved to store protected or classified information at your own premises or on your own IT systems, which involves more checks.

Personnel screening

• Reliability status: the baseline for access to protected information. Includes identity, criminal record and credit checks.
• Secret clearance: for access to classified information, with deeper background checks.
• Top secret: for the most sensitive work, with the longest process.

Your firm appoints a company security officer who manages screening and security obligations.

You need a sponsor

You can't apply for screening just because you'd like to bid one day. A federal department or contracting authority sponsors your organization, typically because you're bidding on or have been awarded a contract with security requirements. Some tenders require you to hold the clearance at bid closing, others by contract award.

Plan for the time

Screening can take weeks to months, depending on the level and how busy the program is. If a tender requires clearance at bid closing and you don't have it, it's often better to team with a cleared partner or subcontract to one, and build toward your own clearance.

Provinces and others

Provinces, cities and agencies have their own screening, often criminal record checks and confidentiality agreements. Police and justice agencies usually have stricter checks.

Common questions

How do I get a security clearance for my company in Canada?

Your company must be sponsored by a federal department or contracting authority for a contract with security requirements. You can't apply directly without a sponsor.

What is reliability status?

It's the basic federal personnel security screening, needed for access to protected government information and assets.

How long does a federal security clearance take?

It varies widely. Reliability status can take weeks, and secret clearances can take months. Start as soon as you're sponsored.