Contract Security Program (CSP)

The Contract Security Program (CSP) is Public Services and Procurement Canada's program for security screening organizations and their personnel who take part in Government of Canada — and some foreign government — solicitations and contracts that carry security requirements. It exists so that sensitive information, assets and work sites are handled by screened organizations and people.

What it is

Administered by PSPC, the CSP provides two streams of screening described on PSPC's official Contract Security Program pages: organization security screening, which determines whether an organization participating in government solicitations and contracts meets the security requirements of the solicitation or contract; and personnel security screening, which determines whether an employee can be trusted with protected or classified information, assets or work sites. Security requirements themselves are specified by the contracting department on the Security requirements check list form (TBS/SCT 350-103) and in the bid solicitation documents. The rules that private sector organizations must follow are set out in the Contract Security Manual (CSM), effective August 13, 2020, which applies to organizations registered in the CSP and to all contracts, Canadian or foreign, for which PSPC is responsible.

How it works

An organization must be sponsored by an approved source before it can be screened into the program. The three types of organization clearance under the CSP are the provisional security clearance (temporary, for the pre-solicitation and bid preparation phases), the designated organization screening (DOS, for contracts at the protected level), and the facility security clearance (FSC, for contracts at the classified level). Once registered, a company security officer (CSO) uses the OLISS portal to verify, complete, sign and submit personnel screening requests for employees. PSPC does not charge applicants a fee to process organization or personnel screening applications, and cleared organizations agree to allow security inspections at any time.

What it means for vendors

If a target solicitation has security requirements — check the SRCL form attached to the tender notice — your organization cannot participate without being screened through the CSP, so build the sponsorship and screening timelines into your bid plan. A DOS can be valid for up to 2 years and an FSC for up to 1 year while you bid or hold contracts with security requirements, and clearances lapse if you stop participating, so track reactivation rather than assuming your clearance persists. Personnel clearances are typically valid 5 or 10 years depending on type.

Common questions

Is the CSP the same as an employee's reliability status or security clearance?

No. Reliability status and security clearances are personnel screening results; the CSP is the umbrella program that performs both the organization screening (provisional, DOS, FSC) and the personnel screening behind them. A person's clearance is only usable when their employing organization also holds the appropriate organization clearance.

Where are the rules published?

In the Contract Security Manual, published by PSPC on Canada.ca, together with the CSP's official web pages on security requirements for contracting with the Government of Canada.

Related definitions

Facility security clearance (FSC) · Designated organization screening (DOS) · Reliability status · SRCL (security requirements check list) · Industrial security clearance