Facility security clearance (FSC)

A facility security clearance (FSC) is one of the organization security clearances issued under Public Services and Procurement Canada's Contract Security Program. Per PSPC's official guidance, an FSC is the clearance your organization needs to obtain Government of Canada contracts at the classified level — as opposed to the designated organization screening (DOS), which covers contracts at the protected level.

What it covers

Under Chapter 3 of the Contract Security Manual, an FSC is required to access classified information and assets: Confidential, Secret or Top Secret, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Confidential, NATO Secret, COSMIC Top Secret, or other foreign-equivalent classified information. An FSC must also be paired with a site access clearance, and before the clearance is granted, the company security officer (CSO) and the key senior officials (KSOs) identified by the CSP must themselves be security screened at a minimum at the level of the clearance. A subsidiary is treated as a separate legal entity requiring its own FSC.

How it is obtained and kept

An organization must first be sponsored by an approved source, then submit a complete Application for registration (AFR) form. Beyond the clearance itself, safeguards may be granted: document safeguarding capability (DSC) to view, possess and store protected or classified information at your facilities after a physical security inspection, plus additional IT or COMSEC authorizations where the contract requires them. Per PSPC's published validity periods, an FSC is valid for 1 year (versus 2 years for a DOS) as long as the organization complies with the CSP's requirements and remains active — bidding with a complete AFR form, holding a PSPC-issued standing offer or supply arrangement with security requirements, or executing an active contract or subcontract. At the end of the period the clearance is either renewed and maintained by the CSP or administratively terminated.

What it means for vendors

Targeting classified defence or security work means planning around the FSC: sponsorship, the AFR, CSO/KSO screening, facility inspections and safeguarding approvals all take time and must generally be complete before contract award and before any pre-contract negotiations involving classified material. Keep clearance information current — unreported changes affect your status and can lead to compliance enforcement. And remember a provisional security clearance exists for bid teams that need to see sensitive information during bid preparation before any FSC is in place.

Common questions

Is an FSC the same as an employee security clearance?

No. The FSC is held by the organization; the Secret or Top Secret clearances individuals hold are personnel security clearances. KSOs and employees can only be screened through an organization that holds a DOS or FSC appropriate to the work.

How long does an FSC last?

Per PSPC, up to 1 year, renewable while the organization stays compliant and continues to bid or hold contracts with security requirements.

Related definitions

Contract Security Program (CSP) · Designated organization screening (DOS) · Reliability status · Industrial security clearance · SRCL (security requirements check list)