Industrial Security Clearance

In Canadian procurement, an industrial security clearance is an organization-level security screening granted by the Contract Security Program (CSP) of Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC). Companies need it to bid on — and hold — Government of Canada contracts that involve protected or classified information, assets or worksites.

What it is

When a solicitation carries security requirements, the buyer sets the needed level through the contract's security requirements, and the organization itself must be screened through the CSP — typically before the resulting contract is awarded. There are two main organization clearances: designated organization screening (DOS), required for contracts at the protected level, and facility security clearance (FSC), required for contracts at the classified level (Confidential, Secret, Top Secret, and NATO categories). A provisional security clearance lets bid-team members access protected or classified material during the pre-solicitation phase. Organizations that must store sensitive material at their own sites additionally need document safeguarding capability, which requires an existing DOS or FSC.

How you get one

You cannot self-register: a GC-approved source — usually the procurement officer on the process — must sponsor you, using an Application for Registration form plus details of your structure, ownership and legal status. You then sign a security agreement committing to the Contract Security Manual, key senior officials (including a company security officer) are screened, and PSPC inspects facilities where safeguarding is required. Canada.ca estimates DOS screening takes up to 4 months and FSC screening 6 months or more — a real schedule risk on classified pursuits, which is why experienced bidders start early and use provisional clearances for bid preparation.

Organization vs. personnel clearances

The organization clearance is the umbrella: PSPC's CSP clears the company first, then its people. Personnel screening runs from reliability status through Secret and Top Secret; per PSPC supplier roadmaps, reliability and Secret clearances are valid for 10 years and Top Secret for 5. An employee may only work on the contract once cleared and briefed. Sponsorship also extends to subcontractors — the prime is responsible for getting PSPC approval before subcontracting cleared work.

Common questions

Do clearances expire?

Organization clearances are tied to activity: roughly 2 years for a DOS and 1 year for an FSC, terminated by the CSP if you are not bidding on or executing a contract with security requirements.

Is this the same as ITB?

No — industrial and technological benefits are about economic obligations in defence procurement, not security screening. The two often appear on the same solicitations but are unrelated requirements.

Related definitions

Industrial and technological benefits (ITB) · MERX tender platform · Pre-qualified supplier list