SRCL (Security Requirements Check List)

The Security Requirements Check List is the federal government form used to define the security requirements of a contract. It is Treasury Board Secretariat form 350-103, and PSPC guidance states it must be completed for all contracts and subcontracts that contain security requirements.

What it is

Per the PSPC subcontracting guidance on canada.ca, the SRCL form identifies the security requirements of a contract or subcontract: whether the supplier needs access to controlled goods, the type and level of protected or classified information or assets involved (Protected A/B/C up to Top Secret, including NATO and foreign levels), whether access to restricted areas is required, the personnel security screening level needed, and safeguarding requirements such as storing or electronically processing protected information on the supplier's premises.

When it is mandatory

The SRCL's own instructions state that all requisitions and subsequent tender and contractual documents, including subcontracts, that contain protected and/or classified requirements must be accompanied by a completed SRCL. The project authority arranges completion; the organization security officer reviews and approves the requirements; the Contract Security Program (CSP) of PSPC is the authority that verifies supplier compliance. If a solicitation has no security requirement, the resulting contract will typically say so in its security clauses.

What it means for vendors

Read the SRCL attached at the solicitation annex before bidding — it tells you exactly which screening your organization and personnel must hold before contract award or call-up. An SRCL requiring a designated organization screening, a facility security clearance, or Controlled Goods registration means lead time: screening through the CSP is a process, and you cannot start work until the required clearances are in place. Subcontracts that contain security requirements cannot be awarded without the prior written permission of the Contract Security Program, and the prime contractor's company security officer completes the SRCL for each subcontract.

Common questions

Where do common SRCLs come from?

For recurring federal methods of supply such as professional services standing offers and supply arrangements, PSPC publishes common security requirement check lists — pre-filled SRCLs and matching security clauses for typical requirement profiles, which buyers reference instead of building each SRCL from scratch.

Is an SRCL the same as a security clearance?

No. The SRCL is the form that states what is required. The clearances themselves — organization screening, facility security clearance, personnel screening, Controlled Goods registration — are granted separately by the Contract Security Program to the supplier and its personnel.

Related definitions

Industrial security clearance · Designated organization screening · Controlled Goods Program