Security Clearance Level Requirement

A security clearance level requirement is the specified level of personnel or facility security clearance that an individual or organization must hold to access classified information or assets, or to work on a classified contract. Where the procurement documents permit it, the requirement can also be met by being able to obtain the clearance. The level set depends on the classification of the position, contract, information or assets involved.

The term describes a condition written into a solicitation or job posting. It is not a single standalone clearance. It points to the clearance a bidder, its proposed personnel, or both must hold, such as a Personnel Security Clearance (PSC) or a Facility Security Clearance (FSC). In Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) applies these conditions through the Contract Security Program to contracts involving sensitive information, assets, sites or equipment.

Canadian classified levels: Confidential, Secret and Top Secret

PSPC states that a Canadian classified security clearance is required for an employee working on a sensitive government contract who must access classified information or assets at the CONFIDENTIAL, SECRET or TOP SECRET level. PSPC publishes these levels of security as part of its industrial security guidance. The level named in a solicitation tells the bidder which of these tiers the work demands.

Who must hold the clearance: the supplier, the resources, or both

A Canadian solicitation can place the requirement on the supplier, on the resources the supplier proposes, or on both. PSPC's bid solicitation preparation guidance for professional services says a solicitation may require a specific clearance level in any of these ways. Bid teams should read the security clause closely to see which applies.

Validity over time also matters. For supply arrangements, the contracting authority must confirm that each resource's clearance is valid when the assignment begins and throughout the assignment. PSPC's assessor guidance adds that the contracting authority must verify and document the resource's clearance level, validity and expiry information.

Facility clearance requirements in standard checklists

The requirement often applies to the organization as well as to individuals. PSPC's common security requirement checklists include a requirement for the contractor or offeror to hold a valid FSC at the SECRET level throughout performance of the contract or standing offer. A lapse during the contract period would mean the supplier no longer meets the stated condition.

Clearance levels on NATO opportunities

Organizations bidding on NATO opportunities must meet the NATO security requirements stated in the procurement documents. PSPC validates a Canadian organization's facility clearance for the NATO solicitation, as described on its page for NATO agreements. The FSC level corresponds to the access needed: NATO CONFIDENTIAL, NATO SECRET or COSMIC TOP SECRET.

NATO's industrial security directive states that contractors and subcontractors handling NATO CONFIDENTIAL or higher information must hold, or in specified circumstances be able to obtain, an FSC at the appropriate level. Personnel who need access must hold a PSC at the appropriate level and be briefed before access is authorized. NATO applies the same logic to employment: its application guidance says a valid clearance at the appropriate level is required before recruitment is complete, and that the level depends on the post.

What it means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

• Identify the stated clearance level and whether it applies to your organization, your proposed resources, or both.
• Confirm that every clearance is valid at the start of the work and stays valid through the contract period.
• For NATO opportunities, check the level (CONFIDENTIAL, SECRET or COSMIC TOP SECRET) against your FSC, which PSPC validates.
• Where the documents allow a bidder to obtain a clearance rather than already hold one, treat that as a stated exception and not an assumption.