Security in solicitations

In Canadian government procurement, security in solicitations refers to the security requirements that must be identified in a solicitation when bidders, their personnel, information, assets or work sites require protection. A solicitation that involves security requirements must clearly outline the specific security needs and the timelines for meeting them. The guidance is set out in the CanadaBuys buyer's guide on contract security and privacy requirements.

The term is used mainly in connection with the Contract Security Program (CSP), administered by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC). The CSP provides security screening of organizations and personnel for solicitations and contracts with security requirements. Security requirements themselves specify the levels of security needed to safeguard sensitive information, assets and work sites, as described on the PSPC security screening page.

What a solicitation must state about security

The solicitation is where the buyer sets out the security requirement. The completed Security Requirements Check List (SRCL) must be included as an annex to the solicitation, although its signature page may be omitted. Bidders should expect the solicitation to name the clearance levels that apply and to say when they must be in place.

Several related terms appear in these documents:

• Facility security clearance: the organization-level clearance a contractor may need to hold.
• Personnel security screening: the screening of individuals who will access protected or classified material.
• Document safeguarding capability: the ability to store and protect sensitive documents at a stated level.
• Provisional security clearance: a clearance that may be available at the solicitation stage.

Security screening before and during the bid period

Security can matter well before a contract is awarded. Screening may be required before an offeror or its personnel can attend conferences or site visits, or access protected or classified information during the solicitation process. Provisional security clearances may be available for eligible offerors and bid-preparation personnel who need that access during the solicitation stage.

Where private-sector screening is mandatory, the offeror may have to submit an Application for Registration with its offer, even if it already holds the required clearances. The CanadaBuys guidance covers these solicitation-stage steps.

How security requirements appear in published solicitations

Government contracts that require personnel to access classified or protected information, assets or sensitive sites require the relevant security clearance, as explained in how the government buys. In professional-services bid solicitations, the requirement may apply to the supplier, to the proposed resources, or to both, according to the PSPC bid solicitation preparation guidance.

Published tender documents show the range. One request for standing offer on CanadaBuys requires the contractor to hold a facility security clearance and document safeguarding capability at the SECRET level, with personnel security screening as required. Other solicitations, such as this request for proposals, expressly state that no security requirement is associated with the procurement.

What security in solicitations means for a supplier

Check the security section and the SRCL annex of every solicitation before you commit bid resources. Confirm whether the requirement applies to your organization, to your proposed personnel, or to both, and which levels are named. An organization needs security screening when it participates in a solicitation or contract with security requirements.

Start the clearance process promptly. In some solicitations, delaying contract award so that a successful bidder can obtain clearance is left to the contracting authority's discretion, as one published request for proposals states. If a solicitation says no security requirement applies, none is attached to that procurement.