Hi
1. No you can't apply on your own.
How do you qualify for secret clearance?
Only the federal government can grant someone a security clearance, and to get one the applicant must work for a government agency or contractor and conduct business that justifies granting him or her access to highly sensitive information.
Agreed, one cannot do on his own. I talked to the Contract Security Program Customer care and provided with the following links one can register as a self employed provided the employer or the staffing agency has to sponsor you
Below is the reply I received from them
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the
registration of a private sector organization in the Contract Security Program (CSP).
Registering a private sector organization in the CSP is a necessary process that must be completed before working on Government of Canada (GOC) contracts that include security requirements. This process involves 3 main steps and can take between 3 – 12+ months depending on the level of security clearance required and complexity of the application. You can also consult the
Contract Security Program roadmap for an overview of the registration process.
There are two types of clearances involved in registering your organization in the CSP, the
Designated Organization Screening (DOS) and the
Facility Security Clearance (FSC). The DOS is the designation for organizations who need to obtain a reliability status to satisfy the conditions of a
Government of Canada contract. The FSC is the designation for organizations who need a confidential level clearance or above to satisfy the conditions of a GOC contract.
In order to begin the process of registering in the CSP, you will need to follow these main steps, which are described in detail below:
STEP 1: Find an approved source (sponsor), to sponsor your organization into the program
STEP 2: Complete the registration package sent to you by the CSP
STEP 3: Completion of clearance and confirmation letter
STEP 1
The first step to becoming registered in the CSP is sponsorship. Private sector organisations applying for a Designated Organization Screening (DOS) or a Facility Security Clearance (FSC) MUST first be sponsored by an approved source.
An approved source (sponsor) includes:
· A Government of Canada procurement officer;
· A Government of Canada leasing officer or project manager leading a government project which includes contract security requirements;
· In the cases of sub-contracting opportunities, the Company Security Officer of a prime contractor registered in the Contract Security Program, who currently holds an active contract with the Government of Canada;
· A National and Designated Security Authority, on behalf of a foreign company or government, that intends to award a contract to a Canadian private sector organization.
If you are experiencing difficulties finding an approved source for sponsorship, we recommend that you contact the
Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) client engagement team to assist you with your sponsorship request. Please have on hand the name of the contract authority and department they represent when placing your request.
The sponsor will complete a Private Sector Organization Screening
(PSOS) form and a Security Requirements Check List
(SRCL) form on behalf of the private business, which will then be submitted to the CSP.
STEP 2
Once the sponsorship request has been received and approved, the Registration Division will send the private sector organisation a New Establishing Letter including a series of forms to complete. These forms must be signed by the organisation’s
appointed Company Security Officer (CSO) and returned to the Registration Division within 30 days of receipt. If you are a sole proprietor or a consultant you will act as both the company security officer and key senior official.
The registration process normally includes the following documentation:
An application for registration form
A Company Security Officer appointment and acknowledgement form (Annex 1-A)
An Alternate Company Security Officer appointment form (annex 1-B)
A Security Agreement (Annex 3-G) form
An Attestation form
TBS 330-23 Personnel Screening, Consent and Authorisation forms for the proposed Company Security Officer and if applicable Alternate Company Security Officers
In the cases of Facility Security Clearances (FSC) requests, relevant TBS 330-23 and 330-60 Security Clearance Forms for the Company Security Officer and employees deemed as Key Senior Officials
Please consult our
tools and checklists to ensure these forms are filled out correctly.
STEP 3
Once the respective forms have been completed and returned to the Registration Division, the documentation will be reviewed and processed accordingly. If there are no issues, the personal security clearances will be granted and the company’s clearance will follow. Your organization will then receive a letter confirming your registration in the CSP, which will include the relevant documentation and certificates.
We invite you to explore our
website to learn more about our program. Furthermore, we also recommend consulting the
Contract Security Manual (CSM) regarding policy and procedures for participants in the Contract Security Program. You may find the following chapters relevant if you are interested in obtaining a Designated Organisation Screening,
Chapters 1-4 as well as the
Annex A: Guidelines on company security officer and alternate company security officer responsibilities. Chapters
1-5,
Annex A: Guidelines on company security officer and alternate company security officer responsibilities as well as the
Annex B: Guidelines for facility protection, will be relevant to you if your organization requires a Facility Security Clearance.
