Guidance on completing the Contract Security Program Application for registration form
Public Services and Procurement Canada’s (PSPC) Contract Security Program’s (CSP) Application for registration (AFR) form is used to collect detailed information on your organization’s structure, ownership and legal status.
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Instructions for completing the form
This step-by-step guidance will assist you with the completion of the AFR form, which is required for the security screening of your organization.
Section A: Business information
Legal name of the organization
This refers to the organization’s legal name as registered in the jurisdiction and country in which it is organized and exists. In the case of Canadian legal entities, this would be the legal name registered with the applicable federal, provincial or territorial authority.
Business or trade name (if different from legal name)
This refers to a name used by the organization for commercial purposes that differs from its legal name. If the business or trade name is registered, provide the applicable registration documents.
Type of organization (select 1 only)
Indicate your business type and provide supporting documentation to prove that your organization is legally registered to do business in Canada.
“Sole proprietor” refers to a business that is owned and operated by 1 individual. This individual acts alone, and has no partners.
If applicable, provide the following information and mandatory supporting documents:
- a copy of the most recent provincial registration document
- the exact term of this document varies by province (for example, in Ontario it is called a Master Business Licence)
“Partnership” refers to a business relationship between 2 or more individuals, corporations, trusts or partnerships that join together to carry on a trade or business.
In this case, provide the following information and mandatory supporting documents:
- partnership agreement
- proof of provincial, territorial or federal partnership name registration (if applicable)
- ownership structure chart indicating the percentage of ownership and nationality of each owner
- a management structure chart showing reporting structure and nationality of managing partners
“Corporation” refers to a legally incorporated entity that exists independently of its shareholders and has the authority to own property, enter into contracts and issue shares.
In this case, provide the following information and mandatory supporting documents:
- stock ticker symbol (if applicable)
- a stock ticker symbol is a unique, usually 1 to 4 letter code, used to identify a company's shares on a stock exchange (for example, Apple Inc. is represented by AAPL, while Microsoft Corp. is MSFT)
- ownership structure chart indicating ownership percentage and nationality of all owners
- management structure chart showing reporting structure and nationality of officers and key leadership
- Certificate of Incorporation (for example, certificate of amendment, certificate of continuance, or equivalent corporate registration documents)
- current articles of incorporation (may be a corporate profile dated less than 6 months from submission)
Note
If you are the sole owner of an incorporated business and act alone with no partners, you are still considered a corporation. In this case, do not check “Sole proprietor”.
“Other” refers to all other types of business such as:
- universities
- financial institutions
- unincorporated organizations
- Assembly of First Nations
In this case, provide the following information and mandatory supporting documents:
- evidence of legal status such as acts, charters, bands, etc.
- ownership structure chart indicating ownership percentage and nationality of all owners
- management structure chart showing reporting structure and nationality of officers and key leadership
Organization website (if applicable)
Enter your organization’s website.
Please provide a brief description of your organization’s general business activities
For organizations, include a summary of your core business operations, products and/or services, and areas of specialization.
For individual consultants, include a summary of your consulting services, areas of expertise, and professional experience.
Business Number (if applicable)
A Business Number (BN) is a unique, 9 digit number that serves as the standard identifier for a business or legal entity.
A BN is not mandatory to get screened with the CSP. However, it is used when needed to positively identify organizations with similar names or that may have amalgamated.
If you do not have a BN, leave this field blank.
To obtain a BN, your organization needs to register in the PSPC’s SAP Business Network.
Learn more on how to create a SAP Business Network account.
Self-identify as a diverse supplier (provide profile) (if applicable)
For more information on underrepresented suppliers, refer to the social procurement section.
Number of employees in your organization or corporate entity
Enter the total number of employees in your organization. If the exact number is not available, you may provide an estimate.
Number of employees requiring access to protected, classified information, assets and sites
Enter the approximate number of employees who will require access to protected or classified information, assets or worksites to perform work on the government contract.
Principal place of business (where work is executed and the business operates on a day-to-day basis)
This refers to a permanent physical place of business in Canada where work is executed and the organization conducts its day-to-day operations. The following will not be accepted as a valid place of business:
- virtual locations
- post office boxes
- mailboxes
- mail receiving services
- coworking spaces
- representative agent offices, etc.
Telephone number
Enter the telephone number of your principal place of business including the country code and any extension number.
Facsimile number (if applicable)
Enter the fax number of your principal place of business including the country code. If your organization does not have a fax, leave this field blank.
Mailing address (if different from above)
Enter the mailing address of your place of business if it is different from the principal place of business address.
Section B: Security officers
Organizations screened by the CSP must appoint a company security officer (CSO). Appointing an alternate company security officer (ACSO) is recommended to ensure continuity when the CSO is unavailable. Sole proprietors are not required to appoint an ACSO.
It is important to identify the appropriate individuals you intend to nominate as your organization’s CSO and ACSOs. These individuals will be responsible for organization and personnel security screenings.
Security officers must meet all of the following criteria, be:
- an employee of the organization
- physically located in Canada
- a Canadian citizenFootnote 1 or on a case-by-case basis, a permanent resident of Canada
- security screened at the same level as the organization (in some cases the ACSOs may require a lower level)
The CSO should also be:
- a person of trust
- knowledgeable about all activities of the organization related to federal government contracts
- directly accessible to key senior officials of the organization on security matters
- able to influence an organization’s internal policies and procedures
The CSO plays a vital role in the organization's ability to meet the security requirements of federal government contracts. They are the official point of contact with the CSP and are responsible to notify the CSP of any changes within the organization. Additionally, they are accountable to the CSP for all contract security matters. The ACSO shares the responsibilities of the CSO and replaces them as required.
To see the full list of CSO and ACSO responsibilities, please consult Annex A: Guidelines on company security officer and alternate company security officer responsibilities of the Contract Security Manual.
Information that must be entered in Section B:
- identify the individual(s) who are, or will be appointed as your organization’s CSO and ACSO(s)
- complete the section accordingly and although not always required, consider designating at least 1 ACSO at the facility where the CSO is located
- if your organization requires document safeguarding capability at 1 or more sites, ensure to
- identify at least 2 security officers per site
- indicate the physical location of these sites
- this is required as document safeguarding capability is site-specific and 2 security officers are needed where sensitive documents will be safeguarded
- if you run out of rows, provide on a separate sheet of paper attached to the form, all the required information on the additional alternates
Section C: Organization management structure information
Federal corporations must provide a list of officers as defined by the Canada Business Corporations Act and submit supporting documentation filed with Corporations Canada.
Include the following individuals:
- officers
- board members
- all directing minds
Provincial corporations must provide a list of officers as defined by the provincial legislation your corporation was formed in and submit supporting documentation filed with the applicable provincial authority.
In all cases, a corporation must provide a management structure chart that includes:
- all officers and executives
- their official titles
- the name of the individual occupying each position
Note
Sole proprietors are not required to provide a management structure chart since they are the sole officer of their organization.
For the purposes of the CSP, the term “Country of primary residence/national domicile” refers to the country where the individual is currently residing.
Citizenship refers to an individual's legal status as a citizen of a country, whether acquired by birth or naturalization, is a member of a state or nation, entitled to enjoy all the civil rights and protection of that state or nation and owing allegiance to its government.
C 1: Officers
Officers are individuals appointed by the board of directors to manage the day-to-day operations of the organization. They hold executive positions and are responsible for implementing the board’s policies and directives. Specific titles and duties of officers can vary based on the organization's bylaws and the board's decisions (for example, Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, etc.).
Include provincial/territorial/federal corporate documents to support the listing (for example, articles of incorporation, board resolutions, amendments, bylaws, etc. and the human resource management organizational chart demonstrating the reporting structure).
List all individuals appointed by the board of directors, including their titles such as Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, etc.
All directing minds
A directing mind is anyone that is delegated executive decision-making authority of a corporation by the board of directors and who exercises control over the organization's activities, operations, or management.
A directing mind may be an officer, director, owner, partner, manager, or another individual with the authority to direct or influence the organization's decisions. A person may be considered a directing mind if they:
- have substantial decision-making authority
- exercise independent discretion on behalf of the corporation
- are responsible for corporate policy or important operational decisions
- have been delegated authority by the board or by other authorized senior officials
If additional space is required, add rows or attach additional pages as needed.
C 2: Board members
The board of directors is a group of individuals elected to represent the interests of a corporate's shareholders and oversee its management and operations. They are the governing body of the corporation, responsible for strategic direction, executive appointments and ensuring the organization's long-term health and success (for example, chairperson, potential alternatives if no chairperson exists, secretary, treasurer and directors).
Include provincial/territorial/federal corporate documents to support the listing (for example, articles of incorporation, board resolutions, amendments, bylaws, etc.).
List information on all members of your corporation’s board of directors. Be sure to indicate all board titles including the chairperson if there is one, secretary, treasurer and director. If your organization does not have a board of directors, do not leave this section blank. Simply indicate “Not Applicable” in the first row.
If additional space is required, add rows or attach additional pages as needed.
Supporting documentation must be included (see instructions in Section A for details).
Section D: Partnership (if applicable)
A partnership is a business structure which 2 or more individuals, corporations or trusts agree to share profits or losses of a business.
If your organization is established as a general partnership (GP), limited partnership (LP) or limited liability partnership (LLP), you must complete this section to identify individuals in key leadership roles, managing partners and signatories.
- GP: the most common type of partnership, where all partners share in the business profits, losses, and liabilities
- there is no requirement to register a GP, but partners typically create a written agreement
- LP: a type of partnership recognized in Canadian commercial law
- an LP consists of at least 1 GP and 1 or more LPs
- the GP manages the business and assumes unlimited liability, while LPs typically act as investors and have liability limited to their investment
- LLP: a type of partnership recognized in the partnership statutes of most Canadian provinces, but not in all
- it is only permitted for certain professions, such as lawyers and accountants
The following supporting documentation must be included:
- partnership agreement
- proof of provincial, territorial or federal partnership name registration (if applicable)
- ownership structure chart indicating the ownership percentage and nationality of all owners
- a management structure chart showing the reporting structure and nationality of managing partners
Citizenship refers to an individual's legal status as a citizen of a country, whether acquired by birth or naturalization, is a member of a state or nation, entitled to enjoy all the civil rights and protection of that state or nation and owing allegiance to its government.
For the purposes of the CSP, the term “Country of primary residence/national domicile” refers to the country where the individual is currently residing.
Section E: Ownership information
This relates to your organization’s ownership. You must complete this section regardless of the percentage of ownership. If you leave this section blank, the form will be returned to you. For a definition of “Type of entity” refer to Section A instructions.
- Identify all individuals, entities and public or private corporations that have an ownership interest in your organization being screened
- Indicate if each entity holds a valid facility security clearance issued by PSPC’s CSP or an equivalent clearance issued by another country
- For publicly traded corporations, identify the stock ticker symbol
- a stock ticker symbol is a unique code that identifies a company's stock on a stock exchange that typically consist of 1 to 4 letters (for example, Apple Inc. is represented by AAPL, while Microsoft Corp. is MSFT)
- The ownership percentage at each level must total 100%
- As supporting documentation, you must provide an organizational or legal ownership chart that shows the percentages of ownership at each level
Sole proprietors are not required to provide an organization or legal chart, however, they must still complete this section.
Citizenship refers to an individual's legal status as a citizen of a country, whether acquired by birth or naturalization, is a member of a state or nation, entitled to enjoy all the civil rights and protection of that state or nation and owing allegiance to its government.
If there are more than 5 levels of ownership, please submit on an additional page to include all levels of ownership from direct to ultimate.
E 1: Ownership level 1 (direct ownership)
List all individuals, entities, and organizations that hold a direct ownership interest in your organization.
If your organization has more than 1 direct owner, you must provide all the required information on these additional owners.
E 2: Ownership level 2
For every direct owner listed in Section E-1, identify who owns that direct owner and complete all required fields.
If your organization only has 1 level of ownership, indicate “Not Applicable” in the first row and move on to the next section of the form.
E 3: Ownership level 3
Provide ownership information for the entities listed in Ownership Level 2. In other words, identify the direct owner(s) of each Level 2 entity and complete all required fields.
If there is no third level of ownership, enter “Not Applicable” in the first row and proceed to the next section of the form.
E 4: Ownership level 4
Provide ownership information for the entities listed in Ownership Level 3. In other words, identify the direct owner(s) of each Level 3 entity and complete all required fields.
If there is no fourth level of ownership, enter “Not Applicable” in the first row and proceed to the next section of the form.
E 5: Ownership level 5
Provide ownership information for the entities listed in Ownership Level 4. In other words, identify the direct owner(s) of each Level 4 entity and complete all required fields.
If there is no fifth level of ownership, enter “Not Applicable” in the first row and proceed to the next section of the form.
Section F: Justification (for renewing organizations)
This section must be completed only by organizations that are undergoing a renewal process.
Provide a list of active federal contracts, subcontracts, call ups, leases, or purchase orders that have security requirements with the CSP.
Indicate the:
- contract number and contract type (for example, call up, lease, subcontract, national program)
- contracting department and the contracting officer’s contact information
- name of the contracting authority or prime contractor
- security level requirement as well as expiry date
The CSP requires this information to verify that copies of your procurement vehicles are on file and to obtain any missing documentation, as required.
Section G: Certification and consent
This section must be completed, signed and dated by the applicable individual:
- for corporations, other entities and sole proprietors
- one of the officers listed in Section C1
- for partnerships
- one of the partners listed in Section D
The signature must either be signed by hand or a valid e-signature. Electronic script fonts will not be accepted.
Failure to provide required information, providing false or misleading information, or concealing any material facts on this application may result in the following actions by the CSP:
- for organizations already holding a clearance, it may lead to
- a denial or revocation of your organization's security clearance
- the administrative closure of any personnel reliability statuses and/or security clearances issued to your organization
- immediately prohibiting your eligibility to work on contracts requiring such clearances
- for organizations not yet screened, this may prevent the granting of a reliability status or security clearance