Effective March 1, 2023, DCSA is implementing updated procedures for facility clearance (FCL) sponsorship and FCL package submissions to reduce the cycle, or re-work, between government contracting activities (GCAs) or contractors and DCSA. These changes are one of a number of initiatives DCSA is undertaking, internally and externally, to streamline the FCL process, which will ensure the fullest degree of transparency practicable during the sponsorship and FCL package processes. DCSA encourages the full utilization of available resources from DCSA by sponsors or the sponsored contractors to ensure complete and accurate packages are submitted to facilitate DCSA's efficient and thorough evaluation of each case.

The reworking of packages submitted to DCSA adds significant time to case reviews and contributes to the aging of package submissions in queue. These increases in time across the FCL process severely impede the ability of GCAs to receive the goods or services required to execute their missions in a timely manner, the profitability of contractors, and the risk to national security. The cycle for sponsorship packages is, on average, 1.93 times per package with a 53% rejection rate. That number increases to 2.5 times for initial/upgrade FCL packages with a 70% rejection rate. DCSA is committed to reducing both rates, cycle and rejection, to or near 1.1 and 15%.

For more details regarding sponsorship and FCL submission procedures, click here.