# 4.403 Responsibilities of contracting officers.

(a) Presolicitation phase. Contracting officers shall review all proposed solicitations to determine whether access to classified information may be required by offerors, or by a contractor during contract performance.

(1) If access to classified information of another agency may be required, the contracting officer shall-

(i) Determine if the agency is covered by the NISP; and

(ii) Follow that agency’s procedures for determining the security clearances of firms to be solicited.

(2) If the classified information required is from the contracting officer’s agency, the contracting officer shall follow agency procedures.

(b) Solicitation phase. Contracting officers shall-

(1) Ensure that the classified acquisition is conducted as required by the NISP or agency procedures, as appropriate; and

(2) Include-

(i) An appropriate Security Requirements clause in the solicitation (see 4.404); and

(ii) As appropriate, in solicitations and contracts when the contract may require access to classified information, a requirement for security safeguards in addition to those provided in the clause (52.204-2, Security Requirements).

(c) Award phase. Contracting officers shall inform contractors and subcontractors of the security classifications and requirements assigned to the various documents, materials, tasks, subcontracts, and components of the classified contract as follows:

(1) Agencies covered by the NISP shall use the Contract Security Classification Specification, DD Form 254. The contracting officer, or authorized representative, is the approving official for the form and shall ensure that it is prepared and distributed in accordance with the Industrial Security Regulation.

(2) Contracting officers in agencies not covered by the NISP shall follow agency procedures.

    [48 FR 42113, Sept. 19, 1983, as amended at 61 FR 31617, June 20, 1996; 73 FR 21781, Apr. 22, 2008; 84 FR 19840, May 6, 2019]