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The National Security Agency (NSA) is constantly seeking to expand its industrial base and engage in discussions to encourage and improve industry's understanding of NSA's requirements and NSA's understanding and potential use of industry capabilities. Such discussions will foster industry innovation and development of products, technologies, and services applicable to NSA's requirements and will enhance NSA's ability to acquire "state of the art" goods and services. Because many of NSA's requirements are classified, the most productive discussions can occur only with a company's representatives who have been authorized access to such information.

The NSA Directorate of Acquisition and the Associate Directorate for Security and Counterintelligence partnered to create the Provisional Industrial Security Approval (PISA) Sponsorship Program. The PISA Program is a three-year program that provides an avenue for companies to receive the necessary clearances to engage in classified discussions with this Agency's personnel that will satisfy current and potential Agency needs as well as to foster a broad and diverse industrial base.

For participating companies, the PISA Program will sponsor clearances for NSA SCI access for a limited number of individuals, including key management personnel (KMPs) and employees. This gives companies an avenue to clear their key management, business developers, and employees not currently working on a contract with this Agency.

Once the company has met certain requirements of the PISA Program, the company will be issued a PISA Letter, which permits cleared representatives of the company to engage in classified discussions with NSA's personnel to discuss this Agency's needs and the company's potential ability to meet those needs. This PISA Letter is not a DoD facility clearance and accesses are not portable outside NSA.

The PISA Program is designed to assist small businesses that offer unique capabilities required by NSA and that are either not currently contracting with this Agency or contracting in a very limited capacity. To participate in the PISA Program, a company must be registered in both the Central Contractors Registry (CCR) and the NSA's Acquisition Resource Center (ARC). The company must also attended one of the NSA's Office of Small Business Programs' Biweekly Briefings or Industry Outreach's, "Preparing for Success: A Start-up Guide to Working with NSA" briefings no more than one year prior to the submission of the Technical Recommendation. More information on how to register for the ARC and the briefings can be found on the Getting Started page.

In order for a company to be considered for the program, an NSA office with a current or potential need for the capabilities offered by the company must submit a Technical Recommendation to the PISA Program Manager. This recommendation must be written and submitted by an Agency Chief, Deputy Chief, or Technical Director. After the technical recommendation receives a favorable review and other eligibility criteria are met, the company will be invited to sign a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Additional questions concerning the PISA program should be directed to the PISA Program Office via email to pisa@nsa.gov.