I am new to this forum. Thanks for the insights and information so far!
I was wondering if anyone has any insight on the process for a federal contractor to get TS/SCI? I have read for several hours and it is not clear. I also contacted the DSCA today and spoke with them on the phone and they were also unsure of the exact answer but were very helpful and said they would get back to me with some sort of answer (even if they don’t know, which seems strange) soon.
For context, I am an engineer, scientist, and inventor and I have a passion for intelligence/ counterterrorism/ nuclear/ aerospace/ defense/national security etc. I start my own companies to solve problems because I do not fit well with corporate politics and prefer to do things super innovative and super fast.
I have no interest in working explicitly for a single federal agency because the pay is very low (even $200k is low in my opinion because of the level of problems I solve) and I aspire to work with many different intelligence agencies and national laboratories to solve super hard problems in these areas of interest. I would need access to these facilities and would need a TS/SCI to be able to assist the government in solving specific problems that would require direct collaboration with these agencies/laboratories and associated entities (other defense contractors/universities/etc).
Does anyone know which form I need to complete, what the process is, and which agency I would need to work with on this? It would essentially be me getting a TS/SCI but also my company (which oftentimes is a one person company) so I can qualify for certain contracts.
Usually you have to apply for a job and also be “nominated” for access into an SCI billet. Once you clear that obstacle, a justification has to be in writing as to what specific skill set you have that is needy of an SCI. You will be interviewed to see if you are eligible for access to TS/SCI, kind of a CI interview and the stnd BI process.You may also be subject to a poly. If what you list is accurate, you probably know you cant work for multiple agencies as it would most likely be a conflict of interest. This should give you an idea of what the process consists of. You may want to 1st get a job to get your foot in the door and also get you a clearance,
Thanks for the detailed response. I appreciate it.
I’m aware you normally can’t work for multiple agencies, although some work is cross cutting with different agencies. But that’s the reason I don’t want to work for a specific agency— I want to be a defense & intelligence + science/engineering contractor that works with lab, agencies, and the military. Certain companies do some of this as defense contractors (in aerospace, weapons, etc etc). So essentially, I want my companies to be able to do the same but it would be just me to start so I would need a clearance for certain type of work. Also working in highly classified labs is really important for what I aspire to do.
You would have to have a sponsor to get your FCL and your clearance.
Getting your FCL for single company is in itself challenging, let alone multiple “companies”…
Your best bet is to get hired by a prime contractor for your services, so that you don’t have to deal with all the processes…
Well it’s a catch 22.
The RFP/RFI will most likely have classified components to it.
If you are not cleared, you cannot view them and truly understand the scope of the problem.
So creating your proposal might be challenging.
Their contract offer would have to be mostly unclassified for you to even have a chance.
Or maybe you’d be the sole source / bidder for that contract because of a unique solution, which might make you the winner.
