FAQs




It is your responsibility to provide all relevant data you wish to be considered during the evaluation process. In the event that a third party is in possession of data, prior to the submission of your application, you should provide all relevant point of contact (POC) information to the Office of SAFETY Act Implementation (OSAI). You should make sure the POC knows ahead of time that OSAI will be contacting them for information. OSAI will work with you and the third party to arrange the transfer and/or review of this information. Coordination prior to submission of your application is essential to maintain the evaluation timeline. An Applicant's failure to provide test information may adversely affect the application, including unnecessary delay and/or a denial. The Applicant, not OSAI, is responsible for submitting information to be considered in the evaluation of the Technology.

Yes. However, be advised you may be required to submit information about your subcontractor selection and vetting policies.

Yes. However, you are still required to provide information supporting the efficacy of your Technology and carry the appropriate insurance for the Technology.

No. The SAFETY Act provides liability protections for anti-terrorism technologies. It is neither a research and development program nor a procurement entity. Furthermore, the Office SAFETY Act Implementation does not provide points of contact in other procurement agencies.

No. Neither Designation nor Certification under the SAFETY Act is an endorsement of your Technology. You must exercise care to ensure that any references to the SAFETY Act are not misleading.

The Office of SAFETY Act Implementation will not receive or store samples of your technology. A precise description and full explanation of the technology in a complete application is required.

No. Current Department of Homeland Security policy does not permit the use of the DHS seal by private parties without the express written permission of the Secretary of Homeland Security. For questions about this policy or to make a request, please email IPRequest@dhs.gov.

The Department of Homeland Security does not prescribe any specific contractual language for use by recipients of SAFETY Act protections with regard to reciprocal waivers of claims. Such recipients should refer to Section 864(b) of the SAFETY Act, 6 U.S.C. 443(b), and 6 C.F.R. 25.5(e).

Yes. Any Designation or Certification may apply to any other person or entity to which the Seller licenses the manufacture and sale of the Technology, provided that the requisite notification is given. Please see the "Forms and Info" section for License and Transfer forms.

Section 25.4(c) of the SAFETY Act regulations (6 CFR Section 25.4(c)) describes how the OSAI will make use of standards and make those standards available to the public. To date, OSAI has not adopted any standards for use in connection with the evaluation of SAFETY Act applications or specific technologies.

You will need to resubmit an application for the Technology in order to obtain a Designation or Certification.

The SAFETY Act Application and Instructions are available under the "Forms and Info" section of the SAFETY Act Web site. The application process requires you to answer a series of questions about your Technology's efficacy and your company's insurance policies. We recommend reading the Step-by-Step User Guide on the Web site. If you need further assistance please contact the SAFETY Act Help Desk (email: SAFETYActhelpdesk@HQ.DHS.gov or call 1-866-788-9318).

To update your information, perform the following steps: 1. Open your draft application and click "Edit" from the actions menu. 2. From the Seller Information page, click the "Edit My Account" Info link. 3. Update any necessary information and click "Submit". 4. Click the "Reset Seller Information" button on the Seller Information page to pull in the new information. Please note that this will only update the POC information in your User Account and impact Draft applications only.

Typically, within 30 days of confirmed receipt of your application, you will be notified either that your application is sufficiently complete for the Department of Homeland Security, Office of SAFETY Act Implementation to begin evaluation, or that it is missing some necessary information. If your application is complete, you will be notified that its evaluation has begun. In most cases, within 90 days of that notification, the Department of Homeland Security will reach a decision on your application. If your application is found to be incomplete, within 30 days you will receive a letter listing the missing information, and why that material is required in order to evaluate your Technology against the criteria described in the SAFETY Act. Instructions will be provided about how to resubmit a new application with the requested material. You will not have to re-enter all of the information. The online application system allows you to copy the entire contents of a previous application to a new application. You may then make any necessary changes or additions to the application forms and attachments, and submit these as a new application.

Pre-application review includes checking the amount and type of supporting data you have listed against the criteria described in the SAFETY Act, and noting the strengths and weaknesses of your proposed application. The Department of Homeland Security, Office of SAFETY Act Implementation attempts to complete these reviews in 21 days or less. When the review is completed, you will receive a letter inviting you to take part in a teleconference with the evaluation staff to discuss the merits of your Technology for SAFETY Act protections, and to discuss what will be necessary to provide an administratively complete application.

You can reactivate an application by contacting the SAFETY Act Help Desk (email: SAFETYActHelpDesk@HQ.DHS.gov or call 1-866-788-9318). The restored application will again appear as a "Draft" on your account

To renew your Designation and/or Certification, please prepare responses to the questions found on the "Request for Renewal" form in the "Reference Materials" Section.

Log onto the SAFETY Act Web site. Open up your application, navigate to the "Related Links" section, and select the "Completion Notice" link. Once the window is launched, select the "Create Response" button.

Log onto the SAFETY Act Web site. Open up your application, navigate to the "Related Links" section, and select the "RFI" link. Once the window is launched, select the "Create Response" button.

The SAFETY Act Web site limits the number of files that can be uploaded simultaneously to five. If you have more than five files to upload, upload the first five using the "Upload" function. Once the upload is complete, select up to five more files to upload. This can be repeated until all files are uploaded.