diff --git a/app/services/import_repository/parse_repository.rb b/app/services/import_repository/parse_repository.rb
index 23c6e1fc1..1bc5a1f5e 100644
--- a/app/services/import_repository/parse_repository.rb
+++ b/app/services/import_repository/parse_repository.rb
@@ -1,15 +1,18 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
 module ImportRepository
   class ParseRepository
     include ActionView::Helpers::TextHelper
     def initialize(options)
       @file = options.fetch(:file)
+      @date_format = options[:date_format]
       @repository = options.fetch(:repository)
       @session = options.fetch(:session)
       @sheet = SpreadsheetParser.open_spreadsheet(@file)
     end
 
     def data
-      header, columns = SpreadsheetParser.first_two_rows(@sheet)
+      header, columns = SpreadsheetParser.first_two_rows(@sheet, date_format: @date_format)
       # Fill in fields for dropdown
       @repository.importable_repository_fields.transform_values! do |name|
         truncate(name, length: Constants::NAME_TRUNCATION_LENGTH_DROPDOWN)
diff --git a/app/services/spreadsheet_parser.rb b/app/services/spreadsheet_parser.rb
index 3be76b773..fbdbe6ebd 100644
--- a/app/services/spreadsheet_parser.rb
+++ b/app/services/spreadsheet_parser.rb
@@ -35,12 +35,12 @@ class SpreadsheetParser
     end
   end
 
-  def self.first_two_rows(sheet)
+  def self.first_two_rows(sheet, date_format: nil)
     rows = spreadsheet_enumerator(sheet)
     header = []
     columns = []
     rows.take(2).each_with_index do |row_values, i|
-      row = parse_row(row_values, sheet, header: i.zero?)
+      row = parse_row(row_values, sheet, header: i.zero?, date_format: date_format)
       if row && i.zero?
         header = row
       else