NATO Business Opportunity: Deployable Communication and Information System (DCIS) Cyber Defense (CD) Capabilities

The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) intends to issue a Request for Quotations (RFQ) for the procurement of an upgrade or replacement of its existing Deployable Communication and Information System (DCIS) Cyber Defense (CD) capabilities, as part of initial improvements and integration of existing assets into the NATO Enterprise CD architecture.

Potential U.S. prime contractors must 1) maintain a professionally active facility (office, factory, laboratory, etc.) within the United States, 2) be pre-approved for participation in NATO International Competitive Bidding (ICB), 3) be issued a Declaration of Eligibility (DOE) by the Department of Commerce (DOC), and 4) register with the NCI Agency’s eProcurement tool, Neo: https://www.ncia.nato.int/business/neo-eprocurement.html 

Contractor personnel will be required to work unescorted in Class II Security areas. Therefore, access can only be permitted to cleared individuals. Only companies maintaining the appropriate personnel clearances will be able to perform the resulting contract.

The reference for the RFQ is RFQ-CO-423234-DCIS and all correspondence concerning the RFQ should include this reference.

Competition Type: Lowest Priced Technically Compliant

SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENTS

A summary of the technical requirements is set forth in the attachment. These requirements are being refined and will be included in further details as part of the RFQ.

BECOMING ELIGIBLE TO BID

NATO ICB requires that the U.S. Government issue a DOE for potential U.S. prime contractors interested in this project. Before the U.S. Government can do so, however, the U.S. Government must approve the U.S. firm for participation in NATO ICB.  U.S. firms are approved for NATO ICB on a facility-by-facility basis. 

The U.S. NATO ICB application is a one-time application.  The application requires supporting documentation in the form of 1) a company resume or capability statement indicating contracts completed as a prime contractor and 2) an annual report or set of financial documents indicating compilation, review, or audit by an independent CPA.

U.S. firms can download a copy of the U.S. NATO ICB application from the following website:

https://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/other-areas/strategic-industries-and-economic-security-sies/nato-related-business-opportunities 

DOC is the U.S. Government agency that approves NATO ICB applications. Please submit to the email address provided your application and supporting documentation (as attachments). If your firm is interested in a specific NATO ICB project at this time, please also include the following in the TEXT of your EMAIL:

- the title and/or solicitation number of the project
- the name/phone/email of the company employee who should receive the bid documents

After approval of your one-time NATO ICB application, DOC will then know to follow up by issuing a DOE for the project.  DOC will transmit the DOE to the NATO contracting agency.  

IMPORTANT DATES:

Request a DOE (and, for firms new to NATO ICB, submit the completed one-time NATO ICB application): 05 February 2024

NCI Agency distributes the RFQ (planned): 28 February 2024

Bid closing (anticipated): 31 July 2024

Contract Award (estimated): 30 August 2024