NATO Business Opportunity: Community of Interest (CoI) Services Installations to SOF C2 CIS

The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) intends to issue an Invitation for Bid (IFB) Community of Interest (CoI) Services Installations to SOF C2 CIS.

Potential U.S. prime contractors must 1) maintain a professionally active facility (office, factory, laboratory, etc.) within the United States, 2) hold a Facility Security Clearance (FCL) at the level of SECRET or higher, 3) be pre-approved for participation in NATO Competitive Procurement (NCP), 4) be issued a Declaration of Eligibility (DOE) by the Department of Commerce (DOC), and 5) register with NCIA’s eProcurement tool, Neo: https://www.ncia.nato.int/business/procurement/neo-eprocurement 

In addition, contractor personnel visiting or working unescorted, at NCI Agency/NATO premises in connection with this contract must hold a SECRET Personnel Security clearance (PCL) valid for the duration of the contract. The contractor must have the appropriate FCL and obtain the necessary (PCLs). This requirement applies to all subcontracts issued by the contractor for the effort under this prime contract.

If you have a DOE that can be used on other NCIA NCP opportunities, please submit the DOE to Mr. Raymond Darnell, Senior NCIA Contracting Officer, at the project address: IFB-CO-424322-SOF@ncia.nato.int 

If you do not have a DOE that can be used on other NCIA NCP opportunities, do NOT contact NCIA. You will first need a DOE from the Department of Commerce (DOC). Please follow the guidance under BECOMING ELIGIBLE TO BID.   

The reference for the IFB is IFB-CO-424322-SOF and all correspondence concerning the IFB should include this reference.

SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENT

The scope of this contract covers activities related to the installation and basic (standard) configuration of selected CoI Services (approximately 20), formerly referred to as Functional Area Services. These software applications, including associated databases and dependencies, will be deployed across elements of the SOF C2 CIS capability, including the Mission Anchor Function (MAF) and Deployable Points of Presence (DPoPs) supporting the Special Operations Component Command (SOCC), its Forward element (SOCC FWD), Special Operations Task Group (SOTG), Special Operations Planning Liaison Element (SOPLE), Special Operations Liaison Element (SOLE), and Special Operations Liaison Officers (SOLO). The CoI Services will also be installed on SOF C2 CIS training and reference systems.

The scope additionally includes contributions to the preparation of End User Device (EUD) Golden Images and the provision of twelve (12) weeks of Early Life Support (ELS), including incident management and responses to Requests for Information (RFIs).

Project execution is expected to take place between Q4 2026 and Q2 2028 and will be organized into multiple discrete installation events, currently foreseen as approximately eight (8) server-side installation events (covering MAFs, SOCCs, and SOTGs) and up to six (6) Golden Image contribution events. Installation activities are expected to be performed primarily at Brunssum, with one MAF installation event planned to take place in Naples and may be adjusted as required in alignment with the availability of hardware delivered by related SOF C2 projects.

The award criterion will be Lowest Price Technically Compliant (LPTC). Further details will be provided in the solicitation.

BECOMING ELIGIBLE TO BID

NCP 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 NCP.  U.S. firms are approved for NCP on a facility-by-facility basis. 

The U.S. NCP 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.

The U.S. Government continues to accept the legacy NATO International Competitive Bidding (ICB) application for participation in NCP. U.S. firms can download a copy of the legacy ICB application from the following website:

https://www.bis.gov/about-bis/bis-leadership-and-offices/SIES/business-opportunities-nato 

DOC is the U.S. Government agency that approves NCP applications. Please submit to the email address provided your application and supporting documentation (as attachments). If your firm is interested in a specific NCP 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 NCP 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 NCP, submit the completed NCP application): 13 March 2026

NCIA distributes the IFB (planned): 31 March 2026

Bid closing (anticipated): 30 May 2026

Contract Award (estimated): 30 September 2026