D -- NATO NC3A Notification of Intent to Invite Bids for International Competitive Bidding for CIS Management and Control Tools for the Joint CIS Control Center at HQ ISAF (Kabul, Afghanistan)

The NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NC3A) intends to advertise for International Competitive Bidding (ICB) on works and services within the framework of the NATO Security Investment Program. Eligible firms will be invited to provide bids on provision of Communications and Information Systems (CIS) Management and Control Tools for the Joint CIS Control Center (JCCC) at International Security Assistance Force Headquarters (HQ ISAF) in Kabul, Afghanistan. This project is designed to enhance the existing JCCC capability through the provision of additional system and service level CIS control and management tools. NC3A is serving as the contracting agency for this project, which was authorized by the NATO Infrastructure Committee. In response to this Notification of Intent (NOI), the U.S. Department of Commerce will be nominating to the bidders list qualified U.S. firms in addition to those already identified by NC3A. The estimated cost of the scope of provisioning of CIS Management and Control Tools for the JCCC at HQ ISAF is Euro 2.9 million ($4.3 million). The reference of the Invitation for Bid (IFB) is IFB-CO-12445-OPL. The U.S. Department of Commerce will be using the same reference. Bidding documents are expected to be NATO RESTRICTED. Further performance of the contract will require contractors to have personnel and facility clearances at a level of NATO SECRET. The contractor is responsible for ensuring that the Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office (DISCO) forwards to NC3A the NATO clearance certifications for its facility and for all personnel assigned to the contract. SUMMARY DESCRIPTION This procurement will ensure that the JCCC located at HQ ISAF, Kabul, Afghanistan becomes fully operational, with an integrated suite of CIS monitoring, management, and configuration tools required in the new JCCC building to allow the remote management and control of in-theatre communications systems, networks, and software applications. The envisaged bidding procedure for this IFB will be the Alliance Operations and Missions (AOM) ICB procedure. BIDDING PROCEDURE Before a firm can be nominated to the bidders list for this procurement, it must be approved for participation in NATO IICB. The U.S. Department of Commerce is authorized to approve for participation in NATO ICB those firms with a facility located within the United States. Once approved, the firm can be nominated to the bidders list. Please visit the following website for instructions on applying for approval to participate in NATO ICB: http://www.bis.doc.gov/defenseindustrialbaseprograms/OSIES/NATOprograms/index.htm A firm that has been approved for participation in NATO ICB must request that the U.S. Department of Commerce issue a Declaration of Eligibility (DOE) for each project on which the firm wishes to bid. The DOE is used to nominate the firm to the bidders list for a particular project. The U.S. Department of Commerce forwards the DOE to the U.S. Mission to NATO, which uses the DOE to nominate the firm to the bidders list. NC3A will not accept requests for nomination received directly from firms. Firms that the U.S. Mission nominates to the Bidders List will be contacted directly by NC3A when the IFB has been issued. IMPORTANT DEADLINES 1. Final date for the U.S. Department of Commerce to submit a Declaration of Eligibility: 19 November 2007 2. Anticipated date that NC3A will forward the IFB to those on the Bidders List: December 2007 3. Anticipated closing date for receipt of bids: 31 January 2008 4. Anticipated contract award date: February 2008