NATO Business Opportunity: Contractor Support for Quantum Zero Beacon Project (QZBP)

Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (HQ SACT) intends to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for contractor support for the Quantum Zero Beacon Project (QZBP).

U.S. Prime Contractors and Subcontractors must 1) maintain a professionally active facility within the United States, 2) be approved for participation in NATO Competitive Procurement (NCP), 3) hold a Facility Security Clearance (FCL) at the level of SECRET or higher, and 4) be issued a Declaration of Eligibility (DOE) by the U.S. Government.

In addition, contractor personnel performing services under the contract must be citizens of a NATO nation, possess a security clearance at the level of SECRET or higher, and have appropriate professional training and experience in a related field.

The reference for the RFP is RFP-ACT-SACT-26-90 and all correspondence regarding the RFP should include this reference.  

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT

HQ SACT is seeking contractor support to establish the conditions in which NATO can demonstrate and validate a practical pathway for NATO's transition to quantum-resilient communications by implementing a pilot deployment between two NATO enclaves – NATO HQ (Brussels) and SHAPE (Mons). HQ SACT is seeking contractor support capable of rapidly delivering, within one year, a limited-scale quantum-safe cryptography deployment within NATO operational networks. The project will provide operational evidence, technical lessons, and a transition roadmap to support broader NATO adoption of quantum-safe cryptography before 2030.

Additional support is expected to include, but is not limited to, program and stakeholder management; requirements and risk management; capability engineering, integration and testing; cryptographic and cyber-security expertise, including quantum threat vulnerability assessment post quantum cryptography expertise and implementation; security accreditation and operational validation; IT/CIS specialist support; performance, interoperability and migration assessments; and business management support. Contractor support will also cover the development of Quantum safe migration roadmaps, policy recommendations, lessons learned, and demonstration activities supporting NATO capability transition and wider exploitation.

QZBP is an integral part of NATO’s quantum-related policy and roadmap activities, including NATO Quantum Strategy, supporting the Alliance’s transition towards quantum-safe and crypto-agile capabilities. The project, limited to 12 months, will address short- and medium-term requirements through the operational experimentation and validation of mature Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) solutions, while generating the evidence, lessons learned and migration considerations required to inform NATO’s longer-term transition to quantum-safe cryptography. In doing so, QZBP will contribute to reducing emerging cryptographic risks, validating operationally relevant approaches, and informing future NATO-wide capability development and implementation activities.

HQ SACT will apply a Sealed Bidding Procedure in accordance with the Procurement Policy for NATO Common Funding.

Place of performance: NATO HQ, Brussels (Belgium); SHAPE, Mons (Belgium); NCIA, The Hague (The Netherlands), Contractor facility (TBC).

BECOMING ELIGIBLE TO BID    

NCP requires that the U.S. Government issue a DOE on behalf of potential U.S. prime contractors and subcontractors interested in this contract. 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 indicating contracts completed 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. NCP application from the following website:

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

The Department of Commerce (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 contract
- the name/phone/email of the company point of contact for the bid documents

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

IMPORTANT DATES

U.S. firms should request a DOE (and, for U.S. firms new to NCP, submit the one-time NCP application): 22 September 2026

HQ SACT issues RFP (planned): 28 September 2026

Bid closing (planned): 02 November 2026

Contract award (anticipated): 30 November 2026