NATO International Competitive Bidding (ICB): Urgent Obsolescence Management

The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) intends to issue a Request for Quotation (RFQ) to refresh and replace urgent obsolescent equipment and systems. 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) hold a facility security clearance at the level of SECRET, and 4) be nominated to the bidders list by the U.S. Government. In addition, contractor personnel will be required to work unescorted in Clsss II Security areas. Those personnel must hold individual security clearances at the level of SECRET. SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENTS Please see attached. BECOMING ELIGIBLE TO BID NATO ICB requires that the U.S. Government nominate U.S. prime contractors to the bidders list. Before the U.S. Government can nominate a U.S. prime contractor to the bidders list, however, the U.S. firm must be approved for participation in NATO ICB. Firms are approved for U.S. 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 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: http://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/other-areas/strategic-industries-and-economic-security-sies/nato-related-business-opportunities The application and supporting documentation may be submitted as e-mail attachments. If, when submitting the application, your firm is interested in a specific NATO ICB project, please 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, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) will then know to follow up by issuing a Declaration of Eligibility (DOE) for that project. NATO member governments use a DOE to nominate an approved firm to the bidders list for a particular NATO ICB project. IMPORTANT DATES: - Request from DOC that a DOE be issued (and, for firms new to NATO ICB, submit the completed one-time NATO ICB application): 16 September 2019 - NCI Agency issues RFQ (target): end of September 2019 - Bid Closing (target): TBD - Contract Award (target): mid-December 2019