NATO Request for Information: ISR Collection Orchestration Service

The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) has issued a Request for Information (RFI-186962-APSS-ICOS) to explore industry capabilities for delivering an ISR Collection Orchestration Service to support Allied Command Operations in managing Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance data across unclassified networks. This initiative aligns with the Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space (APSS) program’s transition toward Full Operational Capability, aiming to unify the tasking, ingestion, and exploitation of ISR data sourced from national, commercial, and publicly available satellite and sensor networks through the Aquila virtual constellation. The envisioned service must enable collection managers to search, order, manage, process, view, and task data sources via a scalable, cloud-native platform with at least 99.5% uptime, robust data integration, advanced analytics, and a user-friendly interface, while ensuring compliance with NATO security protocols and leveraging commercial-off-the-shelf solutions to minimize custom development. The RFI seeks detailed input on technical approaches, past performance in defense or intelligence environments, security controls aligned with industry standards such as ISO or NIST, pricing models including scalable licensing and surge capacity structures, and subcontractor management practices for enabling third-party data and AI integrations. Responses must be submitted as a single consolidated document not exceeding ten pages, including responses to three annexes covering company information, high-level requirements, and specific technical questions, and must be received by 5:00 pm Central European Time on 29 May 2026 via email to the designated NCIA address. While this RFI is strictly for market research and planning with no intention to award a contract at this stage, it informs future acquisition strategies under the Intel and ISR Functional Services Data Management Project. The base contract term, if awarded in a future solicitation, is expected to be three years with an option for extension; no physical delivery is involved, as the service is entirely cloud-based and accessible globally to NATO users. No U.S.-specific identifiers such as UEI or CAGE codes are required, and responses are not to be submitted to the Department of Commerce despite misleading metadata indicating otherwise.