Acquisition Alain.courtois@ncia.nato.int Telephone: +32 (2) 707 8233 Fax: +32 (2) 707 8770 Notification of Intent to Call for Bids Provide Packet Transport Component- NATO COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE (NCI) IFB-CO-13735-NCI Estimated Value: NTE 63,362,104 (INV) + NTE 26,313,948 (5y CLS) This is notification of an International Competitive Bidding for the provision of NATO Communications Infrastructure. The scope of this project is to transform the largely circuit-based NATO General Communications System (NGCS) into a fully Internet Protocol (IP) converged network. The current unclassified voice system, based on Private Automatic Branch Exchanges (PABXs) will be replaced with a Voice over IP system. The modernised NGCS will support provision of IP communications services to NATO static and deployed users with significantly increased capacity, improved performance and advanced Quality of Service. Formal IFB is envisaged to be issued in July 2014 with a Bid Closing Date in October 2014 and Contract in April 2015. Implementation is intended to be achieved within 24 Months after contract award followed by 5 years of CLS support. NCI Agency POC: M. Alain Courtois, Senior Contracting Officer E-mail: alain.courtois@ncia.nato.int 25 February 2014 To Subject References : See Distribution : Notification of Intent (NOI) to Invite Bids, IFB-CO-13735-NCI, NATO Communications Infrastructure (NCI) A. AC/4-D/2261 (1996 Edition) B. AC/4-D/2261-ADD2 (1996 Edition) C. AC/4-DS(2013)0034 D. AC/4(PP)D/27082-ADD1 E. NCIA/NLO/2013/02672 1. In accordance with paragraph 6 of Reference A, notice is hereby given of the intent of the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency), as the Host Nation, to issue an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for the provision of NATO Communications Infrastructure (NCI). Note that the issuance of IFB is subject to prior authorisation from the Investment Committee (expected to be in June 2014). Page 1 of 7
2. The scope of work for this project has been authorised by Reference C. The International Staff screening report is identified as Reference D. 3. The scope of this project is to transform the largely circuit-based NATO General Communications System (NGCS) into a fully Internet Protocol (IP) converged network. The current unclassified voice system, based on Private Automatic Branch Exchanges (PABXs) will be replaced with a Voice over IP system. The modernised NGCS will support provision of IP communications services to NATO static and deployed users with significantly increased capacity, improved performance and advanced Quality of Service. A more detailed summary of the requirements for this Invitation for Bid (IFB) is set forth in Attachment 1 hereto. 4. The estimated cost for the delivery of this capability is Not To Exceed (NTE) 63,362,104 for the investment part and NTE 26,313,948 for the 5 years Contractor Logistic Support. 5. Following authorisation from the IC, the NCI Agency will use the International Competitive Bidding (ICB) Procedure. Bids received in response to the IFB will be evaluated through a Best Value approach as described in Reference B. The successful bid pursuant to this IFB will be that bid which is deemed to offer the best value for money in accordance with predefined bid evaluation criteria which will be detailed in the IFB as prescribed by the Best Value Procedures. It is planned to place a single contract for the entire scope of work. No partial bidding will be allowed. 6. The IFB is planned to be issued in July 2014, with an anticipated bid Closing Date in October 2014. Contract Award is expected to take place in April 2015. Participating national authorities are advised that the technical specifications applicable to the bidding and the contractual documents are. For the performance of the contract, Contractor personnel will be required to hold a NATO SECRET security clearance and be required to implement the capability on multiple NATO locations in different NATO countries. Prospective Bidders are cautioned that the contract award and contract performance will not be delayed in order to allow contractor personnel to obtain clearances where such clearances are lacking. 7. Firms that wish to participate in this competition must be nominated to the NCI Agency through their national delegation to NATO and such nomination must be accompanied by a Declaration of Eligibility executed by their national authorities. Each nominated firm shall include the NAME of the FIRM, the TELEPHONE and FAX NUMBER and E-MAIL-ADDRESS and POINT OF CONTACT. 8. The closing date for additions/nominations to the Bidders List is 15 April 2014. The Point of Contact concerning this competition is: Alain Courtois Senior Contracting Officer NCI Agency Boulevard Leopold III 1110 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 (2) 707-8233 Fax: +32 (2) 707-8770 e-mail: alain.courtois@ncia.nato.int 9. Bidders will be required to declare a bid validity of twelve (12) months from closing date for receipt of bids, supported by a Bid Guarantee of 1,000,000 (1 Million Euro). Page 2 of 7
Distribution List for Notification of Intent (NOI) to Invite Bids, IFB-CO-13735-NCI NATO Delegations (Attn: Infrastructure Adviser): Albania 1 Belgium 1 Bulgaria 1 Canada 1 Croatia 1 Czech Republic 1 Denmark 1 Estonia 1 France 1 Germany 1 Greece 1 Hungary 1 Iceland 1 Italy 1 Latvia 1 Lithuania 1 Luxembourg 1 The Netherlands 1 Norway 1 Poland 1 Portugal 1 Romania 1 Slovakia 1 Slovenia 1 Spain 1 Turkey 1 United Kingdom 1 United States 1 Belgian Ministry of Economic Affairs 1 Page 4 of 7
Embassies in Brussels (Attn: Commercial Attaché): Albania 1 Bulgaria 1 Canada 1 Croatia 1 Czech Republic 1 Denmark 1 Estonia 1 France 1 Germany 1 Greece 1 Hungary 1 Iceland 1 Italy 1 Latvia 1 Lithuania 1 Luxembourg 1 The Netherlands 1 Norway 1 Poland 1 Portugal 1 Romania 1 Slovakia 1 Slovenia 1 Spain 1 Turkey 1 United Kingdom 1 United States (electronic copy to brussels.office.box@mail.doc.gov) 1 Distribution for information NATO HQ NATO Office of Resources Management and Implementation Branch Attn: Deputy Branch Chief 1 Page 5 of 7
Director, NATO HQ C3 Staff Attn: Executive Co-ordinator 1 SACTREPEUR Attn: Infrastructure Assistant 1 Strategic Commands SACT Attn: ACOS C4ISR 1 ACO Attn: SPT CIS Director 1 NCI Agency NLO (Mr. C. Ulsh) 1 DACQ (M. Scaruppe through Mrs M.L. Le Bourlot) 1 Legal Adviser (Mrs. S. Rocchi) 1 DM (Mr. E. Lesbaupin) 1 CAT 9 Leader (Mr. M. Green) 1 CAT 9 (Ms Selma Tatar) 1 ASG PCO (Mr. P Chulick) 1 ASG SCO (M. A. Courtois) 1 ASG POC (Mrs. S. Hogedoorn) 1 Registry NCI Agency All NATEXs Czech Republic Denmark France Germany Greece Hungary Italy The Netherlands Norway Poland Spain Turkey UK USA Page 6 of 7
Attachment 1 - SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENTS 1. Introduction: For its strategic telecommunications NATO uses a Wide Area Network called the NATO General Communication System (NGCS), which delivers secure and non-secure data, voice and video-teleconferencing services to eligible NATO users. The NGCS needs to be modernised to accommodate growing NATO-wide information exchange requirements in term of the volume of traffic and its required quality. The purpose of this project is to upgrade the NGCS to the NATO Communication Infrastructure (NCI) providing modern IP networking capabilities. The NCI will provide wide area communication between NATO Command Structure, NATO Agencies, satellite communications anchor stations, and NATO points of presence in member nations for traditional data services, like AIS and C2. It will also provide communication infrastructure for the NATO-wide video teleconferencing services, the NATOwide secure and unclassified voice services and other streaming media services requiring strict quality of service. This project will migrate the core of NGCS circuit switched network to IP facilitating further modernization of the NATO voice infrastructure in a standard and structured way, in parallel with the phasing out of the circuit switched infrastructure. 2. Scope The NCI project will design, deliver, implement and migrate the following subsystems: a. Protected Core Access subsystems (PCore), which forms the black IP Backbone; b. Coloured Cloud Access subsystems (CC), which provide IP Access Services at three different levels of classification over the PCore; c. Multimedia Access subsystem, which provides voice and video teleconferencing services over the CC; d. Network Management subsystem, which provides Fault, Configuration, Accounting, performance and Security (FCAPS) and visualisation of all Network and Element functions and components of all NCI subsystems above. e. Reference and Training facilities, which are a pool of NCI network elements interconnected and configured as required to model a relevant portion of the operational NCI, as required. The project will cover the implementation of 72 NCI nodes to NATO locations which 36 of the sites will have the VoIP nodes. 3. Timeline IFB release July 2014 Contract Award April 2015 Estimated Completion of Work April 2017 Page 7 of 7