The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) intends to issue an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for the procurement of large format printers in support of the NATO Core Geographical Information Service (GIS) Increment 3 upgrade.

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) be issued a Declaration of Eligibility (DOE) by the Department of Commerce (DOC), and 4) register with the NCI Agency’s eProcurement tool, Neo: https://www.ncia.nato.int/business/neo-eprocurement.html 

The reference for the IFB is IFB-CO-423204-CG3M and all correspondence concerning the IFB should include this reference.

The successful bid pursuant to the IFB will be that bid which is the lowest price and technically compliant in accordance with the evaluation criteria prescribed in the IFB.

The NCI Agency plans to award a single contract for the entire scope of work. No partial bidding will be accepted. The envisaged contract vehicle is Firm Fixed Price (FFP) with award to one contractor.

SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENTS

A high-level summary of the project’s technical requirements is attached. These requirements are being refined and will be included in further details as part of the IFB. 
 
BECOMING ELIGIBLE TO BID

NATO ICB requires that the U.S. Government issue a DOE for potential U.S. prime contractors interested in this project. Before the U.S. Government can do so, however, the U.S. Government must approve the U.S. firm for participation in NATO ICB.  U.S. firms are approved for 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 or capability statement 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:

https://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/other-areas/strategic-industries-and-economic-security-sies/nato-related-business-opportunities 

DOC is the U.S. Government agency that approves NATO ICB applications. Please submit to the email address provided your application and supporting documentation (as attachments). If your firm is interested in a specific NATO ICB project at this time, please also 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, DOC will then know to follow up by issuing a DOE for the project.  DOC will transmit the DOE to the NATO contracting agency.  

IMPORTANT DATES:

Request a DOE (and, for firms new to NATO ICB, submit the completed one-time NATO ICB application): 30 November 2023

NCI Agency distributes the IFB (planned): 01 December 2023

Bid closing (anticipated): 15 December 2023

Contract Award (estimated): 15 February 2024