The NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO) promotes and conducts cooperative scientific research and exchange of technical information amongst 28 NATO nations and 38 NATO partners. This effort is supported by an executive body, the Collaboration Support Office (CSO), which facilitates the collaboration by organizing a wide range of studies, workshops, symposia, and other forums in which researchers can meet and exchange knowledge.

The CSO intends to issue an Invitation for International Bidding (IFIB) for the provision of editorial and quality assurance services for STO scientific publications bearing a security classification up to and including NATO SECRET.

All of the contractor's facilities in which classified material will be processed and all contractor personnel dealing with classified documents must hold a NATO SECRET clearance. The contractor is responsible for ensuring that the Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office (DISCO) forwards to the NATO contracting entity the required NATO security clearance certifications.

Potential U.S. prime contractors must be nominated to the bidders list by the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government will nominate to the bidders list only those firms that 1) have been approved for participation in NATO International Competitive Bidding (ICB) and 2) hold a current DOD facility security clearance at the level of SECRET or higher.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) reference for the IFIB is IFIB-CSO-2014-004 and all correspondence in relation to this procurement shall refer to this reference.

The CSO will organize a bidders conference for potential bidders for demonstration purposes and to address any questions. The date will be communicated to potential bidders in the IFIB documents.

A description of the technical specifications and security aspects of the contract is attached.

The contract shall initially be for one year. Subject to satisfactory delivery of the required level of service, the contract may be renewable annually thereafter for up to two additional years.

BIDDING PROCEDURE

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 for this procurement, the firm must be approved for participation in NATO ICB. Firms are approved for NATO ICB on a facility-by-facility basis.

The 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/defenseindustrialbaseprograms/OSIES/NATOprograms/index.htm

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/FAX/email of the point of contact for the bid documents

Upon approval of your one-time NATO ICB application, the DOC will then know to follow up by issuing a Declaration of Eligibility (DOE) for that project. A DOE is used to nominate an approved firm to the bidders list for a particular NATO ICB project.

IMPORTANT DATES

Potential U.S. prime contractors must request from the DOC that a DOE be issued (and, for firms new to NATO ICB, submit a completed one-time NATO ICB application): 01 April 2014

The IFIB documents intended to be issued: April 2014

Intended bid closing: TBD

Intended start of contract: July 2014

Bid Protests Not Available