NATO Business Opportunity: Provision of Incident Response Services and Surge Capacity
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) intends to issue a Request for Quotation (RFQ) to establish a Framework Agreement for the provision of Incident Response (IR) services and surge capacity. This opportunity aims to provide NATO with immediate access to specialized expertise and scalable resources for cyber security incident management. This is a Special Notice outlining the requirements and process for U.S. prime contractors to become eligible to bid. The deadline to request a Declaration of Eligibility (DOE) is June 4, 2026.
Scope of Work
The Framework Agreement will be divided into two schedules:
- Schedule A - IR Retainer: Provision of 24/7/365 operational readiness and surge capacity for remote and on-site support via a prepaid retainer credit model. The retainer will be managed through a Contractor-owned platform and renewed annually via Task Orders.
- Schedule B - On-Demand Cyber Security Services: Procurement of proactive and reactive incident handling services from a defined catalogue, on an as-needed basis via Task Orders. Each Task Order will specify scope, objectives, deliverables, personnel, clearances, and place of performance.
The selected Contractor(s) shall deliver both Schedule A and Schedule B services for an expected 3-year period.
Contract & Timeline
- Type: Framework Agreement (via RFQ)
- Duration: 3-year period
- Set-Aside: Not applicable (NATO competitive procurement, specific U.S. eligibility requirements apply)
- DOE Request Deadline: June 4, 2026
- RFQ Distribution (planned): June 30, 2026
- Bid Closing (anticipated): August 15, 2026
- Contract Award (estimated): November 15, 2026
- Published: May 21, 2026
Eligibility & Requirements for U.S. Prime Contractors
To participate, U.S. prime contractors must:
- Maintain a professionally active facility within the United States.
- Hold a Facility Security Clearance (FCL) at the level of SECRET or higher.
- Be pre-approved for participation in NATO Competitive Procurement (NCP).
- Be issued a Declaration of Eligibility (DOE) by the Department of Commerce (DOC).
- Register with NCIA’s eProcurement tool, Neo:
https://www.ncia.nato.int/business/procurement/neo-eprocurement
Contractor personnel will require clearances for unescorted access to Class II Security areas.
Becoming Eligible to Bid
U.S. firms must first be approved for NCP by the U.S. Government. The one-time NCP application requires a company resume/capability statement and financial documents. The application can be downloaded from https://www.bis.gov/about-bis/bis-leadership-and-offices/SIES/business-opportunities-nato. After NCP approval, DOC will issue a DOE for this specific project. Firms interested in this project must include the project title/solicitation number and contact details in the text of their email when submitting their NCP application to DOC.
Contact Information
Primary Contact: Lee Ann Carpenter, LeeAnn.Carpenter@bis.doc.gov