Networks and data management RFI

Description

The costs for responding to this RFI shall be borne solely by the responding party. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any subsequent RFP if issued in the future.

Background
ACT has implemented a Framework for Collaborative Interaction (FFCI) to increase opportunities for industry and academia to contribute to ACT capability development efforts through collaborative work. Such collaboration enables HQ SACT, and NATO as a whole, to benefit from industry/academia models, advice, capabilities and experience in the course of this work. In addition to the benefits HQ SACT gains from such projects, this collaborative effort will provide industry / academia with an improved understanding of NATO’s capability requirements and the associated issues and development challenges to be addressed by HQ SACT. Potential collaborative projects are on specific topics that are of mutual interest to both parties but shall be restricted to collaborations in non-procurement areas. Several mechanisms have been already developed to support the initiation of collaborative projects between industry/academia and ACT ranging from informal information exchanges, workshops, studies or more extensive collaboration on research and experimentation.

Description
The overall NATO IT Modernisation vision can be described as moving from a highly decentralized environment with each location possessing and operating their own equipment, expert servicing and capabilities, towards a centrally managed, centralized IT infrastructure providing services to Standard Nodes or consumer sites in 2 domains (PBN and ON), providing IaaS, utilizing centralized provisioning, a centralized Service Operations Centre(s) to manage the infrastructure, and Service Operations. The networks are described as follows:
- PBN: the Protected Business Network will enable communication of information up to NATO RESTRICTED across the NATO enterprise.
- ON: the Operational Network will enable communication of information up to NATO SECRET across the NATO enterprise.
HQ Supreme Allied Commander Transformation

The scope of this RFI is to provide a centralized PBN (Protected Business Network) allowing for NATO information up to NATO RESTRICTED and providing the data storage and processing capacity necessary for the network and data synchronization across applications, services, distributed across the enterprise. Initially this will impact 15 000 users at 18 main locations in 11 countries under the Strategic Commands, but shall be scalable to the entire NATO enterprise consisting of approximately 25 000 users at 32 main locations in 13 countries. Moreover, operational bases, exercises and other locations will also require ITM capabilities.
The vision under the scope of this RFI is that core services will provide Enterprise-wide collaboration up to NATO RESTRICTED (NR) within the various Communities of Interest (COI), across all commands and elements of the NATO Enterprise and, where appropriate, to Nations.
Amongst other aims, the Capability Programme Plan intends to analyse alternative options to deliver this capability. This is achieved by:
- the identification of different available alternatives to satisfy the defined requirements.
- careful analysis to compare the operational effectiveness, risk and life cycle costs of each alternative.

Intent/Objectives
To support the transformational change of how NATO ITM will provide future operational support, a robust Analysis of Alternatives is needed across the Adopt, Buy, and Create space to identify and determine relevant technologies and products existing within the commercial market.
This request for information is intended to provide Nations and industry an opportunity to provide information that would allow NATO to identify prospective products, systems or sub-systems and their potential benefits to the delivery of the NATO ITM network and data management. This is not a formal request for submissions as part of a procurement; it is intended to provide support to subsequent and additional in-depth survey to determine possible systems or products, which should be identified in the development of the Capability Programme Plan.

Answers
The answer to this RFI may be submitted by e-mail to the Points of Contacts listed below.
1. Ms Tonya Bonilla
e-mail : tonya.bonilla@act.nato.int Tel : +1 757 747 3575

2. Ms Catherine Giglio
e-mail : catherine.giglio@act.nato.int Tel :+1 757 747 3856

Follow On
The data collected in response to this RFI will be used to develop a report to inform the NATO ITM programme. The data collected will be used to provide an assessment to support a decision as to whether NATO should pursue an Adopt, Buy, or Create approach to future ITM products and services.

Non-Disclosure
Non-disclosure principles and/or nondisclosure agreement (NDA) with third party company

Organisational Conflict of Interest
Companies responding to this RFI are hereby placed on notice responding to this RFI could conceivably create an organizational conflict of interest (OCI) on a future procurement, if a future procurement were to occur within the capability development process. Companies are cautioned to consider OCI when responding to this RFI, and to consider internal mitigation measures that would prevent OCI’s from adversely affecting a company’s future procurement prospects. OCI’s can often be mitigated or prevented with simple, early acquisition analysis and planning and the use of barriers, teaming arrangements, internal corporate nondisclosure policies and firewalls, and similar prophylactic measures. HQ SACT is not in a position to advise responding companies on the existence of OCI or remedial measures, and encourages responding companies to consult internal or external procurement and legal consultants and in-house counsel.

Opportunity closing date

28 January 2022

Value of contract

to be confirmed

The buyer is happy to talk to

manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, agents, consultants