2026-0048 Provision and Ongoing Delivery of the SLM Service (NS) - FRI 29 May

BIDDING INSTRUCTIONS – TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

Bidders shall submit a proposal clearly providing the following information:

a.: The proposed approach to address the required scope of work and the defined deliverables (maximum 10 pages, A4 size). The proposed approach should address the minimum: sufficient details to allow assessment of the bidder's understanding of the requirements; previous similar experience; relevant experience of the proposed team members.

b.: CVs of the assigned resource(s) for the project. It is up to the bidder to propose the size of the team that executes the work and produces the deliverables in the timeline allocated. The Purchaser may accommodate a reasonable number of personnel at the current facilities. The CVs shall clearly distinguish if the proposal is for Key Personnel or not.

Deadline Date: Friday 29 May 2026

Requirement: Provision and Ongoing Delivery of the Service Level Management Service

Location of Performance: Oeiras, Portugal (on-site)

Period of Performance: 2026 BASE: As soon as possible, no later than 1 July 2026 – 31 December 2026 (tentative start date 1 July 2026).

2027 OPTION: 1 January 2027 – 31 December 2027 (if exercised).

2028 OPTION: 1 January 2028 – 31 December 2028 (if exercised).

Required Security Clearance: NATO SECRET

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Statement of Work is to define the scope and requirements for the provision of Service Level Management (SLM) services in Oeiras, Portugal. The NCI Agency (hereinafter referred to as the Purchaser) seeks a qualified Contractor to deliver continuous and effective SLM services in support of Purchaser personnel based in Oeiras, Portugal, as well as personnel on official duty at that location.

2. OBJECTIVES

The objective of this role is to ensure the effective planning, implementation, control, review, and audit of service provision in order to meet the Purchaser's business requirements. This includes the negotiation, implementation, and monitoring of Service Level Agreements (SLAs), as well as the ongoing management of operational services to deliver agreed performance levels.

The Contractor shall proactively and continuously seek to improve service quality, efficiency, and sustainability in service delivery. Key objectives include improving user satisfaction, reducing support response times, and enhancing overall IT service delivery to end users. During the performance of the contract, the Contractor shall operate as an integral part of the Purchaser's IT support organization, providing on-site IT support services.

3. INTRODUCTION

The Purchaser, CSU Lisbon, located in Oeiras on the outskirts of Lisbon, is the western-most footprint of the NCI Agency in Europe. The challenges the CSU currently faces consist mainly of providing continuous support to the static STRIKFORNATO HQ and ensuring the successful upgrade of the NATO Lessons Learned Portal hosted and maintained by ACT JALLC. CSU Lisbon is also providing IT support to the NCI Academy, contributing to establishing a modern, state-of-the-art Academy of Information and Communications Systems in Oeiras.

4. DELIVERABLES

The principal deliverable of this Statement of Work is the provision and continuous delivery of Service Level Management services (hereinafter referred to as the Service). This includes the planning, implementation, monitoring, control, review, and audit of service provision to ensure alignment with the Purchaser's business requirements. The Service encompasses the definition, negotiation, implementation, and monitoring of SLAs, as well as the ongoing management of operational services to ensure agreed performance levels are consistently achieved. The Contractor shall proactively pursue continuous improvement of service quality, efficiency, and sustainability.

4.1 D01 – Continuity Management

The Contractor shall develop, maintain, and improve Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery capabilities; identify and maintain an inventory of all information and communication systems supporting critical business processes; coordinate Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and enterprise risk assessments; and design, implement, and test contingency and recovery plans.

Performance Indicators (KPIs)

KPI – BIA Coverage: 95% or more of critical services assessed annually.

KPI – Continuity Plan Coverage: 100% of critical services have approved plans.

KPI – DR Test Execution: 100% of planned tests completed.

KPI – DR Test Success Rate: 90% or above.

KPI – RTO Compliance: 95% or more achieved during testing.

KPI – Risk Assessment Coverage: 95% or more annually.

4.2 D02 – Service Level Management

The Contractor shall govern, monitor, and report service performance against agreed Service Level Agreements (SLAs); proactively manage SLA risks, breaches, and service degradation; facilitate service review governance with stakeholders; and drive continuous service improvement.

Performance Indicators (KPIs)

KPI – SLA Compliance Rate: 95% or above.

KPI – SLA Breach RCA: 100% completed within 5 working days.

KPI – Service Review Delivery: 100% of scheduled meetings conducted.

KPI – Service Improvement Plans (SIP): 90% or more delivered on time.

KPI – Stakeholder Satisfaction: 4.2 out of 5 or above.

4.3 D03 – Availability Management

The Contractor shall ensure services meet agreed availability, reliability, and maintainability targets; monitor, analyse, and report service availability performance; and implement and validate recovery procedures.

Performance Indicators (KPIs)

KPI – Service Availability (Critical): 99.5% or above.

KPI – Service Availability (Non-Critical): 99% or above.

KPI – Mean Time to Restore Service (MTRS): 4 hours or less for critical services.

KPI – Proactive Improvements: 3 or more per quarter.

KPI – Availability Reporting Accuracy: 98% or above.

KPI – Recovery Procedure Testing: 100% completed and documented.

4.4 D04 – Capacity Management

The Contractor shall monitor and manage service capacity and performance; forecast future capacity requirements; and implement demand management and optimization measures.

Performance Indicators (KPIs)

KPI – Capacity Threshold Compliance: 95% or more within defined limits (below 80%).

KPI – Forecast Accuracy: 90% or more (plus or minus 10% variance).

KPI – Capacity Incident Reduction: 10% or more reduction quarter-over-quarter.

KPI – Timely Capacity Upgrades: 95% or more implemented proactively.

KPI – Demand Optimization: Demonstrated improvement with quarterly evidence.

4.5 D05 – Contract Management

The Contractor shall monitor supplier performance and ensure contractual compliance; manage risks, issues, and performance deviations; and control contract changes in line with governance procedures.

Performance Indicators (KPIs)

KPI – Supplier KPI Compliance: 95% or above.

KPI – Cost Variance: Plus or minus 5% or less against approved budget.

KPI – Supplier Performance Reviews: 100% completed.

KPI – Risk Mitigation: 95% or more within agreed timelines.

KPI – Non-Compliance Resolution: 90% or more within SLA.

KPI – Change Governance Compliance: 100%.

4.6 D06 – Customer Service Support

The Contractor shall provide timely and effective response to service requests; ensure proper incident and request routing and resolution; and maintain accurate service records and communication.

Performance Indicators (KPIs)

KPI – Response Time Compliance: 95% or above.

KPI – Resolution Time Compliance: 90% or above.

KPI – Routing Accuracy: 95% or above.

KPI – User Satisfaction: 4.2 out of 5 or above.

KPI – Logging Accuracy: 98% or above.

4.7 Aggregated KPI

The overall Contractor performance shall be calculated as a weighted KPI score across all service towers. This aggregated KPI score shall form the basis for performance-based payments.

Service Level Management: 25% weighting.

Availability Management: 20% weighting.

Continuity Management: 15% weighting.

Capacity Management: 15% weighting.

Contract Management: 15% weighting.

Customer Support: 10% weighting.

5. PAYMENT STRUCTURE

2026 BASE Period: 1 July 2026 – 31 December 2026

Deliverable: Provision and continuous delivery of SLM Services, including the expected monthly deliverables (D01, D02, D03, D04, D05, and D06).

Payment: Monthly, upon completion of the monthly Service Level Management services in accordance with the agreed performance indicators, service levels, reporting requirements, and contractual obligations.

2027 and 2028 Option Periods

Deliverable: Provision and continuous delivery of SLM Services, including the expected monthly deliverables (D01, D02, D03, D04, D05, and D06).

Cost Ceiling: Price will be determined by applying the price adjustment formula as outlined in CO-115786-AAS+ Special Provisions article 6.5.

Payment: Monthly, upon completion of the monthly Service Level Management services in accordance with the agreed performance indicators, service levels, reporting requirements, and contractual obligations.

5.1 Payment Structure Breakdown

Fixed Monthly Fee: 85% of monthly NTE.

Variable Performance-Based Component: 15% of monthly NTE.

5.2 Payment Logic

KPI achievement 95% or above: 100% of variable component paid.

KPI achievement 90–94%: 80–90% of variable component paid.

KPI achievement below 90%: Penalties applied (5–15%).

5.3 Penalties

SLA compliance below 90%: Deduction of 5–10% of monthly fee.

Missed DR test: Fixed penalty of 2–5%.

Major service outage due to governance failure: Penalty plus RCA mandatory.

5.4 Reporting and Governance Cadence

Monthly: SLA dashboard; availability and capacity reports; contract/vendor performance.

Quarterly: Service review board; risk and continuity review; improvement roadmap.

Annually: Full service audit; SLA renegotiation; Continuity/DR full test.

6. ACCEPTANCE AND PAYMENT TRIGGER CONDITIONS

Payments shall be released only upon: submission of monthly service report; KPI dashboard validation; evidence of SLA monitoring; documented improvement actions; and stakeholder approval via service review.

7. SECURITY

The security classification of the service will be up to NATO SECRET. The Contractor providing the services under this SOW is required to hold a valid NATO SECRET security clearance.

8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The Service will be delivered in Oeiras, Portugal, in a typical office environment designated as a Class II Security Area. No travel is required.

9. SCHEDULE

The BASE period of performance runs from 1 July 2026 to 31 December 2026. If the 2027 option is exercised, the period of performance is 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2027. If the 2028 option is exercised, the period of performance is 1 January 2028 to 31 December 2028.

10. QUALIFICATIONS

[See Requirements]

Requirements

REQUIREMENTS

• The Contractor providing the services under this SOW is required to hold a valid NATO SECRET security clearance.

10. QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Higher vocational training in a relevant discipline with 3 years of post-related experience; or a secondary educational qualification with 5 years of post-related experience.

Experience

• A minimum of 3 years of working experience in a Service Management environment.
• Working knowledge of Service Level Management with experience of executing corporate-wide SLM processes.

Skills

• Relating and Networking: Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with stakeholders at all organizational levels; builds and leverages a broad network of contacts; communicates in a professional and approachable manner.
• Delivering Results and Meeting Customer Expectations: Maintains a strong customer focus; consistently meets agreed service levels and performance targets; ensures high standards of quality and productivity through structured and methodical work practices.
• Adapting and Responding to Change: Demonstrates flexibility in dynamic environments; adapts to evolving requirements and priorities; remains effective under uncertainty; adjusts interpersonal approach to different stakeholders.
• Service Level Management Expertise: Demonstrates practical experience in defining, negotiating, monitoring, and reporting on Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills: Identifies service performance issues, conducts root cause analysis, and implements corrective actions to improve service delivery.
• Communication and Reporting: Produces clear, concise, and structured reports; effectively communicates service performance, risks, and improvements to stakeholders.
• Planning and Organization: Effectively plans, prioritizes, and coordinates activities to meet deadlines and contractual obligations.
• Continuous Improvement Mindset: Proactively identifies opportunities to enhance service quality, efficiency, and sustainability.

Language Proficiency

• Level 3 English language skills according to NATO STANAG 6001: Listening (3); Speaking (2); Reading (3); and Writing (2), or equivalent to Common European Framework of Reference for Languages level B2–C1 (Upper Intermediate to Advanced).