2025-0335 AirC2 Domain Integration Validation and Verification (NS) - THU 6 Nov

Deadline Date: Thursday 6 November 2025

Requirement Title: AirC2 Domain Integration Validation and Verification (IV&V) Activities

Location of Performance: NCIA, The Hague, Netherlands with TDY to various locations throughout NATO.

Period of Performance: BASE: 1st January 2026 to 31st March 2026; QUARTERLY OPTIONS (if required): 01st April 2026 until 31st December 2029

Evaluation Methodology: Lowest Priced Technically Compliant

Required Security Clearance: NATO SECRET (or higher)

1. Overall Project Scope

The NCIA has been established with a view to meeting to the best advantage the collective requirements of NATO nations in the fields of capability delivery and service provision related to Consultation, Command & Control as well as Communications, Information and Cyber Defence functions, thereby also facilitating the integration of Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Target Acquisition functions and their associated information exchange.

The AirC2 Centre delivers planning, development, procurement, implementation and In-Service Support of NATO authorised AirC2 capabilities across the Alliance and bilaterally in the European Nations of the Alliance, satisfying the operational requirements, assuring the coherence, integrity and interoperability of the involved NATO and national systems and sub-systems. In doing so, the AirC2 Centre contributes to NATO's Integrated Air and Missile Defence operations and continuously evolves NATO authorised systems and services to empower seamless, resilient and adaptable NATO operations in a multi domain environment.

The Business Assurance Functional Group ensures that the AirC2 centre delivers high-quality products and services to its customers and stakeholders. The Functional Group is responsible for the direction, management and execution of the activities related to the Verification, Integration, Operational Validation and Acceptance of the Systems and capabilities delivered by the AirC2 centre. In addition the Functional Group defines, establishes and maintains a mission assurance framework, in line with the NCI Agency's policy and directives, in order to provide quality and safety assurance.The Business Assurance Functional Group has requirements for subject matter experts to plan and execute verification and validation activities on behalf of the NCIA in support of the Air and Missile Defence programmes by delivering the followings described in the next paragraph.

2. DELIVERABLES

All of the defined deliverables can be addressed as briefings, reports, designs (proof of concept demonstrators) or specifications using a well-defined NCIA-specified format, or where required Jira and/or TestRail format.

All deliverables are to be peer reviewed within the deliverable cycle. Input and guidance will be provided by NCIA in written form or/and during the targeted review meetings.

During the period of performance a Delivery Acceptance Sheet shall be provided to the Purchaser. The Template is provided in the Annex B.

The Purchaser will confirm the acceptance by signing Delivery Acceptance Sheet.

• The Contractor shall participate in a kick-off meeting within one working week after the signing of this contract.

• This can be a virtual meeting executed via electronic means using Conference Call capabilities;

• During the kick-off meeting, the Contractor will be assigned to one or more AirC2 projects and provide and discuss a plan for executing the tasks under this statement of work. Purchaser and Contractor will discuss the plan and amend where appropriate;

• The Contractor will provide email minutes containing, at least decisions and actions decided during the meeting.

• The Contractor shall participate in regular status meetings, either in-person (where possible) or via electronic means using Conference Call capabilities.

• The rhythm for these meetings will be decided at the kick-off meeting;

• The Contractor will initiate these meetings and provide email minutes containing at least decisions and actions decided during the meeting.

• The Contractor shall support Integration, Verification, and Operational Validation activities at national sites acting in the role of an AirC2 Centre Test Engineer during the period leading up to and including site-roll out activities as well as provide their support to any planned on-site Operational Demonstrations.

• The following specific deliverables are expected from this statement of work:

• D001: System Test Plan (to be delivered periodically as required to support the activity under test;

• D002: Test Case / Procedure (to be delivered as required to support the specific activity under test for the period needed;

• D003: Test Run / Logs (Test logs generated by the statff are archived and provided to support the event/activity;

• D004: System Test Report (to be delivered for each event supported);

• D005: Problem/Observation Reports (these reports will be manually entered into JIRA and their specifc counts will be further reflected in the test reporting;

• D006: Test script workbooks (mission card catalogue is developed and maintained to support the various test set-ups and execution details used by the Operator and maintained in a master repository for future use;

• D007: Technical reports (generated as required and directed).

To be able to provide the above contracted deliverables, the contracted team will have to perform the activities per deliverable listed below.

2.1. D001: System Test Plan

To establish the deliverable, the team will:

• Support development of test plans for NATO AirC2 systems and on-going Rollout test activities for product in the maintenance phase;

• Development of scenarios and database in cooperation with peers and operational crew from existing AirC2 sites;

• Maintain test milestones, system test plans and other test artefacts in the agency provided TestRail system;

• Perform related activity within this scope as deemed appropriate and required to establish the deliverable.

This activity will require travel to NATO sites in Europe. The deliverable will be provided in a progressive way. Scenarios will be added by the team into the scenario library.

2.2. D002: Test Case / Procedure

To establish the deliverable, the team will:

• Support development of Test Cases / Procedures / checklists, cheat sheets and aides to support test execution;

• Keep this library up to date including the Regression test catalogue, load and cycle and interface tests;

• Adapt and update files used during development and operational testing, at the NAMF and on-site as required;

• Dry run and validate test procedures / cases in the NAMF;

• Support continuous development of a library of Master Event List/Master Incident List scenarios and any other ad hoc test scenarios in cooperation with peers and operational crew from AIRC2 sites and keep this library up to date;

• Dry run and validate candidate AirC2 test scenarios;

• Perform related activity within this scope as deemed appropriate and required to establish the deliverable.

This activity will require travel to NATO sites in Europe. The deliverable will be provided in an incremental way. Validated and approved results will be added by the team into the exisiting system test catalogue maintained currently in Test Rail. Scenarios will be added into the scenario library.

2.3. D003: Test Run /Logs

To establish the deliverable, the team will:

• Dry-run test procedure / case or exploratory testing;

• Execute them or observe the execution;

• Record results in TestRail or in an ITL (Independent Test Log) / Master Test Log (MTL)) execution;

• Record, develop and execute the test charter in the case of exploratory testing;

• Perform related activity within this scope as deemed appropriate and required to establish the deliverable.

This activity will require travel to NATO sites in Europe. The deliverable will be provided incrementally. Validated and approved results will be added by the team into theSystem Test Catalogue maintained currently in Test Rail

2.4. D004: System Test Report

To establish the deliverable, the team will:

• Contribute to the drafting of test reports;

• Evaluate the validation status of all requirements within their assigned operational or technical area of expertise;

• Report all defects and deficiencies related to their assigned requirement set observed during test activities, cover them in the report paragraph on their assigned area of expertise, and have them added to the relevant backlog;

• Follow up on the resolution of these observations and assist in the validation;

• Prepare the Test Summary needed for the various site rollout test activities

• Evaluate the validation status of all requirements within their assigned operational or technical area of expertise including PTR coverage matrix or VCRI ;

• Perform related activity within this scope as deemed appropriate and required to establish the deliverable.

This activity will require travel to NATO sites in Europe. The deliverable will be provided whenever a test report is expected.

2.5. D005: Problem/Observation Reports

To establish the deliverable, the team will:

• Report and document all defects and deficiencies related to the assigned requirement set observed during test activities;

• Address them in the report as it relates to their assigned area of expertise,

• Ensure insertion into the relevant backlog;

• Follow up on the resolution of these observations and assist in the validation;

• Perform related activity within this scope as deemed appropriate and required to establish the deliverable.

This activity will require travel to NATO sites in Europe. The deliverable will be provided whenever a test report is expected.

2.6. D006 Test script workbooks (mission card catalogue)

To establish the deliverable, the incumbent will:

• Support development of a library of Mission/Test Cards, checklists, cheat sheets and aides to support test execution;

• Keep this library up to date;

• Adapt files used during development and operational testing during in factory SW development and testing and site roll-out;

• Dry run and validate test scripts and mission cards in the existing Maintenance Facility and required NATO and/or national sites;

• Perform related activity within this scope as deemed appropriate and required to establish the deliverable.

This activity will require travel to NATO sites in Europe. The deliverable will be provided in an incremental way. Validated and approved results will be added by the incumbent into the System Test Catalogue.

2.7. D007: Technical Reports

To establish the deliverable, the incumbent will:

• Produce technical reports, within its area of expertise, related to any Air and Missile Defence system;

• Participate in project milestones, briefings and any related stakeholder support activity required to complete the report;

• Perform related activity within this scope as deemed appropriate and required to establish the deliverable.

This activity will require travel to NATO sites in Europe. The deliverable will be provided incrementally. Approved results will be added by the incumbent into the Knowledge Transfer library.

The deliverables described above will be provided, within the period of performance, in an incremental manner in support of the following AIRC2 planned projects and activities, at a discretion of the purchaser:

1- Multi-Site testing of multiple AIRC2 sites;

2- NATO Tactical Data Link Interoperability Test (NTDLIOT) preparation;

3- On-going patch Validation and automatic testing at various AIRC2 sites as well as within the ISS organic family (e.g. ASIM, ICC, NISP MASE etc);

3. DELIVERABLE AND PAYMENT MILESTONES

This requirement is for the delivery of the Deliverable Products, associated with the projects and activities identified in Section 2 above, which will be determined and agreed at the kick-off meeting.

The Contractor will provide a consolidated monthly report, in the form a completed Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS) (see Annex A), annotating with precision the deliverables produced for the projects and activities supported.

Payment will be provided at the end of the the period of performance (31-Mar-26).

4. OPTIONAL SCOPE OF WORK AND ASSOCIATED DELIVERABLES AND PAYMENT MILESTONE

Contract Optional extensions may be awarded at the discretion of the NCIA.

At award of any option, the Deliverable Products, associated with the projects and activities identified in Section 2, will be determined and agreed at the kick-off meeting.

The Contractor will provide a consolidated monthly report, in the form a completed Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS), annotating with precision the deliverables produced for the projects and activities supported.

Payment will be provided at the end of the of each quarterly option.

5. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The services are to be provided from 1 January 2026 through 31st March 2026, with quarterly options up to 31st December 2029.

6. SECURITY CLEARANCE

Staff employed by the Contractor on this contract require a valid NATO SECRET security clearance

The expected classification level of the deliverables is NATO RESTRICTED. However, in some particular circumstances it might be decided that a part of the deliverables will be classified as NATO SECRET.

The execution of duties require the contractors to access classified information up to NATO SECRET

7. TERMS

The execution of this contract will be coordinated by the NCIA AirC2C PMs leading the required deliverables. The level of the required services and its specifics are volatile and hardly predictable up front, based on track records and historic data it is known that the service cannot be provided with a team of less than 6.5 (six and a half) experienced full time contractors.

Work on the contract will be performed:

• At the on-site office and lab space at the NCIA in the Hague;

• During TDY at remote location (please refer to Special Terms and Conditions for TDY reimbursement).

This Task Order may require scheduled travel. This travel will be billed to the purchaser by the service provider separately in accordance with the terms and conditions of the framework agreement (article Article 5.5 of AAS+ Framework Contract) and is considered an addition to the overall cost of the bid. Extraordinary travel (Purchaser Directed Travel which will be referred to as “TDY” from here on) may be required to other NATO or non-NATO locations as necessary so that task agility maybe maintained.

A NCIA computer will be provided by the NCIA-NL for the duration of this contract.

NATO will retain the intellectual property rights for all products developed in relation to its project.

7.1. Quarterly Options

In the event that the contractual options are exercised, the scope and level of deliverables required for each quarterly option period shall be reviewed and, if necessary, adjusted in accordance with the forecasted workload for the forthcoming quarter. Should the forecast remains unchanged, the service will continue under the same terms and conditions as those applicable to the preceding period. If an adjustment in deliverables is required, the corresponding contractual amount shall be revised accordingly. Such adjustments may entail either an increase or a reduction of up to four (4) additional Service Delivery Contractors, each representing an estimated full-time equivalent (FTE) of 1.0. As a result, quarterly extensions may range from a minimum of 2.5 FTE up to a maximum ceiling of 10.5 FTEs, depending on the volume and scope of deliverables scheduled for execution during the respective quarter.

The provided team of contractors should be able to cover any required AirC2 activity related to this contract. This requires a mix of technical and operational knowledge, that can be provided by one or more persons.

The following expertise and knowledge is considered essential for the operational work of the contract:

• 6 years extensive and progressive expertise in the duties related to this contract;
• Proven knowledge of, and practical experience in, modern test engineering and test management methods and paradigms;
• Proven knowledge of, and practical experience in, the operational or technical use of Air C2 systems supported by NCIA for areas such as system administration, C2 Resource Management, Force Management, Airspace Management, Air Mission Control or Surveillance;

The following expertise and knowledge is considered essential for the tehnical work of the contract:

• 6 years extensive and progressive expertise in the duties related to this contract;
• Proven knowledge of, and practical experience in, modern test engineering and test management methods and paradigms;
• Hands on experience in automation and Git (Terraform, Ansible, Jenkins).
• Hands on experience with Kubernetes (AKS, OpenStack), Unix and/or Linux system administration (RedHat) and good understanding of networking protocols. ✓ 3 years of scripting (bash, Python) or/or programming experience;
• The following expertise and knowledge are considered desirable for this contract:

• Experience interpreting and/or capturing business and user requirements through use cases and developing test cases accordingly;
• Recent experience in planning and execution of validation activities within large-scale C2 exercises;
• Knowledge of NATO Tactical Data Links and other military or civilian interoperability standards for messaging and data exchange related to air traffic;
• General up-to-date knowledge of computer system architectures, systems security, client/server, LAN/WAN and network concepts, test techniques, Database Management Systems (DBMS) and data management concepts;
• Instructor background;
• Validated ICC, CSI, MASE or other related product experience with C2 nodes within the NATO Area of Responsibility (AOR);
• Recent experience in planning and execution of validation activities within large-scale C2 exercises.

Staff provided by the contractor must have the nationality of one of the NATO nations and must have an excellent command of spoken and written English.