Requirement: Next Generation Networks and Secure Communications Technical Study
Location: Offsite, with meetings through video teleconference (VTC)
Note: Please refer to your Subcontract Agreement, article 6.4.1.a, which states "Off-Site Discount: 5% (this discount is applicable to all requirements, and applies when the assigned personnel are permitted to work Off-Site, such as at- home)". Please be sure to price this discount in your overall price proposal when submitting bids against off-site RFQs
Cost Not to Exceed: 2026 BASE: EUR 60,800
2026 OPTION (if exercised): EUR 27,800
Period of Performance: ASAP, not later than 3 August 2026 until 31 March 2027
Required Start Date: ASAP, not later than 3 August 2026
End Contract Date: 31 March 2027
Required Security Clearance: NATO SECRET
Please do NOT apply for any NATO contract positions unless you meet ALL the following criteria:
- Current National or NATO SECRET clearance
- Nationality of one of the NATO member countries
- Current work visa for the specific location if applying for an in-country position
Number of Resources: One (1) single resource required
Background
- As part of the Multinational Collaboration of 5G (MN5G) Project, NCIA is providing subject matter expert support (SME) to the assessment of 5G/IMT technologies for military applications. A specific work package (WP) named 'Awareness and Influence' has been created by the MN5G Project Board to accommodate this task.
- This work is expected to contribute to the complete assessment of current 5G/6G technology trends, capability development activities and military use cases that are being developed by NATO bodies and nations.
- As part of this WP, NCIA was tasked to develop common Next Generation Networks (NGN) architectures that will allow NATO to build robust 5G networks. This task will not only cover the networking aspects but also the security aspects that are essential to explore. The outcome of Secure Communications related tasks of this contract will be used by NATO Cyber and Digital Transformation (CDT) Division to inform pertinent policies and strategies.
Under the direction and guidance of the local NCIA Point of Contact, the objectives of the service are:
- Providing consultative support for industry to develop an NGN Comms Architecture Study. The Study shall deliver architecture views including requirement analysis and architecture options summarised in a presentation material.
- Drafting a 5G white paper in NCIA standard technical report format for one of the technical topics that are relevant to NATO. The list of topics will be provided by NCIA SME.
- Updating the 5G readiness assessment that was previously conducted.
- Drafting a technical report to update the previous assessment of the use of 5G/6G technologies for military applications. This report should be built on the previous NCIA studies (which will be made available).
- Delivering a brief presentation for the MN5G Project Board to present the findings of the technical assessment.
- Performing a review of Network Management and Cyber Defense (NMCD).
Scope Overview
The Contractor is to provide support services to the MN5G Project Board, and NATO Cyber and Digital Transformation (CDT) Division Programme of Work (PoW) by developing technical artefacts, reports and experiments on NGN and Secure Communications.
The scope of this contract covers the following activities and deliverables:
- NGN Architecture Development
- 5G White Paper Development on the selected topics
- 5G Readiness Survey and Military Readiness Assessment Update
- Network Management and Cyber Defense (NMCD) Review
- Advanced IP Management Experimentation (OPTION)
Coordination and Reporting
The Contractor shall report to the NCIA Task Lead. For each milestone, the Contractor must report the outcome of their work during the period of performance via email to the NCIA Point of Contact, briefly describing the work performed and the development achievements during the milestone. Acceptance of each delivery completion will be documented in the Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS).
Requirements
Security Clearance
- It is mandatory for the Contractor to be in possession of a NATO SECRET security clearance to enable access to relevant documentation and access to NATO facilities.
The consultancy support for this work requires a Principal Engineer with a minimum of 10 years of sound experience in the following fields:
- Knowledge and experience in large and complex Communication and Information Systems (CIS) engineering and design, including International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) 5G networks, Communication Systems, Networks, Infrastructure, Virtualization, Cloud, Security, Monitoring and Control, and Interoperability.
- Experience and knowledge in system architecture and design.
- Experience in Enterprise and Capability architecture.
- Knowledge of SMC aspects, relevant frameworks and their implementation in large CIS networks.
- Experience with Military CIS systems.
- Experience in designing readiness assessments, surveys, and maturity assessment models for technology adoption.
- Familiarity with CIS related international, commercial, and industrial standards.
- Experience with deployable CIS systems (Military and/or Civilian).
- Experience in Service Design and Management.
- Knowledge of NATO political ambition and organizational structure.
