2025-0312 ISO Implementation and Certification (NS) THU 16 Oct

BIDDDING INSTRUCTIONS

Bidders shall submit a detailed technical proposal including:

Methodology and approach for each Work Package (WP1WP3).

Resource plan with CVs of proposed consultants.

Detailed project plan with milestones and deliverables.

Quality assurance and risk management approach.

Evidence of relevant experience in OH&S management ISO 45001 implementation and work with international or complex organizations.

The technical proposal will be evaluated for compliance and quality against these criteria

Deadline Date: Thursday 16 October 2025

Requirement: Consultancy Services ISO 45001:2018 Implementation and Certification Support

Location: Brussels BE; Mons BE; Braine-lAlleud BE; The Hague NL; Oeiras PT

Full Time On-Site: Yes

Time On-Site: 100%

Period of Performance: Base Contract: 24 Nov 2025 - 31 Dec 2025

Option: 01 Jan - 30 September 2026

Required Security Clearance: NATO SECRET

1 INTRODUCTION

The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) employs over 3000 civilian and military staff across 29 sites in Europe and North America. The Agency seeks to implement a comprehensive Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Management System aligned with ISO 45001:2018. The initiative is a strategic priority to strengthen safety culture risk management and operational resilience across Agency sites. The final aim is ISO 45001 certification for NCIAs main locations progressively extending coverage to other sites.

2 PURPOSE

This SoW defines the scope work packages deliverables responsibilities acceptance criteria payment milestones and timeline for the project: Consultancy Services ISO 45001:2018 Implementation and Certification Support.

The selected contractor will:

Support NCIA in implementing an ISO 45001:2018 compliant OH&SMS with the aim of certification readiness (certification itself is excluded from this contract)

Enhance risk management practices improve safety culture and ensure compliance with NATO directives and host nation legislation.

Deliver across NCIAs five primary sites (Brussels Mons Braine-lAlleud The Hague Oeiras) with progressive extension to remote infrastructures.

3 SCOPE OF WORK

The consultancy shall perform the following tasks:

Support OH&SMS implementation across NCIA.

Develop policies procedures and templates aligned with ISO 45001:2018.

Conduct internal audits and prepare NCIA for external certification audits.

Develop a 3year certification roadmap.

4 TASK DESCRIPTION

This statement of work describes the key requirements for the implementation of the H&S Management System within NCIA based on ISO45001:2015 plus the necessary support in embedding the Management System within the Agency. The success of the implementation of the Management System will be according to performance metrics that have to be defined and agreed. This statement of work details the additional support that will be sought from a third party supplier. See sections 5 6 and 7 for detailed information.

5 TIMESCALE AND PERFORMANCE LOCATION

The successful implementation and deployment of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System should be achieved by Q3 2026. However benefits have to be visible from the beginning of the implementation phase. It is part of the task of the Contractor to ensure that the realization of benefits is delivered systematically throughout the implementation period.

Prioritization of tasks are to be fully taken into account when writing the implementation plan.

The implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System will be first focused on NCIA main campuses/locations (Brussels The Hague Mons Oeiras and Brain LAlleud) and progressively deployed to places where NCIA staff work and/or has property especially technical infrastructure which can be in remote locations. The scope of the certification is yet to be discussed as well as the H&S Management System future evolution.

6 WORK PACKAGES

In line with the defined short and mid-term objectives the Contractor shall provide a list of work packages to accommodate the existent NCIA needs. Potential bidders are invited to submit within their offer any services which they believe to be of interest to the Agency. Any bidder will have to undertake suitable due diligence procedures prior to bidding. The contractors are requested to include a price per proposed Work Package into their quote.

Work Package 1 Implementation Planning/ ISO 45001 Alignment

Objectives: Design and implement a structured Agency-wide Occupational Health & Safety Management System (OH&SMS) aligned with ISO 45001 by translating the gap analysis into a practical implementation roadmap that ensures governance accountability and sustainable risk management practices.

Key Activities:

Translate the existing gap analysis and action plan into detailed tasks and activities for OH&SMS implementation.

Develop a comprehensive Implementation Plan with milestones and responsibilities.

Establish a progress monitoring and control approach.

Propose annual OH&S targets based on best practices.

Develop standardized policies procedures and templates aligned with ISO the definition of roles and responsibilities across the Agency.

Develop a structured Communication Plan.

Deliverables Key Outputs of the Implementation Planning / ISO 45001 Alignment Work Package:

ISO 45001 Implementation Plan: Detailed roadmap of tasks timelines responsibilities and resources required.

Monitoring & Control Framework: Tools and methods for tracking progress reporting and corrective action.

Annual OH&S Targets: Proposal Benchmark-based performance targets for continuous improvement.

Policies Procedures and Templates: Set of standardized documents aligned with ISO 45001.

Roles & Responsibilities Matrix: Definition of accountabilities and authorities for OH&S implementation.

Communication Plan: Structured plan for internal/external communication on OH&S activities/ initiatives

Acceptance Criteria: Approved by CQO Leadership and Agency OH&S Manager.

Due Date: December 2025.

Payment Milestone: Payment upon completion and acceptance and signed Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS).

Work package 2 Implementation Support / Operational Control

Objectives: Provide expert guidance and operational support for deploying the Occupational Health & Safety Management System ensuring ISO 45001 alignment consistent risk management across sites standardized procedures training and digital tools.

Key Activities:

Support site-specific risk assessments.

Develop Standard Operational Procedure aligned with ISO 45001 requirements and the specific risk Assessments

Develop the local OH&S plans.

Develop the Agency Wide Training Plan to address the risks identified site-specific risk assessments

Provide digital transformation support for audits inspections and KPI dashboards.

Deliverables Key Outputs of the Implementation Support / Operational Control Work Package

Site-Specific OH&S Risk Assessment Reports: Comprehensive reports based on local risk assessments including hazards identified mitigation measures and prioritization.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Package: Development of SOPs aligned with ISO 45001 and tailored to identified risks and operational context.

Local OH&S Plans: Structured OH&S plans per location integrating site-specific risks and controls into the Agency OH&S framework.

Agency-Wide OH&S Training Framework: Development of a competency matrix training curriculum and rollout plan addressing risks identified in assessments.

Digital Tools Package: Implementation of digital solutions for audits inspections and KPI dashboards.

Progress and Implementation: Reports Monthly updates summarizing activities completed issues faced and next steps.

Acceptance Criteria: Reports reviewed and approved by the Agency OH&S Manager.

Due Date: Q2 2026

Payment Milestone: Payment upon completion and acceptance and signed Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS).

Work package 3 Internal Audits & Certification Readiness

Objectives: Establish a robust internal audit framework that verifies the effectiveness of the OH&SMS identifies areas for improvement and ensures NCIA is fully prepared for ISO 45001 certification.

Key Activities:

Develop and implement an internal audit programme covering all relevant sites and functions.

Conduct first-party audits to verify compliance with ISO 45001 requirements.

Perform a certification readiness assessment to identify and close any remaining gaps.

Deliverables Key Outputs of Work Package 3

Internal Audit Programme: Structured programme detailing audit scope schedule methodology and responsibilities.

Internal Audit Reports: Findings and recommendations from first-party audits including nonconformities observations and opportunities for improvement.

Certification Readiness Report: Comprehensive assessment summarizing the Agencys level of preparedness for ISO 45001 certification and recommended corrective actions.

Acceptance Criteria: Approved by CQO Leadership and Agency OH&S Manager.

Due Date: Q3 2026

Payment Milestone: Payment upon completion and acceptance and signed Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS).

7 DELIVERABLES AND PAYMENT MILESTONES

Deliverable and Related WP: ISO 45001 Implementation Package (WP1)

Description: Includes the ISO 45001 Implementation Plan Monitoring & Control Framework Annual OH&S Targets Proposal standardized Policies Procedures and Templates Roles & Responsibilities Matrix and a Communication Plan.

Due Date: December 2025

Payment Milestone: Upon completion of WP1. Completion of WP1 should be accompanied by the Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS) (Annex C) signed for acceptance by the Purchasers authorized point of contact and the Contractor

Deliverable and Related WP: Option: Implementation Support Package (WP2)

Description: Includes Site-Specific Risk Assessment Reports ISO 45001-aligned SOPs Local OH&S Plans an Agency-wide Training framework and Digital Tools for audits inspections and KPIs and regular Progress Reports.

Due Date: Q2 2026

Payment Milestone: Upon completion of WP2. Completion of WP2 should be accompanied by the Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS) (Annex C) signed for acceptance by the Purchasers authorized point of contact and the Contractor

Deliverable and Related WP: Option: Internal Audit & Certification Readiness Package (WP3)

Description: Includes the Internal Audit Programme Internal Audit Reports and a Certification Readiness Assessment Report.

Due Date: Q3 2026

Payment Milestone: Upon completion of WP3. Completion of WP3 should be accompanied by the Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS) (Annex C) signed for acceptance by the Purchasers authorized point of contact and the Contractor

8 PAYMENT TERMS

Payments will be made monthly upon completion and acceptance of deliverables.

Acceptance is subject to validation against the defined acceptance criteria and formal approval by the Agency OH&S Manager.

A signed Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS) must accompany all invoices.

The total contract value shall not exceed 75.00000 (Seventy-Five Thousand Euros)

9 REPORTING AND MEETINGS

Weekly Reports: Summary of completed work upcoming changes key risk monitoring.

Monthly Reports: Progress against WP milestones objectives targets and KPIs.

Meetings: Kick-off meeting at project start plus regular progress meetings between contractors SME CQO and OH&S Manager.

10 SCHEDULE

Contract start date: 24 November 2025.

WP1: December 2025.

WP2: QMarch 2026

WP3: QSeptember 2026

Contract end date: 30 September 2026

11 FEE (NOT TO EXCEED)

Payment will be based on successful completion and acceptance of deliverables.

12 RESPONSIBILITIES

Consultant: Responsible for executing all activities under each WP ensuring timely delivery maintaining agreed quality standards and providing all required reports.

Agency (CQO/Agency OH&S Manager): Responsible for reviewing and approving deliverables providing timely feedback and ensuring effective coordination with relevant stakeholders.

ANNEX A: NCI AGENCY HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY STATEMENT

Through the way we work and behave our civilian military and Interim Workforce Capacity (IWC) staff will be protected from the risks of occupational injury or ill health so far as is reasonably practicable.

NCI AGENCY HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY

It is our intent to demonstrate an ongoing and determined commitment to improving health and safety at work throughout our organization.

We will aim to ensure the health and safety at work of our civilian military IWC staff NATEXs and Interns working with all relevant stakeholders based on Host Nation standards.

This policy reflects our commitment to ensuring that health and safety at work is paramount to our business and recognizes that effective health and safety management actively contributes to our success.

1.1 Awareness. All our civilian military and IWC staff and our visitors will have an awareness and understanding of health and safety hazards and risks that affect our business:

NCI Agency Directive on Health and Safety. Adequate resources will be provided to ensure all our civilian military and IWC staff are aware of the Directive and the Policy Statement and committed to its effective implementation.

Communication and consultation. There will be active open communication and consultation between our civilian military and IWC staff at all levels. Health and Safety Committees will be established at each main location. Health and safety will be integrated into our communications wherever appropriate.

Roles and responsibilities. Roles and responsibilities for health and safety will be defined at all levels within the Agency. Every individual has a responsibility to work safely and to not compromise the health and safety of others. Senior management will ensure that: Adequate resources are provided for health and safety; Health and safety risks are adequately assessed controlled and monitored; All staff are actively involved on matters that affect health and safety.

Hazard identification. We will identify our workplace health and safety hazards and will inform our civilian military and IWC staff as appropriate. We will require other stakeholders to identify health and safety hazards that may impact on our work activities.

1.2 Competence. All our civilian military IWC staff NATEXs and Interns will have the competence (i.e. qualifications and experience) to undertake their work with minimum risks to health and safety:

Health and safety training. All relevant staff will receive adequate information instruction and training on the health and safety issues that affect them and the safe working practices which should be followed.

Behaviour and culture. Senior management will demonstrate leadership in health and safety by supporting the systems put in place. All staff will be empowered to raise health and safety concerns at all levels.

Risk assessment and management. The Agency will endeavor to put in place a system to assess the risks associated with health and safety hazards in the workplace. All civilian military and IWC staff will be actively involved in identifying health and safety hazards that affect their work. All staff have a responsibility to work in line with Agency procedures to prevent reduce and control risks to an acceptable level and reduce the potential for incidents and accidents in accordance with the hierarchy of controls set out in the AD. We will require stakeholders to identify health and safety risks that may impact our work activities.

1.3 Compliance. All our work activities will comply with NATO Regulations and the NCI Agency Directive on Health & Safety and will be based on host nation standards:

Incident investigation. We will record all accidents incidents and near misses and investigate where appropriate to drive improvement in our health and safety management. We will learn from such events and take corrective action to avoid any recurrence.

Measuring performance. We will set targets and objectives. We will actively and openly review and report on our health and safety performance. Improvement plans will be put in place to support the delivery of these targets and objectives.

Health and safety management system. We will implement a health and safety management system which will: comply with NATO Regulations; aim to meet standards for health & safety management systems; and continuously seek to improve our health & safety performance.

Stakeholders and contractors. We will engage and collaborate with stakeholders and contractors to ensure: health and safety capability and competence fulfil our expectations; health and safety performance is monitored & action taken where necessary; third party work activities have minimal health and safety impact on our work activities.

Work related health. We will assess our occupational health risks and inform all staff. We will take action to prevent reduce or control occupational health risks to an acceptable level and reduce the potential for ill-health including assessing our employees fitness for work. Health surveillance will be carried out in line with NATO requirements.

DELIVERING OUR POLICY

Our policy will be delivered by:

Generating a culture which does not tolerate threats to health & safety

Ensuring the real involvement of all our civilian military and contractor staff.