2026-0047 Provision and Delivery of IT Help Desk Service (NS) THU 28 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 bidders 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: Thursday 28 May 2026

Requirement: Provision and On-going Delivery of IT Help Desk Service

Location of Performance: Oeiras Portugal (on-site)

Period of Performance: 2026 BASE: 1 July 2026 31 December 2026.

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

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

Required Start Date: 1 July 2026 (tentative)

Required Security Clearance: NATO SECRET

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Statement of Work is to define the services for IT Help Desk support in Oeiras Portugal. The NCI Agency (hereinafter referred to as the Purchaser) seeks a qualified Contractor to provide continuous IT Help Desk 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 provide first- and second-level support for IT issues related to Windows client systems and to ensure the optimal performance security and reliability of Windows-based environments. The Contractor shall also provide end-user support including technical assistance and user guidance where required.

The overall objective is to improve user satisfaction reduce support response times and enhance the quality and efficiency of IT service delivery. During the performance of the contract the Contractor shall operate as an integral part of the Purchasers IT support organization delivering on-site IT support services.

3. INTRODUCTION

The Purchaser CSU Lisbon is located in Oeiras on the outskirts of Lisbon and represents the westernmost footprint of the NCI Agency in Europe. The CSU currently faces the challenge of providing continuous IT support to the static STRIKFORNATO Headquarters and ensuring the successful upgrade and evolution of the NATO Lessons Learned Portal hosted and maintained by ACT JALLC as a key contribution to mission enablement.

In addition CSU Lisbon is progressively extending its support to the NCI Academy contributing to the establishment of a modern state-of-the-art Information and Communications Systems training environment in Oeiras and supporting the broader transformation objectives of the NCI Agency in the areas of IT and Education and Training.

3.1 Purchaser Support Structure

The Purchaser support structure is organized into three levels:

Level 1 (L1): Centralized Service Desk providing virtual first-line support.

Level 2 (L2): On-site technical support including touch-labour and specialized support provided by the CIS Support Unit or IT Service Kiosk.

Level 3 (L3): Centralized engineering support provided by specialist technical teams.

4. DELIVERABLES

The principal deliverable of this Statement of Work is the provision and continuous delivery of the IT Help Desk Service (hereinafter referred to as the Service). The Service includes the timely resolution of IT support tickets in accordance with agreed Service Level Agreements (SLAs) or Service Support Packages (SSPs) as applicable. This also includes the provision of IT Service Management (ITSM) reporting covering incidents service requests and change activities.

The Contractor shall ensure the maintenance and continuous update of IT service documentation including Standard Operating Instructions (SOIs) Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and troubleshooting guides. The Contractor shall contribute to the ITSM knowledge base by documenting problem resolutions known errors and workarounds and shall support the implementation of system updates and patches with minimal disruption to end users.

4.1 D01 IT Help Desk Support

KPI Incident Response Time (SLA): 95% or more of tickets acknowledged within agreed SLA (e.g. 1530 minutes for priority cases).

KPI Incident Resolution Time: 90% or more resolved within SLA targets based on priority levels.

KPI First Contact Resolution Rate: Target: 7080% or above.

KPI Ticket Backlog: 5% or fewer of total monthly tickets remain open beyond SLA.

KPI User Satisfaction (CSAT): Average rating of 4.2 out of 5 or above.

KPI Ticket Documentation Quality: 95% or more of tickets properly categorized and documented.

The Contractor shall provide first- and second-level support to end users for daily business and Exercises/Operations Preparation; manage Incidents Fulfilment Requests and Changes on the ITSM ticketing system; troubleshoot and resolve hardware software and network issues related to Windows clients; document track and resolve IT support tickets within the established SLAs; assist users with password resets account lockouts and access permissions; provide guidance and training to end-users on IT systems and software; and escalate unresolved issues to appropriate support levels.

4.2 D02 System Administration

KPI System Availability (Workstations/Services): 99% or more uptime excluding planned maintenance.

KPI Patch Compliance Rate: 95% or more of endpoints updated within defined patch window.

KPI Endpoint Deployment Success Rate: 98% or more successful installations via tools such as SCCM.

KPI Active Directory Request Fulfilment Time: 95% or more completed within SLA (e.g. 48 hours).

KPI Asset Inventory Accuracy: 98% or more accuracy in asset database.

KPI Peripheral Support Resolution Rate: 90% or more resolved without escalation.

The Contractor shall install configure and maintain Windows operating systems (e.g. Windows 10 Windows 11) and applications on users workstations using the deployment/configuration tools available (e.g. SCCM); manage Active Directory accounts including user creation group policies and access control; monitor system performance and troubleshoot performance-related issues; deploy and update patches security updates and antivirus definitions; maintain an inventory of hardware and software assets; provide support for peripheral devices such as printers scanners and mobile devices; and provide support to VTC systems.

4.3 D03 Network Support

KPI Network Incident Resolution Time: 90% or more resolved within SLA.

KPI Escalation Efficiency: 95% or more of escalations contain complete diagnostics and logs.

KPI Recurring Issue Reduction: Month-on-month reduction of repeated network-related tickets (target: minus 10%).

The Contractor shall assist with troubleshooting and resolving network connectivity issues and coordinate with network teams for configuration or changes affecting Windows clients.

4.4 D04 IT Security

KPI Endpoint Security Compliance: 98% or more of systems compliant with security policies.

KPI Antivirus/EDR Coverage: 100% of endpoints protected and reporting.

KPI Security Incident Response Time: Initial response within SLA (e.g. 1 hour or less for critical incidents).

KPI Vulnerability Remediation: 90% or more of critical vulnerabilities resolved within defined timeframe.

KPI Audit Findings Closure: 95% or more of findings resolved within agreed deadlines.

The Contractor shall ensure compliance with IT security policies and procedures; conduct regular checks to ensure Windows clients are protected against malware and unauthorized access; and assist in responding to and mitigating security incidents involving client systems.

4.5 D05 Documentation and Reporting

KPI Documentation Coverage: 95% or more of procedures documented (SOPs/SOIs).

KPI Documentation Accuracy: Quarterly review compliance: 100%.

KPI Reporting Timeliness: 100% of reports delivered on schedule.

KPI Ticket Knowledge Base Contribution: Minimum 510 articles per month.

The Contractor shall create and maintain documentation for standard operating procedures (SOPs) Operating Instructions (SOIs) and troubleshooting guides and shall provide regular status updates and reports on ongoing IT tasks and projects.

4.6 D06 User Training and Support

KPI Training Delivery: Minimum 1 session per quarter (target: 24 sessions per quarter).

KPI User Adoption Rate: Measurable improvement in tool usage (baseline and percentage increase to be defined at contract start).

KPI Training Satisfaction Score: 4.3 out of 5 or above.

KPI Reduction in Repetitive Tickets: 1015% reduction in user-error-related tickets over time.

The Contractor shall conduct training sessions and create materials to help users better utilize IT systems and shall provide proactive tips and best practices for using Windows-based tools effectively.

5. PAYMENT SCHEDULE

2026 BASE Period: 1 July 2026 31 December 2026

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

Payment: Monthly payments shall be made upon satisfactory completion of the services for the relevant month in accordance with the performance indicators and service levels defined in Sections 4.1 to 4.6. This includes compliance with SLA requirements ticket resolution performance system availability security compliance reporting obligations and user support and training activities.

2027 and 2028 Option Periods

Deliverable: Provision and continuous delivery of IT Help Desk 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 COAAS Special Provisions article 6.5.

Payment: Monthly payments shall be made upon satisfactory completion of the services for the relevant month in accordance with the performance indicators and service levels defined in Sections 4.1 to 4.6. This includes compliance with SLA requirements ticket resolution performance system availability security compliance reporting obligations and user support and training activities.

6. KPI PAYMENT WEIGHTING

Help Desk SLA Compliance: 30% weighting major payment driver.

System Administration: 20% weighting medium payment impact.

Security Compliance: 20% weighting critical payment impact.

Documentation and Reporting: 10% weighting moderate payment impact.

User Satisfaction: 10% weighting bonus driver.

Training and Improvement: 10% weighting long-term impact.

7. PENALTIES

SLA Breach: An SLA breach exceeding 10% will result in a deduction of 5% of the monthly fee.

Security Non-Compliance: Security non-compliance will trigger an immediate penalty clause.

8. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall comply with NATO security policy; hold a valid security clearance; provide qualified and experienced personnel; maintain English language proficiency; maintain a stable team with minimal rotation; obtain Purchaser approval for any personnel changes; ensure proper handling of PFE equipment; use the ITSM system as mandatory; escalate blocking issues immediately; and minimize end-user impact at all times.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. QUALIFICATIONS

See Requirements

REQUIREMENTS

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

Education

• A Bachelors degree in Computer Science Information Technology or a related field is preferred. Equivalent practical experience and industry certifications will also be considered.

Experience

• Minimum of 35 years of experience in supporting IT end users devices hardware and software.
• Proven experience as a system administrator particularly with Windows clients.
• Proficiency in troubleshooting hardware software and network issues.
• Knowledge of Active Directory Group Policy and Windows Update management.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills for user support and training.
• Familiarity with IT best practices (ITIL) and tools.
• Experience with IT service management (ITSM) tools.
• Experience with SCCM/Configuration Manager for deployment of Windows Baseline Applications and Patches.

Certifications (Preferred)

• CompTIA A Microsoft Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator or equivalent.
• Experience with remote desktop support tools and virtualization environments.
• Working knowledge of ITIL processes and procedures.
• CompTIA Network or Security.

Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency in scripting languages (e.g. PowerShell Bash).
• Knowledge of IT security best practices.

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 B2C1 (Upper Intermediate to Advanced).