2024-0274 Development of APSS - Space ISR Collection Tool (NS) - TUE 17 Dec

Deadline Date: Tuesday 17 December 2024

Requirement: Development of Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space (APSS) - Space Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Collection Tool

Location: The Hague, NL

Full Time On-Site: No

Time On-Site: 75% Off-site, 25% On-site NCI Agency

Period of Performance: BASE period: 3rd February 2025 – 31st December 2025 with the possibility to exercise following options:

2026 OPTION period: 1st January 2026 until 31st December 2026

Required Security Clearance: NATO SECRET

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) and the NCI Agency are jointly delivering the Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space Programme. This programme serves NATO and the nations and presents an opportunity to enhance and accelerate situational awareness and decision making through a dedicated programme for the access to shared space data and the integration of the data into NATO systems. Through pioneering the ability of the Alliance to harness space capabilities and deliver operational effect from the Space Domain, this proposal will deliver a step change in the Alliance ability to remain informed through access to Space data.

1.2. Collection Management (CM) is defined as the activity of matching the validated and structured collection requirements to the available collection assets. This process must take into consideration the availability of assets, sensor coverage and communication capabilities.

1.3. Related to the APSS programme, the newly developed Space-Based Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (SBISR) CM section within SHAPE is focused on the coordination and tasking of data gathered from space-based capabilities.

1.4. The SBISR collection and Data managers require tools, or improvement of existing tools, to better automate the workflow from existing Collection Requirements for space-based imagery, to the set of required imagery captured in the Collection and Exploitation Plan (CXP) within the APSS context.

2. OBJECTIVES

2.1 The main objective of this statement of work is the enhancement of the Aquila Management Service (AMS) for the tasking and integration of commercial space based ISR. The AMS is the platform that enables access to purchased commercial Space Based data (archived or collected upon tasking) and will need to encompass future new commercial capabilities.

2.2 The JISR Centre is looking for ONE resource to develop and deliver space ISR overhead collection tooling in support of APSS.

3. SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 Under the direction of NCIA/JISR APSS Team, the Contractor will deliver the following service:

Requirements document for implementation from operational users;

Status inputs and reports (textual word documents) for monthly APSS NCIA planning and development meetings (remotely);

A space ISR collection tool to integrate APSS commercial Space Based data..

3.2 The Contractor will be part of a NCIA/JISR team and will work using an Agile and iterative approach using multiple and independent sprints. Each sprint is planned for an approximate duration of 4 weeks with an average 38 hours per week. The content, scope and starting date of each sprint will be agreed with the service delivery manager during the sprint-planning meeting, in writing. The scope of the work of this SOW it is for 6 SPRINTs that will be spread across the calendar year

3.3 The work shall be carried out in sprints whereby each sprint is independent. The work will be executed 75% Off-site, 25% On-site NCI Agency, Den Haag, NLD and some sprints might require liaison at SHAPE (Mons).

4. PAYMENT MILESTONES AND DELIVERABLES

4.1 The following deliverables are expected from this statement of work:

1) Complete the activities/tasks agreed in each spring meeting as per sections 2 and 3 above.

2) Produce sprint completion reports (format: e-mail update), which include details of activities performed.

4.2 Payment Schedule will be at the end of each sprint of four working weeks, following the acceptance of the sprint report.

4.3 The NCIA team reserves the possibility to exercise a number of options, based on the same scrum deliverable timeframe, at a later time, depending on the project priorities and requirements.

4.4 The payment shall be dependent upon successful acceptance of the sprint report and the Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS) – (Annex B) including the EBA Receipt number.

4.5 Invoices shall be accompanied with a Delivery Acceptance Sheet (Annex B) signed by the Contractor and the NCIA POC.

4.6 2025 BASE: 3rd February 2025 to 31 December 2025

Deliverable 01: Sprint(s) for the development of APSS ISR Collection Tooling

Quantity: 6

Payment Milestones: Upon completion of each sprint and at the end of the work.

4.7 2026 OPTION: 01 January 2026 to 31 December 2026

Deliverable: Up to 6 sprints

Payment Milestones: Upon completion of each sprint and at the end of the work.

5. COORDINATION AND REPORTING

5.1 The Contractor shall deliver services Off-site, with a requirement to work from NCI Agency, the Hague, for one week every sprint (to be coordinated).

5.2 The contractor shall report to the JISR Centre Operations Support Branch APSS lead.

5.3 The Contractor shall participate in monthly status update meetings and other meetings, physically in the office, or in person via electronic means using Conference Call capabilities, according to service delivery manager’s instructions.

5.4 For each sprint to be considered as complete and payable, the contractor must report the outcome of his/her work during the sprint, first verbally during the retrospective meeting and then in writing, within five (5) working days after the sprint’s end date. A report in the format of a short email shall be sent to NCI Agency POC briefly mentioning the work held and the achievements during the sprint.

6. SCHEDULE

6.1 This task order will be active immediately after signing of the contract by both parties.

6.2 The BASE period of performance is 3rd February 2025 and will end no later than 31st December 2025.

6.3 If the 2026 option is exercised, the period of performance is 01st January 2026 to 31st December 2026.

7. SECURITY

7.1 Performance of the services described in this SOW require a valid NATO SECRET security clearance prior to the start of the engagement.

8. CONSTRAINTS

8.1 All the documentation provided under this statement of work will be based on NCIA templates or agreed with project point of contact.

8.2 All scripts, documentation and required code will be stored under configuration management and/or in the provided NCIA tools.

9. PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS

9.1 This is a deliverables-based contract.

9.2 The contractor shall provide services Off-site, with a requirement to work from NCI Agency, the Hague, for one week every sprint (to be coordinated).

9.3 There may be requirements to travel to other sites within NATO for completing these tasks.

9.4 Travel costs are out of scope and will be borne by the NCI Agency separately in accordance to the provisions of the AAS+ Framework Contract.

9.5 The work depicted in this SOW is expected to be carried by a single contractor.

10. QUALIFICATIONS

[See Requirements]

Requirements

7. SECURITY

• Performance of the services described in this SOW require a valid NATO SECRET security clearance prior to the start of the engagement.

10. QUALIFICATIONS

• 10.1 The consultancy support for this work requires resource with a Software engineer qualifications:

10.2 Technical Qualifications

Essential

• Experience of working with commercial space based ISR capabilities;
• Experience of integrating commercial space based ISR tasking via API;
• Previous experience of NATO or National intelligence processes and systems;

Desirable

• Desirable experience in working within commercial space based earth observation industry
• Desirable experience working within or supporting NATO or National military.
• Desirable knowledge in NATO JISR systems, policy and doctrine

10.3 Professional Qualifications

• Must have excellent spoken and written English communication and presentation skills, as demonstrated by recent experience (within the past 5 years);
• Must demonstrate the ability and self-motivation to work on his/her own but must also work well within groups as part of a team;
• Must demonstrate an ability and keen sense for problem-solving.
• Motivated, good communication skills, team player.
• Able to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Knowledge of NATO or National intelligence processes.