NATO to tender for biometric enrollment devices for Kosovo forces

The NATO Communications and Information (NCI) Agency has published a new notification of intent (NOI) document setting out an intent to invite bids for the delivery of biometrics enrollment devices for Kosovo Force (KFOR), a NATO-led international peacekeeping force.

The intent to invite bids for the NATO Biometrics Identity Intelligence Capability is estimated to be worth €750,000 (approximately US$823,000), according to the NOI documentation.

More specifically, the NOI’s scope is to aid KFOR’s principal authority, J2X Vetting Cell, in performing the vetting and screening of local employees (LEP). The winning bidder will “procure, deploy, install the fix[ed] and portable biometric equipment and provide biometrics enrollment equipment maintenance and updates.”

The scope also includes provision of the training on the use of the procured equipment.

From an organizational standpoint, J2X Vetting Cell is tasked with conducting routine and nonroutine Counter Intelligence (CI) functions as well as LEP biometrics enrollment and identity verification in support of Force Protection (FP).

The bid aims to provide KFOR with six sets of office-based biometrics enrollment equipment, plus an additional eight (six as backup and two for mobile enrollment at checkpoints) featuring the “minimum modalities” of face, fingerprint and iris biometrics.

The NCI Agency confirmed it is planning to issue the formal Invitation For Bid (IFB) in Q3 2022, aiming to issue an anticipated Contract Award by Q4 2022 in accordance with the Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA), plus procedures designed to streamline bids.

Bidders will be required to declare a bid validity of six months from closing date for receipt of bids, and the related IFB package is expected to be NATO-restricted.

The IFB will also contain provisions requiring applicants to “clearly demonstrate in their bid their technical capability and years of relevant experience in the field of biometric equipment, installation services and training delivery to ensure bids are received from qualified companies”.

The equipment developed as part of all bids will have to be compliant with NATO STANAG 4715, Ed. 2 and United States of America Department of Defense Electronic Biometric Transmission Specification (EBTS) Standards.

The NCI Agency has already published an initial list of bidders, which include Atos, Thales, Honeywell, and Parsons, among others.

Article Topics

background checks  |  biometric data  |  biometric enrollment  |  biometrics  |  data collection  |  identity verification  |  mobile biometrics  |  NATO  |  tender