2026-0037 ADatP 5658 Conformance Criteria Test Reference Sys (NS) - WED 22 Apr

Bidding Instructions

Bidders shall submit a proposal (all four parts in one (1) document) clearly providing the following information:

a. Cover page with the following information:

• Company name,

• Name(s) of assigned contactor personnel,

• Role(s) and responsibilities assigned to each profiled contractor personnel.

b. Evidence of successfully delivering one to three projects of similar scope to the statement of work within the last five years. Each evidence shall demonstrate proof of performance and be comparable in size and scope to the requirements of this role. Additionally, ensure to include a detailed case study that highlight the Purpose, Objective, Output and Outcome (PO3) mentioned in the table (Annex C). Evidence shall display the ability to manage and deliver standard conformance criteria and test reference components for ADatP-5658 by following customer requirements.

c. CVs of the proposed contractor personnel for the project.

d. Detailed effort estimation (exclusively provided for evaluation purposes) covering the following:

• Estimated total labour and operational costs associated with the delivery of services, including licensing, hosting and travelling.

• A breakdown of estimated effort per work package expressed in FTE, where 1 FTE represents one full-time resource working one standard working day (7.6 hours).

Deadline Date: Wednesday 22 April 2026

Requirement: ADatP-5658 Conformance Criteria and Test Reference System Design and Implementation

Location: Off-Site (Remote, with occasional on-site work at NCIA The Hague (NLD))

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

Period of Performance: 1st July 2026 - 31st December 2026

Required Security Clearance: NATO SECRET

1. INTRODUCTION

The NATO Information and Communication Agency (NCIA) located in The Hague, The Netherlands, is the Interoperability Assurance Authority for NATO. In the light of this responsibility, the Assurance Solutions Branch (ASB) of the Chief Quality Office is looking for a service contract which can provide NCIA with a complete definition of ADatP-5658 conformance criteria, plus a design and a prototype of ADatP-5658 test reference components.

2. OBJECTIVES

The list below defines the overarching objectives of the engagement and establishes the intended outcomes that the Contractor is expected to achieve through the delivery of the different work packages described in this document. These objectives serve as the guiding principles against which all deliverables shall be measured. The Contractor is expected to align their approach, methodology, and resource planning with these objectives throughout the duration of the engagement.

a. Participate in the refinement of ADatP-5658 standard.

b. Develop conformance criteria for the ADatP-5658 standard, ensuring all conformance criteria provide full coverage of ADatP-5658, and are consistent with the standard and the agreed format.

c. Establish a comprehensive understanding of ADatP-5658 intended use cases.

d. Deliver an ADatP-5658 test reference system prototype capable of supporting the execution of interoperability tests with other capabilities for all ADatP-5658 intended use cases during NATO interoperability events.

e. Provide ADatP-5658 test reference components compatible with the NCIA ASB INSPECT platform for Systems-to-Standards testing, enabling the execution of future conformance tests across all ADatP-5658 intended use cases.

f. Support the utilization of the produced deliverables throughout the NATO interoperability events' conferences and execution phases.

g. Ensure the documentation and maintenance of all produced deliverables.

h. Update and expand the produced deliverables as necessary to accommodate new or revised requirements.

3. SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor shall provide the following deliverables classified per service:

A. Service: Active participation in the refinement of ADatP-5658 standard.

1) Deliverable name: ADatP-5658 standard refinement engagement report

Output: Engagement Report summarizing the participation in the refinement activities of ADatP-5658 standard.

Outcome: An improved and more consistent ADatP-5658 standard definition that better supports interoperability, implementation, and alignment with the standard's objectives.

Acceptance criteria: The report includes key decisions, action items and the Contractor's contributions. The Contractor's contributions support the clarification, improvement, or extension of the ADatP-5658 standard.

Key performance indicators (KPIs): Report Completeness (%): Inclusion of all required sections (decisions, actions, contributions), target = 100%. Contribution Relevance Score (1-5): Stakeholder evaluation of usefulness of contributions, target ≥ 4.0.

B. Service: Reviewing and update the existing conformance criteria of ADatP-5658 with the aim of achieving completeness and consistency.

1) Deliverable name: Updated ADatP-5658 conformance criteria list

Output: An updated version of the ADatP-5658 conformance criteria that incorporates all required amendments and newly defined criteria covering the full standard, presented in the agreed-upon format.

Outcome: A finalized and fully aligned set of ADatP-5658 conformance criteria ready for stakeholder use.

Acceptance criteria: All amendments and new criteria are included in the updated document. All conformance criteria are deemed testable. The updated conformance criteria follow the agreed format consistently. The document is complete and ready for stakeholder review.

Key performance indicators (KPIs): Completeness (%): Percentage of the standard covered by the acceptance criteria list, target = 100%. Testability Rate (%): Percentage of conformance criteria that are testable, target = 100%. Format Compliance (%): Adherence to agreed template/format, target ≥ 95%. Clarity Score (1-5): Stakeholder evaluation on clarity and readability, target ≥ 4.0.

C. Service: Analyse and identify the different ADatP-5658 intended use cases.

Deliverable name: ADatP-5658 use cases analysis report

Output: An analysis report describing the range of intended application scenarios or use cases for ADatP-5658, with a particular focus on the types of interactions the standard enables or requires with other systems.

Outcome: A clear understanding of how ADatP-5658 is expected to be applied across relevant scenarios, supporting informed decision-making for integration, implementation, and interoperability planning.

Acceptance criteria: The report identifies and describes all relevant intended application scenarios. Interactions with other systems are clearly analysed and articulated for each scenario. The report is complete, well-structured, and suitable for stakeholder review.

Key performance indicators (KPIs): Use Case Coverage (%): Percentage of relevant scenarios identified, target ≥ 95%. Clarity & Structure Score (1-5): Stakeholder evaluation on clarity and structure, target ≥ 4.0. Analysis Depth Score (1-5): Quality of scenario descriptions and interoperability insights, target ≥ 4.0.

D. Service: Design and prototype an ADatP-5658 Test Reference System able to run interoperability tests against other capabilities, for all ADatP-5658 intended use cases, during NATO Interoperability events.

1) Deliverable name: ADatP-5658 Test Reference System design specification

Output: A detailed design specification document describing the architecture, components, interfaces, and operational workflow of the ADatP-5658 test reference system.

Outcome: A comprehensive and clearly defined system design that supports implementation, integration, and validation of the ADatP-5658 test reference system.

Acceptance criteria: The document follows the System Design Specification Template provided by the NCIA POC. The document fully describes the system architecture, components, interfaces, and operational workflow. All design elements are presented clearly and consistently to support implementation. The specification is complete and suitable for stakeholder and technical review.

Key performance indicators (KPIs): Template Compliance (%): Alignment with the System Design Specification Template, target ≥ 95%. Architecture Coverage (%): Percentage of required elements documented (components, interfaces, workflows), target ≥ 95%. Clarity & Structure Score (1-5): Stakeholder evaluation on clarity and structure, target ≥ 4.0.

2) Deliverable name: ADatP-5658 Test Reference System functional prototype

Output: A functional prototype of the ADatP-5658 test reference system, capable of executing interoperability tests with other capabilities across all intended ADatP-5658 use cases during NATO Digital Interoperability Verification Experiment (DIVE) event.

Outcome: Support of ADatP-5658 interoperability testing activities at NATO DIVE event to de-risk the standard.

Acceptance criteria: The prototype can run interoperability tests for all intended ADatP-5658 use cases. The prototype successfully interfaces with and tests against other participating capabilities. The prototype is functional and ready for use during NATO Interoperability events.

Key performance indicators (KPIs): Use Case Execution Coverage (%): Percentage of use cases supported by prototype, target = 100%. System Stability (Failure Rate %): Failed executions during DIVE event, target ≤ 10%.

3) Deliverable name: ADatP-5658 Test Reference System operational version

Output: A fully functional version of the ADatP-5658 Test Reference System, providing a complete, operational implementation ready to entirely support ADatP-5658 interoperability testing and validation.

Outcome: Complete support of ADatP-5