RFP-ACT-SACT-26-95 P3M COURSE-FINAL.pdf

NATO UNCLASSIFIED

RFP-ACT-SACT-26-95

Norfolk, Virginia | USA

HQ Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Purchasing and Contracting Section Office of Budget and Finance

Request for Proposal

Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (HQ SACT) Project, Program, and Portfolio Management (P3M) Training

BIDDING INSTRUCTIONS

1. General

2. Classification

3. Definitions

4. Eligibility

5. Duration of Contract

6. Exemption of Taxes

7. Amendment or Cancellation

8. Bidder Clarifications

9. Bid Closing Date

10. Bid Validity

11. Content of Proposal

12. Proposal Submission

13. Late Proposals

14. Bid Withdrawal

15. Bid Evaluation

16. Proposal Clarifications

17. Award

18. Disputes

19. Proposed Candidates

20. Communications

21. Points of Contact

Enclosure 1: Proposal Content / Checklist

Enclosure 2: Compliance Statement

Enclosure 3: Past Performance Information Form

Enclosure 4: Mandatory Price Proposal Excel Spreadsheet

ANNEX A: STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW) ........... Error! Bookmark not defined.

ANNEX B: REQUIREMENTS MATRIX

BIDDING INSTRUCTIONS

1. General

a. This is a Firm Fixed Price Deliverables contract in accordance with the HQ SACT General Terms and Conditions.

b. HQ SACT General Terms and Conditions labelled Version: 18092026 are applicable to this procurement and can be located on the ACT Website at;

WWW.ACT.NATO.INT/CONTRACTING under Contractor Information.

c. Contract Award is contingent upon funding availability; Partial bidding is not allowed.

2. Classification

This Request for Proposal (RFP) is a NATO UNCLASSIFIED document.

3. Definitions

a. The “Prospective Bidder” shall refer to the entity that has indicated thereon its intention without commitment, to participate in this RFP.

b. The term “Bidder” shall refer to the bidding entity that has completed a bid in response to this RFP.

c. The term “Contractor” shall refer to the bidding entity to whom the contract(s) is awarded.

d. The term “Contracting Officer” designates the official who executes this RFP on behalf of HQ SACT.

e. “Contracting Officer`s Technical Representative” or “COTR” is the official who is appointed for the purpose of determining compliance of the successful bid, per the technical specifications.

f. The term “HQ SACT” shall refer to Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation.

g. The term “ACT” shall refer to Allied Command Transformation.

h. The term “NATO” shall refer to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

i. The term “days” as used in this RFP shall, unless otherwise stated, be interpreted as meaning calendar days.

4. Eligibility

a. This RFP is open to governmental or commercial entities:

http://www.act.nato.int/CONTRACTING

b. Established in a North Atlantic Treaty Organization Alliance member nation.

c. Working in the required field and legally authorised to operate in the country and state in which this contract is to be performed, at the time of bidding. Has performed the desired past performance including size, cost and scope, as described in this

RFP.

d. All proposed key personnel identified to work on this requirement must be citizens of a NATO member nation.

5. Duration of Contract

a. The contract shall start upon contract award.

b. Period of Performance: From 01 January 2027 to 31 December 2027 with four (4) 12-month option periods; 01 January 2028 to 31 December 2028, 01 January 2029 to 31 December 2029, 01 January 2030 to 31 December 2030, and 01 January 2031 to 31 December 2031.

6. Exemption of Taxes In accordance with the agreements (Article VIII of the Paris Protocol dated, 28 August 1952) goods and services under this contract are exempt from taxes, duties and similar charges.

7. Amendment or Cancellation

a. HQ SACT reserves the right to amend or delete any one or more of the terms, conditions or provisions of the RFP prior to the date set for bid closing. A solicitation amendment or amendments shall announce such action.

b. HQ SACT reserves the right to cancel, at any time, this RFP either partially or in its entirety. No legal liability on the part of HQ SACT shall be considered for recovery of costs in connection to bid preparation. All efforts undertaken by any bidder shall be done considering and accepting, that no costs shall be recovered from HQ SACT. If this RFP is cancelled, any/all received bids shall be returned unopened, per the bidder’s request.

8. Bidder Clarifications

a. Prospective Bidders should seek clarification at their earliest convenience. Any explanation regarding the meaning or interpretation of this RFP, terms, clause, provision or specifications, shall be requested in writing, from the Contracting Officer.

All Contracting Officers listed on this RFP must receive such requests via email for clarification no later than 27 October 2026.

b. Information in response to all inquiries / requests for clarification to a prospective bidder shall be furnished to all prospective bidders at the following link:

http://www.act.nato.int/contracting as a Question-and-Answer addendum. All such http://www.act.nato.int/contracting addendums and any necessary solicitation amendments shall be incorporated into this RFP. Verbal Interpretations shall not be binding.

9. Bid Closing Date

Bids shall be received at HQ SACT, Purchasing and Contracting Office, no later than 05 November 2026, 0900 hours, Eastern Standard Time, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.

No bids shall be accepted after this date and time. No hard copy proposals will be accepted. Please see Proposal Submission (paragraph 12) for more details.

10. Bid Validity

a. Bids shall remain valid for a period of one hundred and twenty days (120) from the applicable closing date set forth within this RFP. HQ SACT reserves the right to request an extension of validity. Bidder shall be entitled to either grant or deny this extension of validity. HQ SACT shall automatically consider a denial to extend the validity as a withdrawal of the bid.

b. HQ SACT will not accept supplier proposals prepared, in whole or in part, by means of generative artificial-intelligence (AI) tools, including and without limitation to chatbots, such as Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (Chat GPT), or other language generating tools. HQ SACT reserves the right to screen applications to identify the use of such tools. All applications prepared, in whole or in part, by means of such generative or creative AI applications may be rejected without further consideration at HQ SACT’s sole discretion, and HQ SACT reserves the right to take further steps in such cases as appropriate.

11. Content of Proposal

The proposal shall consist of two (2) separate documents (Technical / Price) sent via e-mail as per the instructions. No hard copy proposals will be accepted. The E-mailed documents shall be received no later than 05 November 2026, 0900 hours, Eastern Standard Time, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.

The company description portion of its technical proposal shall be limited to 5 pages.

a. Technical Proposal shall be a Signed PDF document and contain:

1) A table of contents for the entire proposal (See Enclosure #1):

2) The bidder’s full name, address, Points of Contact, Telephone, Fax number;

Internet site;

3) Compliance statement (See Enclosure#2);

4) Past performance (See Enclosure #3);

5) List of on-site personnel to provide services;

6) Company description and supplementary relevant information; and

7) Compliance matrix (See Annex B).

b. Price Proposal shall be

1) Submitted in U.S. Dollar Currency. Contractor may request payment post award in alternate currency based on agreed conversion rate.

Prices shall be on a Firm Fixed Price Basis, include any relevant discount schedule.

12. Proposal Submission

a. Proposals shall be separate e-mail submissions to:

Technical proposal: hqsact.techproposal@nato.int

Price proposal: hqsact.priceproposal@nato.int

b. E-mail subjects shall include the solicitation information along with company name (for example: RFP-ACT-SACT-26-95_Tech_ABC Inc. / RFP-ACT- SACT-26- 95_Price_ABC Inc.). Allow sufficient time in sending your submission should you encounter e-mail size challenges.

c. No verbal bids or verbal modifications or telephonic bids shall be considered.

d. It is the ultimate responsibility of a prospective bidder prior to submission that all proposal submissions are reviewed to ensure they meet the technical, contractual and administrative specifications and that offers meet the limitations and expressed conditions.

13. Late Proposals

a. It is solely the bidder`s responsibility that every effort is made to ensure that the proposal reaches HQ SACT prior to the established closing date and time. No late bids shall be considered.

b. A delay in an e-mail exchange due to server or size restrictions does not constitute a delay by NATO.

14. Bid Withdrawal

A bidder may withdraw their bid up to the date and time specified for bid closing. Such a withdrawal must be completed in writing with attention to the HQ SACT Contracting Officer.

mailto:hqsact.techproposal@nato.int mailto:hqsact.priceproposal@nato.int

15. Bid Evaluation

a. The evaluation of bids and determination as to the responsiveness and technical adequacy or technical compliance, of the products or services requested, shall be the responsibility of HQ SACT. Such determinations shall be consistent with the evaluation criteria specified in the RFP. HQ SACT is not responsible for any content that is not clearly identified in any proposal package.

b. Proposals shall be evaluated and awarded taking into consideration the following factors:

1) Successful administrative submission of bid packages as requested in paragraph 11 and as listed in this RFP.

2) Successful determination of compliance on mandatory criteria. (Compliant/non-compliant).

3) Technical factors and compliance.

4) Technical clarifications as determined may be conducted.

5) Acceptance of HQ SACT General Terms and Conditions.

16. Proposal Clarifications

During the entire evaluation process HQ SACT reserves the right to discuss any bid, clarify what is offered and interpret language within the bid to resolve any potential areas of concern.

17. Award

a. HQ SACT intends to award a firm fixed price services contract to the Offeror(s) whose proposal(s) represents the lowest price technically compliant (LPTC).

Partial bids will not be considered.

b. HQ SACT may collect information from references provided by the Offeror on its past performance. Contractors must provide authorization to contact references.

c. HQ SACT reserves the right to negotiate minor deviations to the listed General Terms and Conditions to this RFP.

18. Disputes

Disputes will be settled between the bidder and the Contracting Officer by mutual agreement through negotiation, while respecting and observing NATO regulations and policies.

19. Proposed Candidates

If successful, contractor company must notify HQ SACT of any special accommodations or requirements of its personnel for on-site support.

20. Communications

All communication related to this RFP, between a prospective bidder and HQ SACT shall only be through the nominated HQ SACT Contracting Officer. Designated contracting staff shall assist the HQ SACT Contracting Officer in the administrative process. There shall be no contact with other HQ SACT personnel regarding this RFP.

Such adherence shall ensure Fair and Open Competition with equal consideration and competitive footing leverage to all interested parties.

21. Points of Contact

(PLEASE INCLUDE ALL BELOW ON ALL CORRESPONDENCE)

Michael DiProspero, ACT Contracting Officer, Michael.diprospero@nato.int Robert McMaster, ACT Contracting Specialist, Robert.mcmaster@nato.int

Hqsact.contracting@nato.int

Enclosure 1: Proposal Content / Checklist

PROPOSAL CONTENT / CHECKLIST

Table of Contents

□ Bidder’s name, address, POC, Contact numbers, email address.

□ Compliance Statement.

□ Past Performance (including References).

□ List of Key Personnel.

□ Technical Proposal.

□ Price Proposal (Excel worksheet – Enclosure 4 - provides mandatory price proposal format)

Enclosure 2: Compliance Statement

COMPLIANCE STATEMENT TO SEALED BID RFP-ACT-SACT-26-95

It is hereby stated that our company has read and understands all documentation issued as part of this RFP. Our company proposal submitted in response to the referenced solicitation is fully compliant with the provisions of this RFP and the intended contract with the following exception(s); such exemptions are considered non-substantial to the HQ SACT solicitation provisions issued.

Note: Any requested deviations/adjustments or considerations regarding HQ SACT General Terms and Conditions must be identified here - at the time of bidding -for consideration by the Contracting Officer.

Clause Description of Minor Deviation

(If applicable, add another page)

Company:

Signature:

Name &Title: Date: ________________

Company Bid Reference:

Bidder’s proposal must be based on full compliance with the terms, conditions and requirements of the RFP and all future clarifications and/or amendments. The bidder may offer variations in specific implementation and operational details provided that the functional and performance requirements are fully satisfied. In case of conflict between the compliance statement and the detailed evidence or explanation furnished, the detailed evidence/comments shall take precedence/priority for the actual determination of compliance. Minor or non-substantial deviations may be accepted. Substantial changes shall be considered non-responsive.

Enclosure 3: Past Performance Information Form

Company is required to submit minimum of three. Company should be clear how the company met the requirements of past performance. Reference to a contract must include a detailed description of the work performed relevant to the requirements outlined in the SOW. Generic or Vague references to the contract awarded without clear connection to work performed will be disqualified Required Past Performance Information:

(a) Contracting Entity:

(b) Contract No:

(c) Type of Contract (Firm Fixed Price, IDIQ, Requirements):

(d) Title of Contract:

(e) Description of Work Performance and Relevance to Current Acquisition (Type of facility, capacity, estimated patronage, summary of staff used):

(f) Contract Dollar Amount:

(g) Period of Performance:

(h) Name, Address, Fax and Telephone No. of Reference:

(i) Indicate Whether Reference Acted as Prime or Sub-contractor:

(j) Comments regarding compliance with contract terms and conditions:

(k) Complete Contact Information for client:

(l) Permission to contact client for reference: Yes / No

Name/Signature of Authorized Company Official: _______________________________

This Enclosure is designed to assist the respective company provide HQ SACT with all necessary documents/information required. For clarification, please refer to bidding instructions in part 1 of subject solicitation.

Enclosure 4: Mandatory Price Proposal Excel Spreadsheet

Pricing shall be submitted using the excel workbook provided separately. Bidders may elect to submit a PDF proposal for pricing in addition to the required excel workbook.

Proposals not submitted in the proper format will not be considered.

Formulas have been added for convenience; however, it is the company’s responsibility to ensure that the formulas are correctly reflecting your expected bid proposal value.

Annex A

Statement of Work (SOW) Project, Program, and Portfolio Management (P3M) Training

1. Introduction & Objectives The Portfolio, Program, and Project Management (P3M) training program has been successfully operating within Headquarters NATO Supreme Allied Command Transformation (HQ SACT) for several years. The training framework utilizes the Managing Successful Programmes (MSP®) and Projects IN Controlled Environments (PRINCE2®) methodologies. These methodologies are fully integrated with the operational workflows defined in the Common Funded Capabilities Delivery Governance Model (CFCDGM).

A critical requirement for HQ SACT is minimizing training overhead and accommodating the rapid turnaround of military personnel. Therefore, the selected training qualifications must be capable of accelerating a student from zero baseline knowledge to the Practitioner level within a maximum of five (5) consecutive days.

2. Background & Context With the continuous implementation of the CFCDGM, ACT has a confirmed, recurring requirement for high-quality P3M best-practices training for its staff. This SOW has been developed in strict coherence with the ACT P3 Management and Capability Delivery Training Directive 20-3.3. It incorporates institutional lessons identified over the past five years to optimize content, course variety, and throughput.

To maintain strict educational consistency, quality control, and seamless continuity throughout the training pipeline, a single provider must be capable of delivering the entirety of the course portfolio outlined in this document.

3. Scope of Work.

The contractor shall provide comprehensive, on-site training courses for HQ personnel.

The baseline scope requires the delivery of six (6) P3M courses per calendar year distributed as follows:

• PeopleCert Managing Successful Programmes (MSP®): Two (2) iterations per year.

• PeopleCert PRINCE2® Project Management: One (1) iteration per year.

• PeopleCert Management of Risk (MoR®): Three (3) iterations per year.

Scheduling Structure: Historically, optimal execution consists of three (3) distinct training sessions per year, spread over two-week blocks. Each block will typically pair either an MSP® or a PRINCE2® iteration with an MoR® iteration.

4. Tasking and Deliverables The contractor shall conduct all training iterations to the exact standards of the CFCDGM. Each individual course iteration must accommodate exactly 16 delegates.

Mandatory Deliverables:

1. Pre-Course Preparation: The contractor shall provide all enrolled delegates with digital pre-course preparation packages, including pre-study guides, official syllabi, and practice examination questions at least one (1) week prior to course commencement.

2. Official Courseware: The contractor shall provide 100% genuine, authorized PeopleCert physical textbooks and course manuals delivered directly to HQ SACT prior to day one of instruction.

3. Classroom Instruction: Delivery of five (5) consecutive days of intensive, instructor-led training tailored to accelerate candidates from baseline understanding to the Practitioner level.

4. On-Site Paper Examinations: The contractor shall coordinate, administer, and proctor official PeopleCert paper-based Foundation and Practitioner certification examinations directly within the physical classroom setting during the scheduled 5-day course timeframe.

5. Reporting: The contractor shall deliver an official post-course attendance and examination result summary to the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) within ten (10) business days following course completion.

Course Type Duration Frequency (Per Year)

Delegate Volume

PeopleCert PRINCE2® (Foundation & Practitioner) 5 Days 1 Iteration 16 Delegates

PeopleCert MSP® (Foundation & Practitioner) 5 Days 2 Iterations 16 Delegates per iteration

PeopleCert MoR® (Foundation & Practitioner) 5 Days 3 Iterations 16 Delegates per iteration

5. Phased Delivery & Planning

• Annual Planning: The exact execution schedule for the courses will be mutually established between the contractor and ACT at the beginning of each calendar year.

• Curriculum Adjustments: Throughout the contract lifecycle, if the need arises, ACT reserves the right to swap a scheduled training iteration for an alternative course within the broader PeopleCert ecosystem. Permissible replacement courses include, but are not limited to, Management of Portfolios (MoP®), PRINCE2 Agile®, or other relevant PeopleCert qualifications.

• Course Cancellation Option: In the event that an iteration does not meet the minimum viable threshold of delegates, ACT retains the right to cancel the scheduled training session without financial penalty, provided a minimum of a two

(2) week (14 calendar days) advance notice is given to the contractor.

6. Contract Type and Period of Performance

• Contract Type: Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP), Deliverables-Based. Courses shall be priced and invoiced individually within the bid on a per-course cost basis (flat rate), rather than per individual participant. As stated in Section 4, this flat rate must be fully inclusive of all instruction, digital pre-study access, physical manuals, shipping, and official paper-based examination fees.

• Period of Performance: 2027 to 2031. Courses must be executed within the designated calendar year.

7. Location, Logistics, and Travel

• Primary Location: All courses will be delivered on-site in Norfolk, VA, USA.

• ACT Provided Resources: ACT Staff Training will provide the instructor with a training room suited to 16 delegates, a projector, flip charts, and guest network/laptop access as required.

• Contractor Responsibilities: The vendor is fully responsible for arranging all travel, meals, and lodging for their instructional personnel. The financial quote must be entirely inclusive of these costs; separate delineation of travel expenses is not required.

• Alternative/Online Delivery Clause: In the event that public health situations, force majeure, or international travel restrictions prohibit in-person gatherings, courses may be transitioned to an online format. Online courses will be spread over two weeks and divided into two separate sessions of eight (8) delegates each, at no additional cost to ACT. Regardless of the adjusted timeline, each course will be invoiced as a single instance once all 16 delegates have completed the curriculum.

8. Points of Contact

• Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR):

o Mr. Arnaud Planiol, P3 SME, ACT

9. Security Requirements Because the contractor personnel will not require a permanent desk/seat within the headquarters and will not handle, access, or be exposed to classified information, no security clearance is required for the execution of this contract.

10. Instructor & Provider Requirements To ensure educational rigor and operational relevance, the contractor and assigned personnel must satisfy the following mandatory qualification criteria:

• Organizational Accreditation: The contractor must be an active, formally certified Accredited Training Organization (ATO) in good standing with PeopleCert for all proposed course offerings (PRINCE2®, MSP®, and MoR®).

• Instructor Credentials: All proposed instructors must hold valid PeopleCert Approved Trainer accreditations in the relevant subject areas and possess a minimum of three (3) years of documented experience delivering P3M training within defense, public-sector, or multinational operational environments.

Instructors must demonstrate the institutional familiarity required to contextualize commercial best practices within NATO capability delivery processes.

• Past Performance: The contractor must demonstrate a verifiable track record of delivering successful, multi-course P3M training programs to multinational or defense organizations within the past five (5) years.

11. Use by Other NATO Entities

This solicitation and any resulting contract awarded under this RFP are issued by Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (HQ SACT) and are intended to satisfy HQ SACT requirements only. Other NATO entities located within the United States may, at their sole discretion and subject to the availability of funding and the possession of appropriate contracting authority, use the results of this competition as the basis for establishing their own separate contract(s) with the successful contractor.

Any such contract established by another NATO entity shall be a separate contractual instrument between that entity and the contractor. All costs, funding obligations, contract administration, technical oversight, performance management, invoicing, modifications, option exercises, and any other contractual responsibilities shall rest solely with the issuing NATO entity. HQ SACT shall have no liability, responsibility, or obligation for the administration or funding of contracts awarded by another NATO entity under this arrangement.

HQ SACT is aware that this RFP may be used by Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFCNF) to support the establishment of separate P3M courses. Inclusion of this information does not constitute a commitment by JFCNF to award a contract, nor does it establish any contractual relationship between JFCNF and the successful HQ SACT contractor unless and until a separate contractual instrument is executed by JFCNF.

Optional Pricing for JFCNF is included in the Pricing Annex to help assist the command in developing a budget for a future requirement. The submission/non-submission of this pricing will not count towards the technical evaluation/price evaluations by HQ SACT.

Annex B: Technical Compliance Matrix

Instructions to Bidders

Bidders must achieve a rating of "Compliant" on all mandatory technical requirements (including TR-01 through TR-08) to be considered technically acceptable. Bids receiving a "Non-Compliant" rating on any single requirement shall be disqualified from technical consideration and will not proceed to commercial evaluation. Bidders must provide the explicit substantiating evidence requested in Column 3; statements of mere intent or unsubstantiated "compliance" affirmations will result in a determination of non-compliance. (HQ SACT reserves the right to conduct technical discussions for clarification). Examples of how detailed knowledge levels were attained are expected.

ID Technical Requirement Compliant Non-Compliant

Contractor is national of NATO Member nation.

ID SOW

Ref

Mandatory Technical Requirement

Required Bidder Submission (Proof of Compliance)

Compliance (Compliant / Non-Compliant)

TR

-01

Sec.

Accredited Training Organization (ATO) Status: The bidder must be an active, accredited PeopleCert ATO in good

Valid PeopleCert ATO Certificate(s) listing all required course modules.

standing for PRINCE2®, MSP®, and MoR®.

TR

-02

Sec.

Instructor Accreditations & Experience: All proposed instructors must hold active PeopleCert Approved Trainer status for the designated subjects and possess at least three

(3) years of experience training multinational, defense, or public-sector entities.

Instructor CV(s) showing corporate/defense instruction history and copies of active PeopleCert Trainer Accreditations.

TR

-03

Sec.

2, 10

Corporate Past Performance: The bidder must have successfully executed a minimum of three (3) comparable P3M training contracts for defense, public sector, or multinational

Three (3) verified client reference sheets detailing organization name, point of contact, contract duration, courses delivered, and delegate volume.

organizations within the past five (5) years.

TR

-04

Sec.

1, 3, 4

Throughput & Accelerated Delivery:

The bidder must guarantee instructional capacity to accelerate students from zero baseline to Practitioner level across six (6) 5-day iterations per calendar year (16 delegates per iteration).

Comprehensive 5-day master syllabus and daily schedule for each qualification

(PRINCE2®, MSP®,

MoR®) outlining instructional hours and examination placement.

-05

Sec.

Official Courseware & Pre-Study Provision:

The bidder must provide genuine, physical PeopleCert manuals for each student and grant digital pre-course preparation material and mock exams at least 7 days prior to delivery.

Written distribution plan for physical manual delivery to ACT Norfolk and documentation/scree nshots of the candidate pre-study digital portal.

-06

Sec.

In-Classroom Paper- Based Proctored Exams: The bidder must coordinate, administer, and proctor official PeopleCert paper-based Foundation and Practitioner examinations on-site during the 5-day course schedule.

Written standard operating procedure detailing secure paper exam paper transport, registered invigilator assignment, and PeopleCert exam compliance.

-07

Sec.

Virtual Pivot Capability: The bidder must possess the tested capability to transition any scheduled course into a live virtual format (split into two 8-student cohorts over two weeks) at zero additional cost to

ACT.

Virtual delivery technical plan detailing platform specifications (e.g., MS Teams/WebEx), student engagement methodology, and remote proctoring procedures.

-08

Sec.

Cancellation & Substitution Terms:

The bidder must unconditionally accept

Signed formal statement of acceptance on corporate letterhead

ACT’s 14-calendar-day penalty-free cancellation right and the option to substitute modules with other PeopleCert products (e.g., MoP®, PRINCE2 Agile®).

by an authorized commercial officer.