Deadline Date: Friday 31 October 2025
Requirement: Academy Learning Environment Help Desk
Location: Oeiras, PT
Full Time On-Site: Yes
Time On-Site: 100%
Period of Performance: 2025 BASE: As soon as possible but not later than 1st December to Dec 31st, 2025 with possibility to exercise the following options:
2026 Option: 1st January 2026 until 31st December 2026
2027 Option: 1st January 2027 until 31st December 2027
2028 Option: 1st January 2028 until 31st December 2028
Required Security Clearance: NATO SECRET
1 INTRODUCTION
The NATO Communications and Information Academy (NCI Academy) offers training on both static and deployed NATO communication and information systems (CIS). This includes Consultation, Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR), as well as cyber security and cyber defence. Moreover, the NCI Academy plays an instrumental role in designing, developing, and rolling out new learning solutions. This is achieved through comprehensive analysis of training requirements and by leveraging cutting-edge learning technologies.
The NCI Academy also provides a range of education and training services through its Academy Learning Environment (ALE). The ALE governs and strategically coordinates the systems and infrastructure that deliver training, including the Training Management System (TMS), Learning Management System (LMS), Academy Training Network (ATN), and future components such as the Adaptive Learning Platform. These systems support multiple delivery methods, such as classroom training, mobile training, Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT), and self-paced training. The ALE relies on technological elements like cloud-hosted services (TMS, LMS), virtual environments via the ATN, local networks, and a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) that enables remote access.
The NCI Academy is outsourcing the Help Desk function for the ALE. The Help Desk team shall work in close coordination with, and report to, the Academy Technical Capability (TeC) Team.
2 OBJECTIVE
The objective of this service is to ensure timely and effective Help Desk support for the Academy Learning Environment (ALE).
The Help Desk shall provide first-line support to:
End users of the ALE (students, instructors, course developers, training coordinators, and Academy staff), by responding to their requests and resolving issues when interacting with ALE systems (TMS, LMS, ATN, Adaptive Learning Platform, and supporting infrastructure).
The Academy Technical Capability (TeC) Team, by performing assigned requests, routine support tasks, and escalating complex technical issues while ensuring proper follow-up.
The Help Desk scope therefore covers both user-facing support and internal technical support, ensuring continuity of service, timely resolution of incidents, and effective collaboration with Level 2/3 teams.
3 SCOPE OF WORK
Operation of the ALE Help Desk
Scope
The Contractor shall operate the ALE Help Desk as the primary interface for support requests, incidents, and changes. Support shall cover both end users (students, instructors, course developers, training coordinators, Academy staff) and the Academy Technical Capability (TeC) Team.
The Contractor shall ensure permanent coverage during NCI Academy working hours (07:00–17:00 CET).
All requests, regardless of channel (ticketing system, e-mail, IM, telephone, in-person), shall be logged and tracked consistently in the ALE ticketing system.
The SOW covers the following activities and tasks to be executed:
1. Operation of ALE Help Desk: All requests logged and tracked; written response provided within 30 minutes (either resolution or status update with assigned priority and prognosis); shift coverage maintained 07:00–17:00 CET.
2. Ticket Escalation and Management: Tickets created and transferred across networks with zero data loss; escalation procedures followed correctly with full traceability.
3. User Account and Course Support: Accounts activated, issues resolved, enrolments and progress supported, certificates generated; ≥95% user satisfaction rate.
4. Monthly Report: Report submitted on time; includes ticket volumes, performance metrics, escalations, and user feedback.
5. Improvement Proposals: Actionable recommendations for process or UX improvement based on metrics and feedback.
The services related to the activities above will be delivered in Sprints, and each sprint will have the duration 5 working days and it can be executed by one resource
The resource provide will be provide service as part of a NCI Agency team dealing with same services.
The content and scope of each sprint will be covered in this section 4.
4 SPRINTS PLANNING, EXECUTION, REVIEW AND PAYMENT
Due to the AGILE approach of this project, the deliverables will be provided for each sprint as well as their associated acceptance criteria at the beginning of the sprint. This includes sprint planning, execution and review processes, which are detailed below:
Sprint Execution
Objective: Contractor's personnel to execute the agreed "sprint plans" with continuous monitoring and adjustments.
Regular meetings between NCIA and the Contractor's personnel to review sprint progress, address issues, and make necessary adjustments to the processes or production methodology. The Meetings will be physically in the office.
Continuous improvement: Contractor's personnel to establish a continuous feedback loop to gather input from all stakeholders for ongoing improvements and their subsequent implementation depending on NCIA approval.
Progress Tracking: Contractor's personnel to use a shared dashboard or tool to track the status of the sprint deliveries and any issues.
Quality Assurance/Quality Check: Contractor's personnel shall ensure that the quality standards agreed for the sprint deliverables are maintained throughout the sprint.
Quality Control: NCIA to perform the Final Quality Control of the agreed deliverables and provide feedback on any issues.
Sprint Review
Objective: Review the sprint performance and identify areas for improvement.
At the end of each sprint, there will be a meeting between the NCIA and the Contractor's personnel to review the outcomes against the acceptance criteria comprising sprint goals, agreed quality criteria and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Define specific actions to address issues and enhance the next sprint.
Sprint Payment
Payment Schedule will be monthly for the completed and accepted sprints within the month.
For each 4 (four) sprints to be considered as complete and payable, the Contractor's personnel must report the outcome of their service during the sprint, first verbally during the retrospective sprint review meeting and then in writing within five days after the 4th sprint's end date. A report must be sent by email to the NCIA service manager, listing all the service achieved against the agreed tasking list set for the sprint.
The contractor's payment will be depending upon the achievement of agreed Acceptance Criteria for each task, defined at the sprint planning stage. This will include specific delivery targets, quality standards as well as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for each task.
The payment shall be dependent upon successful acceptance as set in the above planning/review meetings. This will follow the payment milestones that shall include a completed Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS) – (Annex A)
Invoices shall be accompanied with a Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS) – (Annex A) signed by the Contractor's personnel and project authority.
If the Contractor's personnel fails to meet the agreed Acceptance criteria for any task, the NCIA reserves the right to withhold payment for that task/sprint.
5 DELIVERABLES AND PAYMENT MILESTONES
The following deliverables are expected from the service on this Statement of Work:
1) Complete the activities/tasks agreed in each sprint meeting as per sections 3 and 4 above.
2) Produce sprint completion reports (format: e-mail update), which include details of activities performed and the list of the deliverables of the week.
3) The contractor will participate in the daily reporting and planning activities (daily stand-ups) as well as the required participation in workshops, events and conferences related to the supported services, as requested by the service delivery manager.
4) Payment schedule will be according to the table below
5) The Purchaser (NCIA) reserves the right to exercise a number of options of one or more sprints based on the same deliverables, at a later time, depending on the project priorities and requirements, at the following cost: for base year (2025) at the same cost, for following years (2026- 2027-2028) the Price Adjustment Formula will be applied in accordance with paragraph of the Framework Contract Special Provisions.
6) The payment shall be dependent upon successful acceptance of the sprint report and the Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS) – (annex B).
7) Invoices shall be accompanied with a Delivery Acceptance Sheet (annex B) signed by the contractor and the NCIA POC
2025 BASE: 10 November 2025 to 31 December 2025
Deliverable: 4 sprints of support (Number of sprints is estimated and will be adjusted based on actual starting date.)
Payment Milestones: Monthly payment for the completed and accepted sprints within the month. Completion of each sprint shall be accompanied documented in Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS) – (Annex B), signed for acceptance by the Purchaser's authorized point of contact and the Contractor
2026, 2027,2028 OPTIONS: 01 JANUARY TO 31 DECEMBER 2026/2027
Deliverable: Up to 46 sprints per each year
Cost Ceiling: Price will be determined by applying the price adjustment formula as outlined in CO‐115786‐ AAS+ Special Provisions article
Payment Milestones: Monthly payment for the completed and accepted sprints within the month. Completion of each sprint shall be accompanied documented in Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS) – (Annex B), signed for acceptance by the Purchaser's authorized point of contact and the Contractor
6 SERVICE KPIS AND PENALTIES
The Contractor is expected to deliver high-quality Help Desk support in line with the following performance criteria:
KPI01: Response time for support requests (Applies to all incidents, changes, and service requests)
Standard: Written response within 30 minutes
Performance Threshold: ≥ 98% within 30 min = Satisfactory; 95–97% = Warning ; < 95% = Non-compliant
PENALTY (if under performance threshold): 1% per recurrence
Method of Report: Monthly Help Desk performance report
KPI02: Reporting of high priority incidents
Standard: Report issued within 30 minutes of ticket opening
Performance Threshold: ≥ 98% on-time = Satisfactory; 95–97% = Warning; < 95% = Non-compliant
PENALTY (if under performance threshold): 1% per missed report
Method of Report: Incident log and TeC Team review
KPI03: Reporting of lower-priority incidents
Standard: Report issued within 4 hours of ticket opening
Performance Threshold: ≥ 95% on-time = Satisfactory; 90–94% = Warning; < 90% = Non-compliant
PENALTY (if under performance threshold): 1% per late report
Method of Report: Incident log and TeC Team review
KPI04: User satisfaction
Standard: Maintain ≥ 95% user satisfaction
Performance Threshold: ≥ 95% = Satisfactory; 90–94% = Warning; < 90% = Non-compliant
PENALTY (if under performance threshold): 2% if below 90% for 2 consecutive months
Method of Report: Monthly user feedback and satisfaction survey
KPI05: Shift coverage and availability
Standard: Continuous Help Desk coverage required during 07:00–17:00 CET
Performance Threshold: ≥ 80% coverage
PENALTY (if under performance threshold): 1% per uncovered shift
Method of Report: Daily shift and escalation logs
Performance will be reviewed monthly with the TeC Team, and corrective actions agreed where necessary.
7 COORDINATION AND REPORTING
The Contractor shall provide the service under the direction of the Academy Technical Capability (TeC) Team Lead or their designated representative.
Weekly sprint planning and review meetings will be held with the TeC Team to agree on scope, monitor progress, and validate deliverables.
The Contractor shall immediately inform the TeC Team Lead if: Tasks or outages are not progressing as expected or any Academy activity interferes with timely resolution of tasks.
Until new direction is provided, the Contractor shall continue providing service on the tasks considered most critical.
All formal communications, deliverables, and reports shall be submitted in writing in English
8 SCHEDULE
Initial Period: As soon as possible but not later than 01 December 2025 – 31 December 2025.
Option Year 1: 01 January 2026 – 31 December 2026
Option Year 2: 01 January 2027 – 31 December 2027.
Option Year 3: 01 January 2028 – 31 December 2028.
9 CONSTRAINTS
The Contractor shall only use software and tools approved on the NCI Agency's Approved Software List (A2SL).
All activities must comply with NATO and NCI Agency policies, standards, and security regulations. The Service Line is responsible to provide initial on-boarding training to contractor's personnel in order for services to comply with the previous mention NCI Agency policies, standards, and security regulations.
All data must be handled in accordance with NATO and NCI Agency data protection and information security requirements.
Dependencies on other Agency support teams may impact timelines and must be managed in close coordination with the TeC Team.
10 PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS
Place of Performance:
All Service shall be performed at the NCI Academy premises in Oeiras, Portugal. Remote work is not permitted.
Hours of Operation Service:
Services shall align with NCI Academy working hours (07:00–17:00 CET).
Due to the multinational aspect of NATO, part of the services in this SoW shall be delivered during national public holidays at the respective locations of performance. The Academy holidays will be shifted to the following dates:
New Year's Day: Thursday, 01 Jan 2026
NATO IS Holiday Harmonization: Thursday, 02 Jan 2026
Good Friday: Friday, 03. April 2026
NATO IS Holiday Harmonization: Monday, 30. March 2026
Easter Sunday: Tuesday, 31. March 2026
Liberation Day: Wednesday, 01. April 2026
Labour Day: Thursday, 02. April 2026
Corpus Christi: Monday, 21. December 2026
National Day: Tuesday, 22. December 2026
Assumption Day: Wednesday, 23. December 2026
Republic Day: Thursday, 24. December 2026
Christmas Day: Friday, 25. December 2026
All Saints' Day: Monday, 28. December 2026
Independence Restoration Day: Tuesday, 29.December 2026
Immaculate Conception: Wednesday, 30.December 2026
NATO IS Holiday Harmonization: Thursday, 31. December 2026
Contractor Furnished Services:
The NCI Academy will provide office space, workstation access, and necessary IT equipment.
NCIA Furnished Property and Services:
The Contractor will be issued required building passes, network accounts, and access permissions, subject to a valid NATO security clearance.
Travel:
No travel outside Oeiras is foreseen under this contract.
If exceptional Travel will concur, the TDY costs will be the responsibility of the contractor and the expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with Article of AAS Framework Contract and within the limits of the NCIA Travel Directive. They will be invoiced separately to the purchaser by the service provider, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the framework agreement. These additional travel costs are considered an extra charge to the overall bid price
11 SECURITY CLEARANCE
It is mandatory for the Contractor to be in possession of a valid NATO Secret security clearance issued by the respective national security authority, valid at the time of bid submission and for the entire duration of the contract.
12 QUALIFICATIONS
[See Requirements]
Requirements
11 SECURITY CLEARANCE
It is mandatory for the Contractor to be in possession of a valid NATO Secret security clearance issued by the respective national security authority, valid at the time of bid submission and for the entire duration of the contract.
12 QUALIFICATIONS
Essential Qualifications and Experience:
This contract requires the services of a help desk operator with the following qualifications and experience:
6. Help Desk / IT Support Experience: Minimum of 5 years experience in a help desk or technical support role, preferably in environments involving multiple systems (, LMS, TMS, or equivalent).
7. Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication in English, with the ability to explain technical information clearly and in a user-friendly manner.
8. User Orientation: Strong customer-service skills, including empathy, patience, and the ability to manage user expectations in stressful situations.
9. Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team environment and coordinate with multiple stakeholders (end users, TCS, Level 2/3 support teams).
10. Documentation: Ability to create and maintain technical documentation, user guides, FAQs, and operational procedures.
11. Analytical Skills: Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting ability, with the capacity to quickly identify issues and determine the most efficient resolution.
12. Solid Technical Experience: Minimum of 5 years experience for the following points: Solid experience in hardware and software troubleshooting (desktops, laptops, printers, peripherals, and operating systems like Windows, macOS, and Linux). In-depth knowledge of basic networking (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP) and experience in resolving network connectivity issues. Experience in the administration and support of Active Directory or similar directory services. Ability to diagnose and resolve information security-related issues (, malware detection, and software vulnerabilities). Experience with PowerShell scripting to automate routine tasks, manage system configurations, and perform advanced troubleshooting.
13. System and Server Management: Minimum of 5 years experience in the administration of Windows Server and Linux servers, including managing permissions, backups, and monitoring performance. Knowledge of virtualization and minimum 5 years experience managing virtual environments.
14. Advanced Support Skills: Ability to escalate and manage high-priority incidents, coordinating with higher-level technical teams (Level 2/3) when necessary. Experience in creating detailed technical documentation, procedural manuals, and end-user guides. Proven ability to lead the resolution of complex technical problems from start to finish
Desirable qualifications and experience
The following qualifications and experience are considered an advantage:
15. Proficiency in using diagnostic tools to troubleshoot technical issues
16. A strong understanding of cybersecurity practices and protocols, ensuring the safety and privacy of user data
17. Knowledge and experience of working with NCI Agency.
18. Knowledge and experience of working with the NCI Academy.
19. Knowledge and experience with agile implementation methodology.
20. In possession of one or more industry certificates in System Administration (, MCSA, CompTIA Server+), Networking (, CCNA), and Modern Desktop Management (, MD-100/MD-101).
21. Experience working with ITSM ticketing system (or similar)
22. Experience in provisioning, configuring and supporting collaboration meetings (Webex, Microsoft Teams etc.), including meeting scheduling and room integration plus on-site technical and rapid troubleshooting to ensure reliable meetings.
23. Leadership and mentoring experience and skills
24. Audio-Visual equipment support: Experience providing technical support for audio-visual equipment, ensuring smooth operation for meetings and auditorium events. Manage end-to-end AV support, including equipment setup, troubleshooting, and coordination for corporate meetings and large-scale events.
Language Proficiency
25. Level 3 English language skills according to NATO STANAG 6001: Listening (3); Speaking (2); Reading (3); and Writing (2) or according to Common European Framework of Reference for Language level B2-C1/Upper Intermediate-Advanced level).