ICB (international call for tenders)

ICB stands for International Competitive Bidding. In NATO procurement it is the formal international competition procedure used to buy goods and services, generally through an Invitation for International Bidding (IFIB) or an Invitation for International Proposals (IFIP). "International call for tenders" describes the same idea in plain language, but the established NATO term is International Competitive Bidding.

The NATO Communications and Information (NCI) Agency describes ICB as its standard method of competition for acquiring goods and services. NATO guidance also identifies ICB as the procedure applied to NATO infrastructure projects. For Canadian suppliers, the term appears mainly in guidance on winning NATO and other international defence work.

How a NATO ICB competition runs

At the NCI Agency, ICBs are issued as sealed-bid Invitations for Bid (IFBs). Each competition is announced in advance through a Notification of Intent (NOI), which gives a synopsis of the requirement and a timetable for submitting a Declaration of Eligibility.

For NATO Allied Command Operations and Allied Command Transformation requirements, ICB covers two instruments. An IFIB is generally associated with sealed bidding for well-defined, off-the-shelf supplies and services. An IFIP invites international proposals. SHAPE's finance and acquisition page confirms that ICBs, whether IFIB or IFIP, are the route for larger requirements.

Eligibility and the Declaration of Eligibility

ICB is not open to every firm. Participation at the NCI Agency is limited to companies from the NATO nations funding the requirement, while common-funded ICBs are open to industry from all NATO nations. Eligibility is normally controlled through national authorities or NATO delegations.

A firm generally needs a national Declaration of Eligibility (DOE) before it is placed on the bidders list. Firms must reference the IFB number when they contact their national authority or delegation to ask for inclusion. Only firms on the bidders list receive the formal IFB package.

When NATO uses ICB

NATO guidance states that ICB is generally used when the estimated requirement exceeds the applicable Established Financial Limit (EFL). SHAPE identifies the Level D threshold as €800,000, effective June 1, 2024.

ICB is also the standard procedure for NATO infrastructure projects. Canada's Guide to navigating NATO procurement explains that NATO policy normally requires ICB for these projects unless the host nation gives a compelling reason not to use it. The host nation issues an NOI to NATO delegations, and eligible firms may then be invited to tender. In the infrastructure procedure NATO cites, the award goes to the lowest compliant bidder.

What ICB means for a Canadian supplier

ICB is not a standard method in Canadian federal, provincial or municipal tendering. It matters when your firm pursues NATO contracts, and the steps are specific:

• Watch for NOIs from NATO agencies and for NATO infrastructure projects notified to Canada. Projects subject to NATO ICB are notified to the Canadian Delegation and published on the Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) website.
• Contact the Canadian Delegation to NATO and request a Declaration of Eligibility as soon as you see an NOI that fits your business.
• Expect the delegation to forward your declaration to the host nation, which decides whether to add you to the bidders list and send the formal IFB package.
• Check the NOI timetable first, because the Declaration of Eligibility has its own deadline ahead of the bid.

These steps are set out in the Department of National Defence guide. Treat eligibility as the first gate: without a declaration, a compliant bid cannot reach the evaluation stage.