NATO Procurement Agency NSPA expects increase in number of suppliers from Ukraine
Ukrainian industry can currently do business with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency: about 80 registered companies have access to all tenders and offers, but with the launch of the new Ukraine-focused Special Competitive Studies Project, the number of companies and their capabilities are expected to increase, said Colin Munce, deputy director for operations at NSPA.
He said currently the partnership has five members, and Ukraine is in the process of joining. Deputy Defense Minister Serhiy Boyev approved Ukraine’s accession, and this is very important because it will open up opportunities for Ukrainian industry to participate in all NSPA tenders and benefit from their advantages, Munce said at the fourth Ukraine Resilience business forum hosted by the Luxembourg-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce in Luxembourg last week.
He clarified that NSPA, based in Luxembourg, is NATO’s leading procurement, supply and support organization with an annual turnover of about EUR 12 billion. The agency procures goods, services and systems on behalf of NATO countries in land, air, maritime, cyber and space operational domains, acting as a kind of integrator. The more countries turn to the agency with the same requirements, the better value it can obtain for them, the deputy director for operations explained.
According to him, NSPA has had a multiyear relationship supporting Ukraine, which intensified in 2014 with the first Russian invasion, and especially after Russia’s large-scale invasion in 2022.
The agency directly supports NATO countries in procuring equipment, ammunition, weapons and systems for subsequent donation to Ukraine, and works on behalf of NATO headquarters and the Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine, Munce said.
He added that NSPA also acts as a procurement agent for the IT Capabilities Coalition led by Luxembourg and Estonia, which brings together 11 states.
The agency representative stressed that it is working to build up cooperation with Ukraine, which has shown exceptional results in recent years in terms of defense innovation procurement and adaptation that has occurred faster than in any NATO country.