On 12 March 2015, the signing ceremony for a EUR 30 million contract to deliver new logistics software to NATO took place at the Headquarters of the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) in Brussels, Belgium.
Present at the ceremony were senior representatives from the winning bidder, Sopra Steria, and the Agency's Director of Acquisition, Mr Peter Scaruppe.
The contract will deliver the Logistics Functional Services (LOGFS) capability package in two baselines (2016 and 2017) for use by NATO's Commands and member nations. The project will consolidate and industrialize existing logistics and financial capabilities for operational use and will introduce new capabilities, in particular in the medical arena.
Plans to improve logistics IT support gained momentum at the 2010 Lisbon Summit where a declaration by the heads of State emphasized the need for a "greater use of collective logistics" to meet the demands of ongoing operations. They pledged to "acquire key enabling capabilities including information systems for more effective decision-making and command and control".
LOGFS is the resulting contract and was subject to competitive international tender. It is planned that there will be an addendum to the capability package, bringing additional functionality and further enhancements.
Sopra Steria was established in September 2014 following a merger between Sopra and Steria. The company now employs approximately 35,000 employees and enjoys a combined revenue of some EUR 3.4 billion.