Why would a Finnish company consider the NATO market?
Finland's NATO membership has opened access to the alliance's shared procurement channels, run by bodies such as NSPA, NCIA, and the commands ACT and ACO. The NATO market offers long-term framework agreements, multi-year development programmes and a route to export growth without building an entirely new business from scratch.
At the same time, entering the NATO market is not simply an extra sales channel bolted onto existing operations. It requires new capabilities around bidding processes, international standards, and often security requirements. Companies should make a deliberate decision on whether the NATO market is strategically sound for them, or whether resources are better directed elsewhere.
Does your offering fit the NATO market?
The first and most important step is an honest assessment of whether your product or service addresses a genuine NATO need. NATO procurement spans everything from software development and cyber security to logistics, materiel, training and infrastructure services, but demand is always tied to the alliance's real capability requirements.
Assess fit by comparing your offering against published procurement notices and long-term capability plans, not just individual tenders. If your solution is too narrow, too early-stage, or requires major customisation before it meets military or technical standards, it is better to identify that before committing resources.
A good rule of thumb: if you can already describe concretely which NATO capability area your offering relates to, and what kind of procurement you would most likely pursue, your fit assessment is well underway.
What registrations and prerequisites are needed?
Practically all participation in NATO procurement requires an NCAGE code, which identifies your company within the international procurement system. In Finland, the code is issued by the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command, and the application should be started early, as processing takes time.
- an NCAGE code to identify the company within the international procurement system
- registration in the supplier portals of relevant organisations, such as NSPA and NCIA
- facility or personnel security clearances where projects involve classified information
- quality management systems and certifications required by many procurements
- a review of export licensing and export control obligations, if the product falls under regulated export
How do you build references without prior NATO history?
For many companies, the biggest obstacle is not capability but a lack of references. In NATO procurement, prior evidence of similar deliveries often carries more weight than a technical presentation, so building references should start well before pursuing larger competitions.
Workable routes include subcontracting on a larger supplier's project, cooperating with national defence and security authorities, and joining international consortia where risk and responsibility are shared across several parties. Applying a solution developed for civilian use to a defence or security context can also serve as a credible reference, provided it is clearly documented.
Building references is best seen as a multi-year process: an early, smaller subcontract or a national pilot can later open the door to a larger NATO-level project.
What role do industry associations and networks play?
Finnish defence and security industry associations bring together companies pursuing the same market and offer a channel for information sharing, training and joint delegation trips. Associations also often make it easier to access international exhibitions and networking events attended by NATO organisations and prime contractors.
Networking with other Finnish and European players is particularly valuable when forming consortia, since many NATO procurements favour groupings that combine specialised expertise from several companies rather than relying on a single large supplier.
What is a realistic timeline for entering the NATO market?
Entering the NATO market is rarely a fast process. Basic registrations, such as obtaining an NCAGE code, can take weeks or months, and security clearances often take months. Submitting a competitive first bid also typically requires assembling references and capability descriptions, which takes its own time.
A realistic window from the initial decision to the first bid is often several months, and winning a first contract can take a year or longer. This does not mean the market is not worth pursuing, but that progress should be planned for the long term rather than expecting quick results in the first few months.
How should you resource a bid function?
Participating in NATO procurement generally requires setting up an internal bid function, even a small one. This means a named person responsible for monitoring procurement notices, coordinating bid preparation, and maintaining contact with authorities and potential partners.
- a named owner responsible for NATO market monitoring and the bid process
- a clear internal process for deciding which notices to pursue
- access to, or a partnership providing, the technical and administrative documentation bids require
- a budget for bid preparation, since the process takes significant time with no guarantee of winning
- a network of potential subcontracting or consortium partners
What does the first twelve months actually look like?
The main goal of the first year is rarely winning a large first contract, but rather building a systematic foundation: registrations completed, references documented, networks formed and procurement channels monitored systematically. Without this foundation, individual bids tend to be opportunistic and resources are often misallocated.
In practice, the first year can be divided into phases: early on, assess fit and complete basic registrations; in the middle, build references and networks and pursue the first smaller competitions; and toward the end, evaluate what was learned and refine strategy for the following year. Systematic monitoring of procurement channels is necessary throughout, so that the right opportunities are identified early rather than noticed only as a deadline approaches.
How does Salpa support a company entering the NATO market?
Salpa continuously monitors notices published by key NATO procurement organisations, including NSPA, NCIA, ACT, ACO and NATO HQ. The service uses AI to summarise notices in the reader's own language and sends an alert when a notice matches the categories a company has selected.
This is particularly useful during the first year in the NATO market, when systematic monitoring matters more than stumbling across a single relevant notice by chance. Salpa can be tried free for 14 days with no commitment.