About us
The ACO Acquisition Management Branch is headed by the ACO Head of Contracts who is responsible for developing, coordinating, promulgating and implementing acquisition policies and procedures ACO-wide.
The ACO Head of Contracts promotes best practices, harmonized procedures and economies of scale, whenever practical and feasible, through centralized acquisition initiatives.
The ACO Strategic Sourcing and Contingency Operations Section
- Manages the Agency relationships for MBC funded projects;
- Finalizes the source selection for ACO wide major and complex acquisitions;
- Screens, reviews and makes appropriate recommendations related to ACO HQ's requests for deviations to bidding procedures;
- Provides warrant certification and relevant training tools for all NATO Civilians and Officers appointed to negotiate contracts on behalf of SACEUR;
- Develops the contracting elements of SACEUR's operation and exercise OPLANs, and provides direct follow-on support of these activities;
- Initiates and executes NATO's outsourcing requirements in the ACO area of responsibility;
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Whenever appropriate, awards contracts based on "best value”;
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Executing all ACO Foreign Military Sales (FMS) cases, as well as procurements covered by Acquisition Cross Servicing Agreements (ACSA) with US EUCOM.
The Contract Management Section
- For ACO military HQs (including SHAPE) is responsible for:
- the entire contract procurement function for supplies, services and systems funded through NATO's international budgets;
- SHAPE's Community Service Fund (SCSF) contracting activities;
- concessionaire contracts;
- tenant commands on a reimbursable basis.
- Providing Ordering Officers, Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) and Contracting Officer Representative trainings;
- Maintaining supplier base management and vendor's registration;
- Managing supplier relationships;
- Implementing and providing customs clearance policy.
ACO Head of Contracts