Invitation To Tender for Nexus Technical Operator
Nexus Global Payments (NGP) will be contracting a technical operator (the Nexus Technical Operator – NTO) to develop the Nexus software, set up and operate the infrastructure and network, and run the day-today technical and business operations of Nexus.
NGP aims to contract with a single party who will play the role of the NTO.
Key information about this process is outlined below.
1. Scope and key objectives
The NTO will be responsible for three key areas:
– The Nexus core and ancillary software and infrastructure
The NTO must deliver a robust, API/ISO20022 based payment processing platform, designed for high-volume, real-time transaction processing, including the required cloud infrastructure, as well as the supporting software, such as service desk software, a knowledge base and a developer portal.
– Technical operations
The NTO must ensure Nexus is highly resilient and adheres to the requirements of operating a 24/7, real-time payment service. The NTO is responsible for ensuring Nexus to be operational (including business continuity/business recovery, incident management and capacity management etc. ) and secure (including operating a Security and Network Operations Centre).
– Business operations
The NTO is also responsible for operating the service desk, onboarding new participants and managing support requests.
The NTO must also support NGP in its regulatory obligations and have an attitude of cooperation and continuous improvement. NGP seeks a true long-term partner, who is committed to improve the cross-border payment experience together with NGP, the Instant Payment Systems (IPS) and the banks.
2. Key Dates
NGP has launched the tender process to select the NTO and is no longer accepting new bidders. Key dates for NTO role are as follows:
- 28th April 2025: Tender launched
- 26th May 2025 (9am SGT): Bidders submit intention to bid and no more NDAs will be accepted
- 23rd June 2025 (9am SGT): Bids due
Expected bidder presentation window: Mid August – Mid September
3. Eligibility Criteria
We welcome proposals from vendors which are:
- Providers of payments processing technology to (a) payment system operators or (b) banks and payment service providers
- Providers of business process outsourcing services to (a) payment system operators or (b) banks and payment service providers
- Payment system operators
The vendor is expected to have a track record of working in:
- Instant (account-to-account) domestic payments, and/or
- Cross-border payments (instant or otherwise)
The vendor must be able to support the business hours of Nexus and its member countries (currently time-zones from UTC+5:30 to UTC+8:00)
In addition, the NTO’s solution is expected to have the following characteristics:
- The solution must enable account-to-account payments by connecting instant payment systems
- Solution must not depend on FMIs other than domestic instant payment systems
Bidders who are unsure if they meet the eligibility to participate should first contact NGP.
4. Joint Bids and Subcontracting
Joint bids and consortium bids are welcomed, but in such case, one member of the consortium must be assigned as the lead bidder and the sole contracting party.
The NTO may choose to outsource parts of the scope of the Tender, as long as it ensures that any subcontracting arrangement is solely between the NTO and the subcontractor; the NTO is not contracting on behalf of NGP, and the NTO remains fully responsible for the acts, omissions, performance, and compliance of its subcontractors as though they were the NTO’s own.
These outsourcing arrangements should be described in the offer document. If successful, NGP will contract with the NTO, and the NTO will manage their own contractual arrangements with its subcontractors.
5. Questions or Need More Info?
NGP is no longer accepting new requests for bidders. If you have any questions on the ITT process, please contact us at [email protected] and we will assist you.