The NATO Security and Investment Programme (NSIP) is a key element of NATO Common Funding, directly contributing to improving NATO's defence capabilities and promoting interoperability between the 26 Allies.  NSIP finances the provision of key military capabilities in support of Article 5 requirements, NATO Crisis Response Operations such as ISAF and KFOR, the NATO Command Structure, NATO-wide Command, Control, Communications and Information Systems (C3I), Air Command & Control (Air C2), as well as for reinforcement and logistics (e.g Airports of debarkation, storage depots).

NSIP is implemented under the supervision of the Infrastructure Committee (IC) within an annual contribution ceiling approved by the North Atlantic Council (NAC). The agreed ceiling for 2008 is €640m. The IC screens and authorises projects designed to meet those operational requirements of the NATO Strategic Commands ( Allied Command Operations (ACO) and Allied Command Transformation (ACT) which exceed the national defence requirements of individual member nations. This type of common funded activity is unique: similar programmes do not exist within either the UN or EU. The IC also approves the procurement strategy for individual NSIP projects. Procurement can follow a number of routes, but the most common are: 

• International Competitive Bidding (ICB) governed by a NATO document known as: AC/4-D/2261 (1996 EDITION)  (PDF, 4.35 MB)
• National Competitive Bidding (NCB) governed by the rules of the Host Nation responsible for the project;
• Basic Ordering Agreements (BOAs) for those projects where the IC has agreed the NC3A can run a limited competition, based on firms that have registered with them. To compete for this work, firms must first register with the NC3A; and
• Sole Source