NTA floats ₹7.5 crore tender for security services to protect critical infrastructure

In the wake of the recent high-profile controversies over exam paper leaks, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has floated a ₹7.5 crore tender to secure round-the-clock professional security services for its critical infrastructure.

The Request for Proposal, issued on July 25, 2026 targets comprehensive security deployment across the agency’s headquarters on Minto Road, regional offices in Okhla, and other designated storage and record facilities in New Delhi.

The selected security partner will be tasked with safeguarding high-risk zones, including confidential examination material storage, server rooms, strong rooms, warehouses, and record rooms, according to the tender documents. The mandate covers continuous access control, visitor tracking, asset safeguarding, and protection of NTA personnel.

The ₹7.5 crore contract will initially span two years, with provisions for a two-year extension (one year at a time), depending on satisfactory performance.

Breaking away from the conventional lowest-bidder (L1) procurement norms, the NTA has opted for a Quality-and-Cost-Based Selection (QCBS) model. Citing the high-stakes confidentiality required for national entrance examinations, the evaluation structure assigns 70% weightage to technical capabilities and 30% weightage to financial bids. Bidders must secure a minimum threshold of 70 out of 100 marks in the technical evaluation round to qualify for the financial opening.

The NTA has laid down parameters to filter experienced applicants. Agencies must possess a minimum of five years of demonstrated experience in providing professional security services to high-security zones, including Central government Ministries, public sector undertakings, airports, universities, metro rail systems, or major examination bodies. Applicants are required to display an average annual turnover of at least ₹10 crore over the past three financial years. 

Bidders must furnish an earnest money deposit of ₹15 lakh, alongside a performance security equivalent to 5% of the total contract value, the NTA has said. 

Interested agencies can submit their bids through the GeM (Government e Marketplace) portal until 3 p.m. on August 17, 2026, following which technical bids will be unlocked the same day, the NTA has said. Alongside security, the NTA’s ongoing procurement drive also encompasses tenders for comprehensive printing services, housekeeping, and specialised waste management as part of a wider administrative overhaul.