Provision of NPU-Based Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) for Enterprise AI Use Cases

Pakistan Revenue Automation Pvt Limited (PRAL) invites bids for the provision of NPU-Based Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) to support enterprise AI use cases for PRAL and FBR in Islamabad. This procurement covers supply and operation of advanced AI hardware and related cloud services to enable efficient AI workloads without on-premise capital expenditure. Items being procured include: - 8 x NPU's (model Ascend 910B or equivalent) delivered as Infrastructure-as-a-Service - Single Bare Metal Server (BMS) with 512GB total HBM, 192 vCPUs, 2TB RAM, and 6TB Storage - Bandwidth of at least 100Mbps between vendor data center and PRAL/FBR data centers - IPSec/VPN tunnel capabilities (Point to Point and MPLS) - Sovereign NPU cluster with elastic scaling for LLM deployments - Enterprise-grade security, data residency, and compliance certifications (SOC 2 / ISO 27001) - Infrastructure monitoring, logging, usage dashboards with SLA-backed uptime guarantees - Space-as-a-service option with 2-month notice - Infrastructure located within 50 km of PRAL/FBR G-5 and G-9 data centers - Secure lockable server cabinets (42U or 48U) with dual-feed metered PDUs and environment monitoring - Mix of standard and high-density racks with liquid cooling - Resilient power supply systems at multiple levels - Hot/cold aisle containment with PUE <= 1.5 - Advanced fire detection and suppression systems compliant with NFPA - ASHRAE-compliant fresh air handling and emergency ventilation - Biometric multi-zone access control, 24x7 physical security, CCTV with 30-day recording - Carrier-neutral connectivity with multiple independent back-haul providers and fiber paths - International connectivity via two independent IP Transit Providers - Physically separated Main Meet-Me Rooms - Multi-homed public internet gateways with cyber-attack mitigation - Regular cybersecurity audits - Tier III or higher certification of design and constructed facility - 24x7x365 NOC and operations staffed by certified engineers - 99.9% uptime with penalty/service credit mechanism - Dedicated disaster recovery site - All workloads and data hosted within Pakistan complying with regulatory and data protection requirements The scope includes supply, installation, and operation of the above infrastructure as a cloud service to meet PRAL's AI performance, latency, and throughput needs. Bidders must be registered on EPADS v2.0 and comply with eligibility criteria including FBR registration and non-blacklisting. Technical evaluation carries 70% weight and financial 30%, using Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS). Bids must be submitted electronically via EPADS v2.0 by 26 October 2026 at 03:00 PM and will be opened the same day at 03:30 PM. Manual bids are not accepted. The bid security is required as per bidding documents. The contract includes a 2% performance guarantee and payment in PKR. The procuring agency is located at Galaxy Business Center, Sector I-9/3, Islamabad. Interested bidders should carefully review the detailed specifications and terms available on EPADS and PRAL's website. A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for 16 October 2026 at PRAL Head Office, Islamabad. One practical tip for bidders is to ensure timely registration on EPADS v2.0 and upload all required documents to avoid disqualification. This procurement offers an excellent opportunity for cloud providers with advanced AI infrastructure capabilities to partner with a key government agency in Islamabad.