Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2023-05-19
Buyer: Danmarks Tekniske Universitet - DTU
Country: DK
Contract type: Supplies
Procedure: Negotiated without a prior call for competition
CPV classification: 30236200 | 48000000 | 48900000 | 72000000
Estimated value: 2000000 DKK
Award criteria: Lowest price

Technical requirements: DTU has developed a quantum key distribution (QKD) system named QTREX. It is based on continuous variables and uses a Gaussian modulation protocol. The licensed software shall transform the complex quadrature amplitude values pairs generated by DTU’s QKD system into secret key. For this the typical steps in a QKD protocol have to be implemented by the data-processing software. The generated secret key shall be transferred to a key management system that can be used by end-user applications for obtain secret keys. The key management system will be the interface between the quantum layer and the application layer in the EuroQCI project QCI.DK.
◦	perform channel parameter estimation related to DTU’s QTREX QKD system including computation of confidence intervals based on the beta-distribution as well as composable and asymptotic secret key rates (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-32161-y)
◦	use DTU’s information reconciliation software library for the information reconciliation step in the QKD protocol as this library has been tuned for high performance in the low signal-to-noise ratio regime DTU’s QKD system is operating at.
◦	be written in a programming language that intrinsically eliminates security risks from buffer overflows
◦	be modular so that it can be adapted for DTU Electro’s high dimensional QKD system as well as NBI’s and DTU Electro’s single photon QKD system
◦	accept secret keys from the data-processing software to manage the secret keys generated by DTU’s QKD system
◦	interface Zybersafe’s AES data encryptor units (proprietary interface) because the encrypter shall be used in the EuroQCI QKD network in Denmark
◦	handle trusted nodes in a QKD network as well as key routing if multiple paths are available in the network. This requirement allows us to implement the promised functionality in the EuroQCI QKD network in Denmark
◦	run on the system on module inside DTU’s QTREX QKD system which is based on an ARM architecture to avoid transfer of key outside the secure system which may open a security risk
In the EuroQCI project QCI.DK the metropolitan network will be built with DTU’s QTREX QKD system. To be able to generate secret key with the QKD system the above requirements have to be fulfilled. All QKD networks in QCI.DK have to manage the generated keys to connect the application layer with the quantum layer. For this purpose the above requirements on the key management system have to be fulfilled.
Searching the market we came to the conclusion that Cryptomathic’s software package is the only one on the market that fulfils all requirements.
Furthermore switching from Cryptomathic’s software to software from another vendors will generate substantial additional costs for DTU.
Complaint regarding prequalification must be submitted no later than 20 calendar days after notification has been sent to the concerned Candidates informing them who has been selected, if the notification includes the grounds for the decision, cf. lov om Klagenævnet for Udbud (Complaints Board for Tenders) § 7, Section 1.
Complaint regarding the award of a contract must be submitted no later than 45 calendar days from the date after the Contracting Authority has published a notice in the European Union Official Journal informing that the Contracting Authority has awarded/concluded a contract, cf. lov om Klagenævnet for Udbud (Complaints Board for Tenders) § 7, Section 2, no. 1.
Complaint regarding award of a contract under a framework agreement with a reopening of the competition (mini-tender):


Winner: Cryptomathic A/S
Award value: 2000000