METI to Bid Cloudification of Survey Statistics Systems Using Generative AI

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) announced a general competitive bid in the Official Gazette dated September 8, 2026 (Extra Government Procurement No. 167) for a project to promote the cloud migration of survey statistics systems and the utilization of generative AI. The Expenditure Burdening Officer is Yuko Tamai, Director of the Accounting Division, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, with procurement agency number 019 and location number 13.

The target is one set of the “FY2026 Project for the Promotion of Technical Development Surveys, etc. (Project for the Modernization of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Survey Statistics System (Cloud Migration and Generative AI Utilization))”, with item classification numbers 71 (Information Processing) and 27 (Other Services). The performance deadline is March 26, 2027, and the place of performance shall be as specified in the bid explanation documents.

Bidding Schedule and Procedures

Bidding will be conducted using the electronic procurement system, although the submission of bid documents in paper form is also permitted. The bid briefing will be held online via “Microsoft Teams” on September 15, 2026, at 14:00.

• Deadline for receipt of proposals and bid documents: October 6, 2026, 12:00 (must arrive by this time if sent by mail)
• Bid opening date and time: October 19, 2026, 11:00, Bid Room, Accounting Division, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (outside the Ministry of Finance side entrance gate, 1st floor of the Main Building)
• Bid bond/Contract bond: Fully exempt
• Contract preparation: Required
• Language and currency used: Japanese / Japanese Yen

The bid amount shall be the total price for the service item, and bidders must submit a proposal and undergo a technical review. The winning bid price shall be the amount stated in the bid document plus an amount equivalent to 10 percent of said amount; regardless of whether the bidder is a taxable or tax-exempt business entity for consumption tax and local consumption tax, they shall enter the amount equivalent to 100/110 of the estimated contract amount in the bid document.

Participation Qualifications and Technical Review

Participation is predicated on not falling under the provisions of Articles 70 and 71 of the Budget, Settlement and Accounting Order. Furthermore, applicants must be rated as grade “A”, “B”, “C”, or “D” for “Provision of Services, etc.” in the METI competitive participation qualifications (Unified Qualifications for All Government Ministries) for FY2025, 2026, and 2027, and must have selected “Information Processing” as a business item.

• Must not be subject to measures suspending the granting of subsidies or nomination suspension measures by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
• Must not have had a contract with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry terminated within the past three years due to deficiencies in information management.
• Bids falling under Article 12 of the Bidding Instructions shall be considered invalid.

The determination of the successful bidder will be made based on Articles 15 through 17 of the Bidding Instructions. As an obligation required of bidders, the preparation and submission of a proposal based on the specifications provided by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is mandated. For inquiries, contact the Statistical Information System Office, Survey Statistics Group, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (Contact: Takehana, Tel: 03-3501-1068).

Project Objectives and Impact on the IT Industry

This project involves migrating the survey statistics systems held by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to the cloud and modernizing operations through the utilization of generative AI, representing a procurement aligned with the government’s push for digital administration. As this is a total-price bid involving a technical review, it presents a significant business opportunity for IT and AI-related companies with the capability to implement cloud infrastructure and generative AI.

Since the completion deadline is set for the end of the fiscal year on March 26, 2027, the winning contractor will be required to complete system construction and migration within approximately six months. With the bid briefing scheduled for September 15, interested operators must urgently consider their participation.

Source: Official Gazette (Extra Government Procurement No. 167) dated September 8, 2026, “Invitation to Bid” — FY2026 Project for the Promotion of Technical Development Surveys, etc. (Project for the Modernization of METI Survey Statistics Systems (Cloud Migration and Generative AI Utilization)) (Document Number 20260908c001670001)