MIC cancels bid for information system optimization research

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) cancelled the bid announcement for the “Contract for Research and Study Toward the Optimization of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Information Systems for FY2026,” which had been announced on August 31, 2026 (Extra Edition Government Procurement No. 161, page 3, column 2), via the Official Gazette (Extra Edition Government Procurement) dated October 6, 2026. The Expenditure Burdening Officer is Masayuki Higashi, Planning Officer of the Accounting Division, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. The cancellation was notified using the standard phrase “cancelled as follows,” and no reason for the cancellation was provided.

Announcement Subject to Cancellation and Government Procurement Procedural Framework

This case concerns a procurement announcement published in the Government Procurement edition of the Official Gazette, with procurement agency number 012 and location number 13. The subject of the cancellation and the framework of the announcement are as follows:

• Subject: Contract for Research and Study Toward the Optimization of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Information Systems for FY2026
• Original Announcement: August 31, 2026, Extra Edition Government Procurement No. 161 (page 3, column 2)
• Cancellation Announcement: October 6, 2026, Official Gazette (Extra Edition Government Procurement)
• Expenditure Burdening Officer: Masayuki Higashi, Planning Officer, Accounting Division, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
• Procurement Agency Number: 012, Location Number: 13

Due to the cancellation of the announcement, the opportunity to bid or submit proposals based on said announcement is lost. In this case, whether there will be a re-announcement, the timing thereof, or any changes to the procurement content have not been indicated.

Other Procurement Announcements by Other Agencies Published in the Same Day’s Official Gazette

The Official Gazette dated October 6, 2026, also contained procurement-related announcements from agencies other than the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (Procurement Agency Number 575, President Tsuyoshi Sugino): Public notice of the start of procedures via a public proposal method. The subject is the complete set of design, development, operation, and maintenance services for the next-generation KAKENHI DB system, with a maximum contract amount of 6,817,194,000 yen (tax included). The procurement method is a discretionary contract via planning competition, with the deadline for submission of planning proposals etc. being November 26, 2026, at 17:00.
• National Institute of Informatics (Procurement Agency Number 416, Director General Yu Kitagawa): Publication regarding the invitation for provision of materials. This concerns a complete set of Singapore lines for the next-generation academic information network (SINET), with a scheduled introduction date of March 2028 or later. The requirements include the establishment of international lines of 100Gbps or more between Japan and Singapore, as well as interconnection with NRENs etc., and line failure response and operational support.

Direct Impact on Businesses Considering Participation in the Bid

• Since the announcement has been cancelled, the procedures for businesses that planned to bid or submit proposals for this project are now void.
• Whether there will be a re-announcement, the timing, or changes to specifications have not been clarified in this announcement.
• Changes to government procurement procedures must be checked periodically via the Government Procurement edition of the Official Gazette and the procurement portal.

This cancellation directly eliminates the bidding opportunity for the service procurement of research and study on information systems, forcing businesses that were considering participation to revise their procurement plans. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has not disclosed the reason for the cancellation, and attention is now focused on the trends regarding future re-announcements.

Source: Official Gazette (Extra Edition Government Procurement) October 6, 2026, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Minister’s Secretariat, Accounting Division (Procuring Entity Number 012). Announcements in the Official Gazette of the same date from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (Procuring Entity Number 575) and the National Institute of Informatics (Procuring Entity Number 416).