Open Bidding for Tsukuba Electricity and Tohoku University Construction Work

The government announced a series of public notices for open competitive bidding and discretionary contracts in the Official Gazette (Extra Edition, Government Procurement Edition) dated October 7, 2026. Electricity procurement for the Tsukuba Industry-Academia Collaboration Support Center of the Secretariat of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Council and building construction work for the National University Corporation Tohoku University were put out for open competitive bidding, while discretionary contracts with companies such as Accenture Japan Ltd. and Fujitsu Limited were publicized. All of these are procurements subject to the Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) based on the WTO.

The notices are issued based on Articles 70 to 73 of the Budget, Settlement of Accounts and Accounting Order (Imperial Ordinance No. 165 of 1947) and the competition participation qualifications established by each ministry and agency. The Government Procurement Notice edition consists of categories including invitation to bid, correction of invitation to bid, cancellation of invitation to bid, invitation to bid (construction work), invitation to bid (services for architecture and other technical services), request for comments, discretionary contracts, and notification of successful bidders. The language and currency used for the procedures are Japanese and Japanese currency, respectively.

In the notices for discretionary contracts, “absence of competition due to technical reasons,” “interoperability,” and “protection of exclusive rights” were explicitly stated as reasons under the Agreement on Government Procurement. The scheduled contract dates are concentrated between late October and late November 2026.

Tsukuba Industry-Academia Collaboration Support Center puts electricity procurement out for open competitive bidding

The Tsukuba Industry-Academia Collaboration Support Center of the Secretariat of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Council (Spending Officer: Seiji Tazawa, Director of the Tsukuba Industry-Academia Collaboration Support Center; Procurement Agency Number: 018) has put the electricity (unit price) for use in its office building and other facilities out for open competitive bidding. The item classification number is 26.

• Contract power: 1,150 kW / Estimated annual power consumption: 4,500,000 kWh
• Contract power: 65 kW / Estimated annual power consumption: 64,400 kWh
• Contract power: 68 kW / Estimated annual power consumption: 92,300 kWh
• Supply period: April 1, 2027, to March 31, 2028
• Deadline for submission of bid participation application: Noon, November 27, 2026
• Bidding and bid opening: 11:00 AM, December 4, 2026, at the Bidding Room of the Tsukuba Industry-Academia Collaboration Support Center Main Building
• Bid bond and contract performance bond: Exempt
• Determination of successful bidder: The person who submits a valid bid at the lowest price within the limit of the estimated price

Qualifications for competition participation include being rated as grade “A,” “B,” or “C” in “Sale of Goods” under the FY2025, 2026, and 2027 Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries competition participation qualifications (Unified Qualifications for All Ministries and Agencies), and being registered as a retail electricity business based on Article 2-2 of the Electricity Business Act. Upon determination of the successful bidder, the contract price shall be the bid amount plus 10 percent (rounded down to the nearest yen).

Tohoku University announces open competitive bidding for building construction work

Tohoku University (National University Corporation) (Expenditure Authorizing Officer: Vice President of Tohoku University, Procurement Agency Number 415) has invited general competitive bids for building construction work at Tohoku University. The item classification number is 41.

• Deadline for submission of applications and documents: October 28, 2026, 15:00
• Deadline for submission of bids: November 25, 2026, 15:00 (Electronic Bidding System)
• Bid opening: November 26, 2026, 10:00, Tohoku University Facilities Department Meeting Room
• Bid bond: 5/100 or more of the estimated bid amount (including tax)
• Performance bond: 30/100 or more of the contract amount
• Determination of successful bidder: The party with the highest evaluation value within the limit of the planned price based on Article 20 of the Tohoku University (National University Corporation) Contract Administration Detailed Regulations

The performance bond may be waived in cases such as when a performance bond insurance contract (30/100 or more of the contract amount) is concluded with an insurance company naming the Vice President of Tohoku University (National University Corporation) as the insured. For inquiries, contact the Facilities Planning Division, Facilities Department, Tohoku University (2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture).

Public Notice of Discretionary Contracts with Accenture, Fujitsu, and others

• Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Director of Procurement Hiroshi Tsuji) — Modification of the FY2026–2027 financial accounting system and asset management system, scheduled contract date: October 28, 2026, reason: “compatibility,” counterparty: Accenture Japan Ltd.
• Medical Information Infrastructure / Health Insurance Claims Review & Reimbursement Agency (President Hideki Mi) — Work to organize the implementation method for linking infectious disease notification with electronic medical records, scheduled contract date: October 27, 2026, reason: “absence of competition due to technical reasons,” counterparty: Fujitsu Limited
• Same Agency — Work for disconnection response during security incidents, scheduled contract date: October 27, 2026, counterparty: NTT DATA Corporation
• East Nippon Expressway Company Limited Kanto Branch (Branch Manager Yasuaki Kaneda) — Kanto Branch wide-area control equipment support services, scheduled contract date: November 27, 2026, counterparty: NEC Corporation
• National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (Director of Finance Masahiko Hattori) — Purchase of one set of head-dedicated PET device (Vrain), scheduled contract date: November 24, 2026, counterparty: Atox Co., Ltd.
• National Cancer Center (President Hiroyuki Mano) — Functional expansion services for the National Cancer Registry system, etc., scheduled contract date: October 28, 2026, counterparty: FIXER Inc.
• Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation for Private Schools of Japan (President Norihiko Fukuhara) — Purchase of the 2026 edition Life Planning Guidebooks (14,150 copies each of 2 types), scheduled contract date: October 29, 2026, reason: “protection of exclusive rights,” counterparty: Teachers’ Life Welfare Foundation
• Japan Post Co., Ltd. (Headquarters Contract Representative Proxy Satoshi Hikage) — Outsourcing of moving services (one set), scheduled contract date: October 28, 2026, counterparty: Otemachi Place Management Joint Venture (Representative: NTT Urban Value Support Co., Ltd.)

Public Notice of Successful Bidders and Invitation for Comments

The Japan Organization for Employment of the Elderly, Persons with Disabilities and Job Seekers Hiroshima Branch (Branch Manager Toshiyuki Shibahara) issued a public notice regarding the purchase of training equipment “Workstations and related equipment (one set)” (Hiroshima Vocational Ability Development Promotion Center), naming Futaba Koki Co., Ltd. (4-24-25 Okinoue-cho, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture) as the successful bidder with a winning bid price of 20,889,000 yen. The bid award date was July 27, 2026, and the bid announcement date was June 1, 2026. Hamamatsu University School of Medicine (Director Hitoshi Minuma) cancelled Bid Announcement No. 4 “Maternal-Fetal Intensive Monitoring System (one set)” published on July 21, 2026 (Extra Government Procurement No. 133).

In the requests for comments, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency requested comments on the draft specifications for a complete set of equipment for the Satellite Control Information System (SCi) Phase 5 computer (installation adjustment, lease, and maintenance) (deadline for submission of comments: October 27, 2026, 17:00), and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Director of Procurement Department, Takuya Hashimoto) requested comments on the draft specifications for a complete set of operation and maintenance for the financial accounting system (deadline: October 28, 2026, 17:00). The Chubu Regional Development Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Deputy Director General, Koji Nukina) put the FY2026 environmental survey for the new sediment disposal site at the Port of Nagoya out to general competitive bidding, with the performance period from the date of contract conclusion until February 25, 2028.

The current announcements cover a wide range of procurements, from electric power and construction work to the modification and operation of information systems; therefore, managing application and bidding deadlines will be a direct practical challenge for businesses considering participation. Regarding discretionary contracts, the reasons for the selection of the counterparty based on agreements are clearly stated, ensuring the transparency of the procurement process.

Sources

• Official Gazette (Extra Edition, Government Procurement Version, dated October 7, 2026) Public Notices of Bidding, Corrections to Public Notices of Bidding, Cancellations of Public Notices of Bidding, Public Notices of Bidding (Construction Work), Public Notices of Bidding (Services for Architecture and Other Technical Services), Public Notices Regarding Requests for Comments, Public Notices Regarding Discretionary Contracts, Public Notices of Successful Bidders, etc.
• Tsukuba Industry-Academia Collaboration Support Center Power Procurement (Procuring Entity Number 018), Tohoku University Building Construction Work (Procuring Entity Number 415)
• Discretionary Contracts No. 26,011, No. 92, No. 7, No. 13, AIST No. 200