MIC to Procure My Number Card System Modifications via Discretionary Contract

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) announced in the Official Gazette (Extra Edition, Government Procurement) dated October 20, 2026, that the outsourcing of design and development work for the modification of the Certificate Issuance Center system in response to the next-generation Individual Number Card will be procured through a discretionary contract rather than a general competitive bid. The scheduled contract date is November 10, 2026, and the counterparty is the Local Authorities Systems Agency. The expenditure authorizing officer for this announcement is Masayuki Higashi, Planning Officer of the Accounting Division, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

This procurement is subject to the Agreement on Government Procurement, and the reason cited under the agreement for opting for a discretionary contract is “b Protection of exclusive rights.” The item classification numbers are 71, 27. The project title is “Outsourcing of design and development work regarding the modification of the Certificate Issuance Center system in response to the next-generation Individual Number Card,” and the quantity is listed as one set.

Procurement Avoiding Competitive Bidding Based on Exclusive Rights

“Protection of exclusive rights” is a category under the agreement used when only a specific supplier can provide the subject of procurement due to rights such as patents or copyrights. The announcement only indicates the category of the reason and does not disclose the specific details of the rights, the estimated contract amount, or the performance period.

The procurement agency number is 012, and the location number is 13. The department in charge is the Second Contract Section, Accounting Division, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and the contact person is listed as Ryohei Nakamura (Tel: 03-5253-5132).

Key Items of the Announced Procurement Conditions

• Procurement Agency: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Agency No. 012, Location No. 13)
• Project Title: Outsourcing of design and development work regarding the modification of the Certificate Issuance Center system in response to the next-generation Individual Number Card (One set)
• Item Classification Numbers: 71, 27
• Scheduled Date of Discretionary Contract: November 10, 2026
• Contract Counterparty: Local Authorities Systems Agency
• Reason for Discretionary Contract: Agreement on Government Procurement “b Protection of exclusive rights”
• Contact Window: Ryohei Nakamura, Second Contract Section, Accounting Division, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (03-5253-5132)

Notice for Request for Comments from Japan Pension Service Also Published on the Same Page

On the same page, a notice regarding a request for comments by the Japan Pension Service (Procurement Agency No. 428, Location No. 13) was also published. The subject is the application program maintenance work for the indirect business system (from October 2027 to January 2030) as one set, with the deadline for submitting comments on the draft specifications being November 9, 2026, at 17:00 (must arrive by mail).

The contracting officer for this matter is Toshiyuki Sato, Representative of the President and Director of the Core System Development Department of the Japan Pension Service. The delivery period for the draft specifications is set from October 20 to November 6, 2026. This is positioned as a solicitation of opinions on the draft specifications prior to competitive bidding, and thus differs in the nature of the procedure from a public notice for a discretionary contract.

Points of Contention Regarding Procurement Methods

The transition to the next-generation Individual Number Card involves the issuance of electronic certificates and modifications to the infrastructure systems that handle pension records. Since discretionary contracts without competitive bidding lack price competition, the validity of the contract amount and the justification for the method are points often scrutinized during Board of Audit inspections and Diet deliberations.

The public notice from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications only indicates the category of reason and the scheduled date; details regarding the contract amount and specifications must be confirmed in future published materials.

Source: Official Gazette, October 20, 2026 (Tuesday) Extra Edition, Government Procurement “Public Notice Regarding Discretionary Contracts” (Procurement Agency No. 012, Expenditure Authorized Officer Masayuki Higashi, Planning Officer, Accounting Division, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications) / Same paper, “Public Notice Regarding Solicitation of Opinions” (Procurement Agency No. 428, Toshiyuki Sato, Representative of the President, Japan Pension Service).