New Zealand issues tender for digital ID services accreditation infrastructure

New Zealand’s accredited digital identity services regulator, the Trust Framework Authority (TFA), has published a request for information (RFI) for suppliers that could help it build its infrastructure.

The regulator, which operates under the Department for Internal Affairs, is planning to set up two platforms: A Trust Register, which will hold a list of organizations or individuals accredited by the Trust Framework Authority, and a centralized Issuance Platform, which will issue digital credentials. The latter will be a shared platform used by multiple government agencies, according to the RFI.

Last year in November, New Zealand finalized its Digital Identity Services Trust Framework, defining the rules and regulations that accredited digital ID services must follow. Earlier that year, the Trust Framework Authority also came into effect. The Framework supports digital credentials in the form of W3C Verifiable Credentials or ISO/IEC 18013-5 compliant mobile driving licences (mDLs).

The agency is tasked with issuing accreditation marks that guarantee digital ID service providers meet the standards for using, storing and sharing personal and organizational information. It also maintains a list of accredited providers and services on the Trust Framework Register.

Accreditation is not mandatory for digital ID service providers, according to New Zealand’s law.

In its tender, the Trust Framework Authority highlights that it’s looking for platforms that can be configured out of the box and hosted on public or private cloud Infrastructure in the Australasian region. The platforms will be provided to the Department of Internal Affairs “as a Service.”

The deadline for submitting questions from respondents is April 24th while the deadline for answers to questions from respondents is May 1st, 2025. The final deadline for responses is May 8th, 2025.

The agency also clarifies that it is not requesting quotes or proposals at this time.

“We are not looking for a unique and heavily customized solution or one that needs to be developed specifically for our use,” the RFI reads. “We are interested in proven products that are currently in the market that are out of the box but may be open to refinement, configuration or development of only minor features. We don’t wish to host the solution on your own, or our own, on-premise infrastructure.”

With notes from Lu-Hai Liang.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID infrastructure  |  digital identity  |  Digital Identity Services Trust Framework (DISTF)  |  government purchasing  |  RFI  |  tender  |  Trust Framework Authority