NZ launches digital credential issuance platform tender

New Zealand has officially launched a Request For Proposal (RFP) to identify suppliers for a digital credential issuance platform that will be used by the NZ Government Digital Wallet, following advance notice issued last week.

The issuance platform will be managed by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) and used by government agencies to issue digital IDs and other credentials stored within the wallet. The wallet itself is part of the NZ Government Mobile App, designed to bring together government services and credentials such as the New Zealand Transport Agency’s (NZTA’s) planned mobile driving license (mDL). The app is expected to go live before the end of 2025.

The digital credentials will be verified by relying parties using the identity verification app NZ Verify, developed by New Zealand’s homegrown digital infrastructure company Mattr.

“This is an exciting opportunity to deliver and operate a nation-changing technology platform that will be the cornerstone in New Zealand’s adoption of Digital Credentials,” says the document, issued on Tuesday.

Pre-conditions for consideration include support for public key infrastructure (PKI), whether through APIs, a third-party PKI solution or direct integration with the issuance platform. The document makes reference to biometrics as a method of binding an individual to a credential, but does not specify requirements for credential binding.

The deadline for submitting proposals is August 27th, 2025. The tender only refers to the issuance platforms and not to any other part of the Government App Program, the RFP clarifies.

The initial contract will last four years, with possible renewals for two and one additional year.

According to the tender, the supplier should deliver a single credential issuance platform as a “managed service.”

“We are not looking for a product that needs to be developed or built specifically for this implementation,” says the document.

The platform should also meet international standards, including the W3C Verifiable Credentials standard, Selective Disclosure JWT Verifiable Credential (SD-JWT VC) format, the Digital Travel Credential (DTC) standards from ICAO, the ISO 23220-3 mDoc digital identity format, as well as other upcoming international standards.

Other future digital credential issuers may include agencies such as New Zealand Police, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), Ministry of Social Development (MSD), Inland Revenue Department (IRD), the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and others, according to the tender.

“Already many Government Agencies are working through the necessary changes to relevant Legislation in preparation for issuing Digital Credentials, others are watching and waiting for this project to deliver the platform that will enable them to move forward in this space,” says the document.

Last year, New Zealand finalized its Digital Identity Services Trust Framework. In April, the country issued a tender to identify suppliers that could create an accreditation infrastructure for digital ID services. DIA also carried out a market engagement on civil registration in June, and is looking for a new capture solution for face biometrics to complement the matching capabilities it uses from Daon.

Article Topics

digital ID  |  digital ID infrastructure  |  digital wallets  |  government purchasing  |  New Zealand  |  NZ Government Digital Wallet  |  tender