Mexico announces $27M cloud services contract to support biometric CURP project

Mexico has launched a contract bidding process to select a cloud migration and cybersecurity services supplier to support the effective rollout of the country’s Unique Personal Registry Code (biometric CURP) project.

Interested bidders have until August 30 to make a submission, while the tender results will be announced on September 3. The budget for the system is spread across the 2025 to 2028 financial years, with the contract estimated at around 520 million Mexican pesos, approximately US$27 million.

The contract, to be awarded by the Ministry of Interior, through the National Population and Identity Registry (Renapo), will provide cloud and cybersecurity infrastructure services required to ensure the security and privacy of citizens’ protected data associated with the CURP system.

The biometric CURP, formalized via a presidential decree in July, is a digital identity system based on face, fingerprint, iris biometrics, and a digital signature, embedded within a QR code that enables secure verification.

Officials say the government is seeking what it calls a “comprehensive service for the administration and operation of Renapo’s computing services.” The selected contractor, per the tender document, must meet certain operational, administrative, security, compliance, and after-service requirements. The system is also required to support integration into a Unified Identity Platform that harmonizes different government databases.

The new legislation makes the biometric CURP mandatory and sets new rules for digital identity, authentication mechanisms, and data access. Public authorities must mandatorily accept the CURP from October 16, while efforts are underway to ensure that cloud migration and cybersecurity services are fully installed by October 15, El Economista mentions.

The system will also be mandatory for registering children in schools across the country from November 14.

Pilot programs for biometric CURP registration began in 2023 in Mexico City, Veracruz, and the State of Mexico, with national expansion planned throughout this year. A separate biometric data collection program for minors is expected to begin within 120 days of the decree that took effect in July.

Renapo says the new system will help it handle mass identity registration, verification, and storage of biometric identifiers, as the government pushes for mandatory adoption across public services.

Full nationwide adoption is expected to roll out by February 2026 in a move that will replace most traditional IDs which have been used for administrative and legal procedures for many years.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  Clave Única de Registro de Población (CURP)  |  cloud computing  |  cloud services  |  cybersecurity  |  digital ID  |  government purchasing  |  Mexico  |  national ID  |  tender