Mozambique seeks partner for mobile digital ID, e-signature rollout

The government of Mozambique has called for expression of interest from qualified firms that can help set up a mobile digital ID and digital signature infrastructure for the country.

Interested and eligible candidates have up to June 5 to indicate interest by submitting physical documents or via email, according to a tender announcement published by 360Mozambique.

The project will be overseen by the Digital Transformation and Innovation Agency (ATDI), a newly established public institution which has the mandate to coordinate Mozambique’s digital transformation efforts.

Spending for the procurement is part of World Bank funds for the Digital Economy and E-Government Project (EDGE) which is an initiative that aims to establish a modern interoperable digital public infrastructure (DPI) ecosystem for the country.

The tender announcement mentions that the consultant will be expected to deliver a full mobile identity solution operating a three-tier setup intended to drive financial and digital inclusion for rural communities and ensure national coverage. These include smartphone applications, physical SIM cards utilising Java Card applets for basic phones, and embedded SIM (eSIM) profiles.

Other services required from the consultant include linking the mobile ID architecture with the country’s pre-existing X-Road interoperability infrastructure, the national population register, and the public key infrastructure (PKI/CA) featuring hardware security module (HSM) integration for qualified certificate issuance. The selected firm must also develop an autonomous self-service management portal for user certificates, and put in place secure identity verification and onboarding platforms.

In addition to these, the selected bidder will support ATDI in capacity building efforts and ensure technical knowledge transfer to guarantee local technical self-reliance, even after the project cycle. This entails delivering software development kits (SDKs), full technical documentation, configuration instructions, and API specifications.

Those interested to bid are required to have at least seven years of specialized experience in digital ID, PKI, or digital government projects, alongside a minimum of 10 years of overall market longevity in implementing and operating these ecosystems. They must also show a proven history of integration with mobile network operators and digital service providers.

At least three reference digital transformation projects, which they have implemented with governments within the last seven years, are also required. One of these reference projects must involve a SIM or eSIM identity solution which manages a minimum scale of 100,000 active users.

Per the tender, the procurement will be handled in line with the World Bank’s Quality and Cost-Based Selection (QCBS) method.

Last month, Mozambique signed an MoU with Ethiopia to tap from the latter’s DPI implementation experience.

Article Topics

Africa  |  digital ID infrastructure  |  digital identity  |  Mozambique  |  procurement  |  X-Road