Samoa opens market engagement for national digital ID system

This opportunity is an Early Market Engagement (EME), not yet a formal tender. The Samoa Bureau of Statistics (SBS) is preparing to procure a National Digital Identification Information System (NDIDS). The source is a BiometricUpdate.com news article published in October 2026. The planned request for proposals (RFP), procurement reference WS-SBS-570867-NC-RFP, will cover the design, supply, installation and operational support of Samoa's new national digital ID system. The project is funded by the World Bank under the Samoa Finance Sector Resilience and Development Project and is grounded in the National Digital Identification Act 2024. No lots, contract value, duration, options or specific technical standards are stated yet.

SBS is inviting system integrators, identity technology and biometric providers, and Samoan ICT companies. It will hold a virtual, listen-only information session on 15 October from 9:30 to 11:00 Samoan time. The session will explain the project outline, the National Digital Identification Act 2024, the system's scope and the procurement approach. Questions will be taken through the chat, and SBS will share the presentation and recording afterwards.

To receive the meeting link, firms must register by email to nid@sbs.gov.ws by 14 October at 17:00 Samoan time. The email must give the organisation name, country and up to two participants. Attending the EME has no effect on future evaluation. All formal clarifications will be handled through the RFP process.

The RFP is expected in November, pending World Bank approval. It will be published free of charge on Samoa's e-Tendering Portal, where proposals will also be submitted. Eligibility, qualification, team, technical requirements and award criteria have not yet been published and are expected with the RFP. As World Bank-financed procurement, the tender will presumably follow World Bank procurement rules, but the source does not confirm this.