Rwanda has launched a major tender for the development of a Multimodal and Modular Biometrics Authentication System, advancing the country’s broader digital identity and e-governance strategy. The procurement is part of the Rwanda Digital Acceleration Project (RDAP), a $200 million initiative co-financed by the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. The system is expected to enhance the biometric infrastructure of the Umucyo e-Procurement platform while supporting Rwanda’s long-term digital transformation goals.
The tender seeks a contractor to design and implement a foundational biometric authentication layer for identity verification across public procurement systems. Bidders have until May 7, 2025, at 10:00 local time to submit their proposals. This initiative builds on Rwanda’s Single Digital ID (SDID) pre-enrollment and identity-proofing system, which was funded in June 2023 but has seen implementation delays due to legislative bottlenecks. A related tender for the core digital ID platform remains open until June 4, 2025.
The biometric system will be multimodal, capable of capturing face, fingerprint, and iris data. It will be modular in design to support integration with a range of services over time. Officials say the system will be used not only for procurement verification but also for identity-linked access to digital public services and government platforms. The rollout is being implemented in phases, with full-scale deployment of new digital IDs expected to conclude by mid-2027.
The RDAP, launched in 2021, is structured around four key components: expanding digital access and inclusion, improving digital public service delivery, supporting innovation and entrepreneurship, and ensuring effective project implementation. The biometric authentication system supports all four goals, particularly by ensuring secure, user-friendly digital identity verification infrastructure for government-facing platforms.
Despite the program’s ambitious initial goals—initially aiming to issue digital IDs to 60 percent of the population by 2023—progress has been slower than anticipated. The enabling legal framework was not enacted until June 2023, delaying project disbursements and technology procurement. As of April 2025, no digital IDs have been formally issued, though infrastructure development is underway.
Rwanda’s updated approach aims to resolve previous limitations in its identity system, which only registered individuals aged 16 and older. The new SDID system will extend to children as young as five and newborns, ensuring more inclusive coverage. Officials say the system is designed to be scalable, secure, and adaptable to future technologies as the digital economy evolves.
Source: IdentityWeek
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April 17, 2025 – by the ID Tech Editorial Team
