Regarding Conditional General Competitive Bidding for AI Demand Taxi Vehicle Operation Consignment Work (Tomiai/Jyonan Area)

Regarding Conditional General Competitive Bidding for AI Demand Taxi Vehicle Operation Consignment Work (Tomiai/Jyonan Area)
Regional Transport Division Notice No. 79 June 22, 2026 The following conditional general competitive bidding will be held, and an announcement is hereby made in accordance with Article 167-6, Paragraph 1 of the Local Autonomy Act Enforcement Order (Cabinet Order No. 16 of 1947) and Article 3 of the Kumamoto City Contract Procedures Rules (Kumamoto City Rules No. 7 of 1964). Kazushi Onishi, Mayor of Kumamoto City 1. Matters for Competitive Bidding (1) Consignment Work Name: AI Demand Taxi Vehicle Operation Consignment Work (Tomiai/Jyonan Area) (2) Purpose and Outline: This work aims to provide a demand-responsive shared transportation service that uses AI technology to optimize routes and dispatch vehicles in real-time based on user reservation requests, in order to connect with core public transportation and secure necessary means of transportation for daily life. The work involves operating vehicles within the service area and transporting users. (3) Performance Location: Kumamoto City (4) Performance Period: From the contract signing date to September 30, 2027 (2027) 2. Department in Charge: Postal Code 860-8601, 1-1 Tetori-Honcho, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto City Urban Development Bureau, Regional Transport Policy Division, Regional Transport Support Section, Tel: 096-328-2259 (Direct), Fax: 096-351-2182, Email: chiikikotsushien@city.kumamoto.lg.jp 3. Type of Bidding Procedure: For this project, the bidding procedure will be conducted by first confirming the qualifications required for participants in the conditional general competitive bidding (hereinafter referred to as "Competition Participation Qualifications") and then determining the successful bidder based on the results of the bidding by those recognized as having Competition Participation Qualifications. 4. Competition Participation Qualifications Must meet all of the following conditions. (1) Must have submitted the Kumamoto City Business Consignment Contract, etc., Competitive Bidding Participation Qualification Application and be registered in the list of participants pursuant to Article 5 of the "Kumamoto City Business Consignment Contract, etc., Competitive Bidding Participant Qualification, etc. Regulations" (Notice No. 731 of 2008). (2) Not a person falling under the respective items of Article 167-4, Paragraph 1 of the Local Autonomy Act Enforcement Order (Cabinet Order No. 16 of 1947). (3) If a petition for commencement of rehabilitation proceedings under Article 17 of the Corporate Reorganization Act (Act No. 154 of 2002) or a petition for commencement of rehabilitation proceedings under Article 21 of the Civil Rehabilitation Act (Act No. 225 of 1999) has been filed, a decision to approve the rehabilitation plan or reorganization plan must have been made, respectively. (4) Not falling under Article 3, Item 1 of the "Kumamoto City Regulations on Exclusion of Violent Groups, etc., from Contracts Concluded by Kumamoto City" (Notice No. 105 of 2006). (5) Not within the period of suspension of designation based on the "Kumamoto City Regulations on Measures for Suspension of Designation, etc., for Purchase Contracts and Consignment Contracts" (Notice No. 199 of 2009; hereinafter referred to as "Designation Suspension Regulations"). (6) No arrears in consumption tax, local consumption tax, or city taxes. (7) Must be engaged in the business related to the contract subject to this competitive bidding as a business. (8) Not a person who has committed a violation or dishonest act in a contract with the city within the past three years and is deemed unsuitable as a contract party by the Mayor. (9) Must comply with the Kumamoto City Public Contract Ordinance (Ordinance No. 54 of 2025), including submitting a pledge as stipulated in Article 8 of the Ordinance. (10) If submitting a participation statement as a business cooperative (meaning a business cooperative as defined in Article 3 of the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Cooperatives Act (Act No. 181 of 1949); hereinafter the same), its members cannot submit a participation statement as individual entities. If participating as a business cooperative in this competitive bidding, the member responsible for the work must also meet the requirements of (5). 5. Application Procedures, etc. (1) Period and Method of Distributing Application Forms, Specifications, etc.: From June 22, 2026 (Monday) to July 3, 2026 (Friday), they will be posted on the Kumamoto City website. They will also be distributed at the department in charge in item 2 upon request (distribution at the department in charge excludes City holidays as defined in Article 1 of the Ordinance on Special Provisions for Kumamoto City Holidays and Deadlines (Ordinance No. 32 of 1989; hereinafter referred to as "Holidays")). Distribution by mail or electronic transmission (fax, email, etc.) is not provided. Distribution at the department in charge is from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. They can be downloaded from the Kumamoto City website during its operating hours. Specifications and other design documents will be available for viewing at the department in charge in item 2 until the bidding date. (2) Method of Submitting Application Forms, etc.: Bidders wishing to participate in this bidding must submit the Competition Participation Qualification Confirmation Application, Competition Participation Qualification Review Statement, and other necessary documents (hereinafter referred to as "Application Forms, etc.") and obtain confirmation of their Competition Participation Qualification status from the Mayor. Submission methods are as follows: a. Submitted Documents and Submission Method: Submit in person, by mail, or by electronic transmission (fax, email, etc.). If submitting by mail, use a method that leaves a delivery record, such as registered mail or certified mail; mail sent by methods that do not leave a delivery record will not be accepted. If submitting by electronic transmission (fax, email, etc.), be sure to confirm receipt by phone. (a) Competition Participation Qualification Confirmation Application (Form No. 1) (b) Competition Participation Qualification Review Statement (Form No. 2) b. Submission Deadline: July 3, 2026 (Friday) by 5:00 PM. If submitting by mail, it must arrive by July 3, 2026 (Friday). Lost or delayed mail due to unforeseen accidents will not be considered. If submitting by electronic transmission (fax, email, etc.), confirm receipt by the submission deadline. c. Number of Copies: 1 copy. d. Submission Location: (a) In person or by electronic transmission (fax, email, etc.): Department in charge in item 2. (b) By mail: To the Mayor of Kumamoto City (Urban Development Bureau, Regional Transport Policy Division, Regional Transport Support Section), Postal Code 860-8601, 1-1 Tetori-Honcho, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City. Also, clearly indicate the "Consignment Work Name" and "Competition Participation Qualification Confirmation Application Enclosed" on the front of the envelope. e. Precautions: (a) Fill out the forms as of the submission date of the application forms, etc. (b) If participating in this competitive bidding as a business cooperative, fill in the section for "Name of Member Responsible for Work" in the Competition Participation Qualification Review Statement (Form No. 2). If it is difficult to identify the member responsible for the work, multiple candidate members may be listed. In this case, if even one of these members does not meet the requirements specified in 4 (5), the bidder will be deemed to not have Competition Participation Qualification. (3) Confirmation of Competition Participation Qualification: Confirmation of Competition Participation Qualification will be made as of the submission deadline for the application forms, etc., and the results (including the reasons if deemed not to have Competition Participation Qualification) will be notified in writing. 6. Explanation of Reasons for Disqualification: (1) A person who receives notification of not having Competition Participation Qualification may request an explanation of the reasons for disqualification in writing (free format) to the Mayor within 7 days (excluding holidays) from the day after the notification date. (2) When requested to explain, the Mayor shall respond in writing to the person who requested the explanation within 5 days (excluding holidays) from the day after the final day on which the explanation could be requested. 7. Bidding Explanation Meeting: No bidding explanation meeting will be held. 8. Questions Regarding Specifications, etc.: (1) If there are any questions regarding the specifications, etc., submit a question form as follows: a. Submission Method: Submit in writing (free format) in person, by fax, or by email. However, if submitting by fax or email, be sure to confirm receipt by phone. b. Submission Period: From 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on June 22, 2026 (Monday) to July 8, 2026 (Wednesday) (excluding holidays). c. Submission Location: Department in charge in item 2. (2) Answers to the questions in (1) will be made available for viewing as follows. They will also be posted on the Kumamoto City website. a. Viewing Period: Starting by July 10, 2026 (Friday) and ending by July 14, 2026 (Tuesday). b. Viewing Location: Department in charge in item 2. 9. Measures When There is Only One Bidder: If there is only one bidder, a new announcement will be made to extend the deadline for submitting application forms, etc. In this case, the competition participation qualifications or performance period for the project may be changed as necessary. 10. Bidding, etc.: (1) Persons confirmed to have Competition Participation Qualification by the notification in 5 (3) shall participate in the bidding according to the following method. a. Bidding Date and Time: July 14, 2026 (Tuesday) 10:00 AM. b. Bidding Location: Conference Room, 11th Floor, Kumamoto City Hall Main Building, 1-1 Tetori-Honcho, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City. c. Bidding Method: Submit bids in person. Submission by mail or electronic transmission (fax, email, etc.) is not permitted. If an agent submits in person, a letter of attorney must be submitted separately. (2) When determining the successful bid, the bid price plus 10% of that amount (rounded down to the nearest yen if there is a fraction of less than one yen) will be the winning bid price. Therefore, bidders shall state the amount equivalent to 100/110 of their estimated contract desired price in the bid form, regardless of whether they are taxable or non-taxable for consumption tax and local consumption tax. (3) The number of bidding rounds shall be up to three (submission of bids for the second and subsequent rounds will be instructed separately). (4) After submitting a bid, it cannot be exchanged or canceled, regardless of whether it is before or after bid opening. (5) If it is recognized that one bidder has made multiple bids, the bids will be opened once for confirmation, and all bids will be invalidated. (6) In addition to Article 7 of the Kumamoto City Construction Competitive Bidding Rules (Notice No. 107 of 1990), bids submitted by persons who have made false statements in their application forms, etc., shall be invalid, and if the successful bidder was such a person, the award decision shall be revoked. Furthermore, even if a person is confirmed to have Competition Participation Qualification, if they no longer meet the Competition Participation Qualification specified in 4 at the time of award decision, they shall be deemed to not have Competition Participation Qualification. (7) Invalid bids will not be returned. 11. Method of Determining the Successful Bidder (1) The successful bidder shall be the one who submits the lowest bid within the limit of the estimated price. (2) If there are two or more bidders who submit the same lowest bid price, the successful bidder shall be determined by drawing lots. (3) No minimum reserve price will be set. 12. Contract Method: This project can be concluded by electronic contract. If electronic contracting is performed, the email address used for requesting confirmation of contract conclusion shall be the email address registered when applying for the participant list in item 4 (1). For other matters, refer to the Kumamoto City Electronic Contract Implementation Guidelines (effective October 1, 2025). 13. Other Precautions: (1) Language and currency used in procedures are limited to Japanese and Japanese currency. (2) Bid Security: Waived in accordance with Article 5 of the Kumamoto City Contract Procedures Rules. (3) Contract Security: In accordance with Article 22 of the Kumamoto City Contract Procedures Rules, the successful bidder must pay contract security of 10% or more of the contract amount (or the amount obtained by multiplying the unit price by the estimated quantity in the case of a unit price contract) by the time of contract conclusion. However, payment of contract security may be substituted by providing interest-bearing national bonds or a guarantee from a financial institution. Furthermore, contract security will be waived in the following cases: a. When a performance guarantee insurance contract with the city as the insured is concluded with an insurance company and the guarantee certificate is submitted by the time of contract conclusion. b. When a construction performance guarantee contract is concluded between the city and an insurance company commissioned by the successful bidder, and the guarantee certificate is submitted by the time of contract conclusion. c. When two or more contracts of substantially the same type and scale as those with the national government or local public entities have been faithfully fulfilled within the two years preceding the fiscal year in which the contract is to be concluded, and proof thereof (however, a copy of the contract document with a document certifying the proper completion of the contract by the ordering party may also be attached) is submitted. (4) Contract (Draft): Will be posted on the Kumamoto City website and available for viewing at the department in charge in item 2. (5) Matters Concerning Application Forms, etc.: a. Failure to submit application forms, etc., by the deadline will result in disqualification from bidding. b. Expenses incurred in preparing and submitting application forms, etc., shall be borne by the submitter. c. Submitted application forms, etc., will not be returned. d. Submitted application forms, etc., will not be used for any purpose other than confirmation of competition participation qualification without the submitter's consent. e. Additional submission, replacement, or re-submission of application forms, etc., after the deadline is not permitted. f. If false information is found in the application forms, etc., the application forms, etc., will be invalidated, and measures such as revocation of competition participation qualification, cancellation of award decision, suspension of contract conclusion, or termination of contract may be taken, along with designation suspension and other measures based on the Designation Suspension Regulations. (6) If it is found that a person confirmed to have Competition Participation Qualification no longer meets the qualification from the day after the confirmation of Competition Participation Qualification until the bid opening, the notification of Competition Participation Qualification confirmation will be revoked with reasons. The person receiving this revocation notice may request an explanation of the reasons for disqualification in writing to the Mayor within 5 days (excluding holidays) from the day after receiving the notice. (7) If the successful bidder is found to no longer meet the Competition Participation Qualification specified in 4 between the determination of the successful bidder and the conclusion of the contract, the contract may not be concluded. (8) Bidding participation application and bidding shall be conducted in accordance with the Kumamoto City Construction Competitive Bidding Rules.