August 1, 2024 "Regional Digital Infrastructure Utilization Promotion Project"
- Start of Secondary Public Solicitation for Organizations Eligible for "Planning Support" -

 As part of the "Regional Digital Infrastructure Utilization Promotion Project," which aims to comprehensively support efforts to address regional issues through the use of digital technology, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) will conduct the secondary public solicitation for "planning support." Under this initiative, experts will assist in organizing regional issues and developing an introduction and operation plan in order to address them using digital technology.

1. Overview

 The MIC provides comprehensive support to local governments and other organizations in addressing regional issues through the use of digital technology under the "Regional Digital Infrastructure Utilization Promotion Project." This project is part of the broader effort to realize the "Vision for a Digital Garden City Nation."
 As part of this project, we will dispatch consultants and experts to local governments seeking to address regional issues through digital technology. These experts will identify and organize regional issues as a first step toward digital adoption, and develop solution implementation plans to solve regional issues using digital technology.

2. Target of the public solicitation

 Local governments and other entities that intend to use or are interested in using digital technology to address local issues

• Local governments with a financial strength index of 1 or higher and organizations that intend to implement initiatives within the region are not eligible for this support.
  Note: For more information on the financial strength index, please visit the following URL: https://www.soumu.go.jp/iken/zaisei/R04_chiho.html
• The target of support is planning initiatives that help address regional issues Planning initiatives that do not directly contribute to solving local issues, such as the development of networks within local government buildings, are not eligible for support.
• For applicants other than local governments, only corporations or non-profit organizations funded by them are eligible.

3. Details of support

 Under the assumption that a supported organization will prepare a plan and carry out the necessary work for the plan, either of the following activities will be supported:

• 1.
  From researching, analyzing, and organizing regional issues to be addressed to studying and planning solutions to such regional issues using digital technology
• 2.
  Developing a solution implementation plan to address local issues using digital technology. The plan will consider budget requests from the supported organization, applications for government subsidies, and proposals. Consultants and experts will accompany and support the organization for approximately three months, from September to December. The support provider is Boston Consulting Group LLC.

4. Guidelines for public solicitation

 Guidelines for Public Solicitation for Regional Digital Infrastructure Utilization Promotion Project (Planning Support)

https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/000960172.pdfPDF