The American company has pulled out of the immigration department's 6.4 million-passport printing tender.
The Department on Tuesday revealed that only two companies were selected for the technical evaluation in Package 1, while four companies qualified for Package 2. The financial bids are scheduled to be opened on May 28.
In Package 1, Germany’s Mühlbauer and France’s IDEMIA were selected. For Package 2, Mühlbauer, IDEMIA, Veridos, and PWPW made it through the technical evaluation.
Initially, three companies had applied for Package 1, while four competed for Package 2. The American company Iris withdrew from Package 1, leaving only IDEMIA and Mühlbauer as contenders.
The tender, initially announced on November 28, 2024, was marred by controversy due to allegations of bias favoring IDEMIA, prompting multiple deadline extensions. IDEMIA, the current passport printer, is competing in both packages.
The winning contractor for the high-value passport printing project will ultimately be selected based on financial bids.
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