Registration in the NIPEZ Portal
Do you need to register in the NIPEZ Portal? You will find the necessary instructions in the attached PDF document.
Link to the NIPEZ Portal: NIPEZ Portal
You can download an English version of the manual from the link: Uživatelská příručka - Portál NIPEZ ENG.pdf
Explanation of the necessity of transitioning to qualified electronic identification means
Information from the Ministry of Regional Development: Increasing security standards and legal certainty
The Ministry of Regional Development, as the administrator of the National Infrastructure for Public Procurement (NIPEZ) and the National Electronic Tool (NEN), is implementing key measures to enhance cybersecurity resilience and data security. For entities acting in the role of an economic operator, support for authentication using conventional login credentials (username and password) will be discontinued. The new standard for identity verification is electronic identification via the Citizen Identity (NIA), and for foreign entities, its European equivalents through the International ID Gateway (IIG), in accordance with the European eIDAS Regulation.
Legislative framework and the necessity of the change
Both the NEN system and the NIPEZ authentication component fall within the category of information systems of public administration (ISVS). This classification entails the obligation of the system administrator to ensure reliable and unambiguous identification of natural persons performing legal acts within the system. The transition to qualified identification is directly anchored in the following legal regulations:
Act No. 250/2017 Coll., on Electronic Identification.
Act No. 12/2020 Coll., on the Right to Digital Services.
Act No. 264/2025 Coll., on Cybersecurity, and its implementing regulations.
Regulation (EU) No. 910/2014 (eIDAS), which unifies identification standards across the entire European economic Area.
Transition from usernames and passwords to a Guaranteed Identity
The main pillar of this change is the replacement of an outdated login method that no longer meets the current security standards for information systems of public administration (ISVS). Static passwords constitute a vulnerable element that does not allow, with a sufficient degree of certainty, the guarantee that an action performed in the system was carried out by a specific authorized natural person.
In this context, it is necessary to emphasize that, for the purposes of the ISVS, standard two-factor authentication is not generally sufficient (e.g., a combination of a password and an SMS code sent to a telephone number). Although such methods increase protection against password misuse, they lack a key element required by effective legislation: the existence of a legally recognized identity means for which the holder’s identity has been officially verified and matched with state registers. Only qualified means within the Citizen Identity framework (NIA) provide the level of assurance required by law (“substantial” or “high”), which is mandatory for public administration systems, and which alone guarantees full legal integrity of an act in the digital environment.
Systematic elimination of the sharing of access credentials
The implementation of the new authentication method deliberately and completely eliminates the undesirable practice of sharing user accounts, which currently occurs within a certain percentage of entities. It must be emphasized that the use of shared access credentials by multiple individuals constitutes a critical security and legal risk and is impermissible even under the existing framework. While this practice is difficult to control under the current model, the transition to the Citizen Identity and eIDAS framework technically makes it impossible. Given that identity means are non-transferable and strictly bound to a specific natural person, the new system definitively removes procedural uncertainty in proving individual responsibility for specific actions. This ensures full transparency and protection of interests both on the part of the contracting authority and on the part of the economic operator.
It is necessary to warn against allowing another person to use a user’s electronic identity, as by doing so the user transfers their identity in full, and all actions performed by that person are considered actions of the user to whom the identity belongs. Users should be aware that actions other than those related solely to procurement procedures may also be performed under their identity.
Separation of personal identity and representation of an organization
It is necessary to emphasize that, in accordance with the eIDAS Regulation and the Act on Electronic Identification, identity means are held exclusively by natural persons. A legal person (company), as such, does not possess an electronic identity in this sense. The authentication process therefore always takes place at the level of a specific user who logs in as an identified natural person and subsequently performs actions on behalf of the organization based on assigned system permissions and roles.
This mechanism ensures that every act performed by a legal person is linked to a specific and traceable representative. The allocation of legal responsibility between the natural person and the employer remains fully preserved in accordance with labor law regulations and the Act on Public Procurement. The Ministry of Regional Development guarantees that the use of the Citizen Identity serves exclusively for authentication purposes (identity verification). The NIA system operates as an independent verification layer—no private information of the identity holder is made accessible to the ministry or to the employer through this process.
The use of the Citizen Identity (NIA) and eIDAS brings the following benefits:
Legal incontestability: The creation of a unique and unambiguous link between an act performed in the system and a specific natural person in accordance with applicable legislation. This link protects all participants in the public procurement process, including the employer itself (the legal person), from legal risks associated with anonymity or challenges to the authorship of an act.
Compliance with the eIDAS level of assurance: Qualified means (e.g., Bank Identity, the eGovernment Mobile Key, or the eID card) guarantee a high level of identification assurance that standard commercial 2FA systems (e.g., via email or SMS), without a connection to a certified identity provider, cannot provide.
Prevention of misuse and transparency: The system technically prevents the sharing of identities among multiple individuals, thereby ensuring that every decision or submission within the NEN system is linked to a specific, traceable, and identified user.
Access for foreign economic operators (EU)
In accordance with the eIDAS Regulation, the NEN system is fully integrated with the International ID Gateway (IIG), enabling foreign users from EU Member States to use their national identity means (e.g., the Slovak eID). For these purposes, neither permanent nor temporary residence in the Czech Republic is required. The only condition is possession of an identity means that the respective Member State has notified at the “high” or “substantial” level of assurance.
Access for foreign economic operators (outside the EU)
For users of non-EU foreign economic operators, registration in NIPEZ is configured differently. It is necessary to complete registration in the NIPEZ authentication component using an official identity document confirming the identity of the registering user and an existing email account. The installation of the Microsoft Authenticator application is also required for login.
Final recommendations
All users are advised to review their identity means in a timely manner. Organizations should adapt their internal processes and ensure that each authorized employee has their own digital identity.
Through these measures, the Ministry of Regional Development fulfills its vision of a modern, secure, and transparent public administration that minimizes risks for all participants in public procurement.
For technical consultations and assistance in resolving individual situations, the NEN System User Support is available at +420 272 680 985.