Tender Competition for the Operation of Regular Sea Transport Services between Bergen and Kirkenes

The Ministry of Transport and Communications has now invited interested parties in Norway and elsewhere to participate in an open tender competition for a contract for central government procurement of sea transport services and a licence to operate regular transport services between Bergen and Kirkenes. The tender competition involves a contract for regular transport services in the period 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2012. In the case of tenderers who need to procure new vessels, deferment of start-up for up to one year may be considered.

The tender competition is a follow-up to the Norwegian Parliament’s deliberations on a Government White Paper entitled “About transport Standards and Procurement of Transport Services for the Coastal Route between Bergen and Kirkenes”.

A condition of the tender documents is that sea transport services between Bergen and Kirkenes, currently provided by the Coastal Express ( “Hurtigruten”), will continue to be based on today’s route structure involving daily and year-round journeys.

Interested parties intending to participate in the tender competition need to meet applicable requirements for the operation of scheduled passenger transport services by sea in Norway. Requirements as to operational safety and minimum requirements on passenger transport capacity are included in the basis for the tender competition. Moreover, minimum requirements as to goods transport capacity are set for the stretch extending from Tromsø to Kirkenes.

The closing date for submitting tenders to the Ministry of Transport and Communications is 15 September 2004.

Note to editors
For further information, see the tender document at the ministry’s website.