The Board of Directors of the Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB) has agreed, in its latest meeting held yesterday in Palma, to open a public tender for the management of a nautical facility in the Port of Maó, primarily focused on promoting competitive sailing and canoeing. In this concession, the APB has chosen not to seek extraordinary income through fees and instead encourages the awarded company to invest in the promotion of sport.
The APB will give the highest weighting to the bid that commits to investing the most per year in sports activities. The sports plan submitted by each bidder must include actions to promote grassroots and federated sports, as well as detail the specific budget allocated to sports promotion and practice.
Additionally, the annual public domain occupancy fee will be fixed, eliminating the option for bidders to offer additional payments that would increase APB’s revenue. With this new approach, the APB redirects potential financial improvements proposed by bidders so that, instead of being paid to the APB, they are invested directly in promoting nautical sports.
The concession, which will be granted for a maximum term of 30 years, will cover an area of more than 22,000 square meters—expandable to nearly 29,000—divided between water and land surface. These are located on the Levante wharf, between Punta des Rellotge and the Cala Figuera esplanade in the Port of Maó.
Commitment to sport
The nautical facility must establish sailing and canoeing schools open to children, youth, and adults; organize competitions; and create training and financial support programs for athletes, such as scholarships or grants for performance or travel. It will also be required to promote educational, social, and environmental activities and maintain an annual calendar of sports events approved by regional and national federations.
Optionally, it may develop other nautical activities, such as sport fishing or underwater sports. It must also foster complementary educational, cultural, and environmental programs and promote sailing clubs and inclusive nautical sport practices.
Furthermore, the concessionaire will be required to make investments in both infrastructure and sports equipment during the first three years of the concession, with special emphasis on universal accessibility, energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability. This includes the installation of adapted berths and electric charging points to encourage the gradual transition of the fleet toward more sustainable vessels.
The tender will value the inclusion of renewable energy systems and low-impact ecological materials, as well as measures to enhance marine biodiversity.
When evaluating bids, the balance between the committed investment and the proposed concession period will be taken into account. Moreover, as a new measure to prevent infrastructure deterioration over time, the APB requires a reinvestment of at least two million euros in the renewal and improvement of port equipment starting from year 18 of the concession.
Medium-length berths and traditional vessels
The nautical facility must provide at least 75 berths for boats up to 8 meters in length, eight of which will be reserved for traditional lateen-sail boats, and no more than 20 percent for boats over 12 meters.
Current berth users will have preferential rights under the new concession, provided they meet the established requirements. The tender specifications set maximum mooring rates, and bids offering lower prices will receive higher scores.
This project is part of the APB’s strategy to promote the social and sporting use of ports of general interest, while ensuring the conservation of public property, the sustainability of its activities, and compatibility with other port uses.
