Two organisations are competing to manage and operate the nautical sports facility in the Port of Ibiza for a period of up to 25 years, in a major tender that could reshape one of the city's most prominent waterfront facilities.

The bids have been submitted by Club Náutico Ibiza and Puertos y Litorales Sostenibles SL, the company currently managing the facilities.

The public tender was launched by the Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB) with a strong emphasis on nautical sports, particularly sailing and canoeing, alongside a major planned investment in the infrastructure. The official tender covers approximately 33,352 square metres of port land and water space.

Two Candidates for the Future of the Facility

The two bidders now competing for the concession are Club Náutico Ibiza, a long-established local nautical sports organisation, and Puertos y Litorales Sostenibles SL, which currently operates the facility.

Despite both appearing in the tender as separate bidders, they represent very different types of operators. Club Náutico Ibiza is a sporting club with a long history in the port, while Puertos y Litorales Sostenibles is the company already responsible for managing the installation.

The concession has a maximum duration of 25 years, making the outcome particularly important for the long-term development of the area.

Sports at the Centre of the New Model

The APB has made the promotion of nautical sports a central requirement of the new concession.

The successful bidder will be required to establish and develop sailing and canoeing schools, create federated competition teams and organise sporting activities and events.

The concession also includes requirements for training and educational programmes covering sporting, social, cultural and environmental themes.

Financial commitments towards promoting these activities will be one of the elements considered when the competing proposals are evaluated.

The intention is to ensure that the facility is not simply a marina or commercial port operation, but also a significant base for grassroots sport and competitive sailing and canoeing.

€20 Million Transformation Planned

The tender includes an estimated €20 million investment programme to modernise and transform the facility.

The planned investment is divided into two stages.

The first phase is estimated at approximately €15 million and is expected to take place during the first two years of the concession.

Among the proposed works are the reorganisation of the water area, construction of a new breakwater and refurbishment of the existing buildings.

A second phase, estimated at a further €5 million, would depend on approval of the Special Plan for the Port of Ibiza.

That stage would allow further development and expansion of the existing buildings.

At Least 170 Berths Required

The future facility is expected to focus primarily on boats that are permanently based in the port.

The tender requires at least 170 berths for vessels measuring between six and 15 metres in length.

Up to 15% of those berths may be allocated to visiting vessels.

The specification reflects an emphasis on maintaining a permanent nautical community while still allowing capacity for boats passing through Ibiza.

The facility is also expected to provide a range of associated services, including berth management, catering, water and electricity supplies, boat repairs, parking and dry-stack storage.

Electric Boat Charging Included

Environmental considerations are also built into the tender requirements.

At least 4% of the berths must have charging points for electric boats.

The measure reflects the gradual electrification of recreational boating and the broader push towards reducing the environmental impact of maritime transport.

The requirement is relatively small compared with the total number of berths, but it establishes an environmental component within the future concession.

The successful bidder will therefore be expected to combine traditional marina services with infrastructure adapted to emerging forms of lower-emission boating.

A Facility With a Long History

The tender concerns the nautical-sports installation that previously housed Club Náutico Ibiza.

The APB approved the new concession framework earlier this year, placing sport and public-facing activity at the heart of the future operating model.

The area covers approximately 33,352.60 square metres of port domain, and the official tender specifically describes the objective as creating a nautical sports facility with a strong emphasis on the promotion and teaching of sport and social responsibility within the nautical sector.

The eventual concessionaire will therefore take responsibility for a strategically important section of Ibiza's port.

The Tender Has Entered the Evaluation Stage

The two bids have now been submitted following the closure of the tender procedure.

However, the process is not yet at the stage of selecting a winner.

When the APB's tender committee reviewed the initial administrative documentation, it identified several points that needed to be corrected or supplemented.

As a result, the technical proposals contained in the next tender envelope could not yet be opened.

The two bidders have been given the corresponding period to rectify the documentation. Once that process is completed, the committee will proceed with the opening and evaluation of the technical proposals.

The APB has indicated that this type of correction is a normal part of public procurement procedures and that the tender remains underway.

A Competition Worth Millions

Although the estimated investment in the physical transformation of the facility is €20 million, the concession itself represents a broader long-term economic commitment.

The official tender documentation places the estimated value of the management and exploitation contract at more than €9.1 million excluding VAT over the relevant period.

The scale of the tender reflects the importance of the facility and the commercial potential associated with managing berths, marine services, restoration, repairs and related activities.

At the same time, the sports and training requirements mean that the eventual operator will have obligations extending beyond commercial operation.

A New Era for Ibiza Port

The winning proposal will determine how this part of Ibiza's port develops for decades to come.

The plans point towards a facility combining permanent berthing with sailing and canoeing schools, competitive sports, events, training programmes and modern maritime services.

The investment in a new breakwater and the reorganisation of the water area could also alter the physical appearance and functionality of the installation.

If the second investment phase goes ahead following approval of the port's Special Plan, the transformation could extend further into the built infrastructure.

Club Náutico Ibiza Seeks Another Role in the Port

For Club Náutico Ibiza, the competition represents an opportunity to remain directly involved in the future of a facility with which it has a longstanding association.

The club has historically been strongly linked to sailing and other nautical sports in Ibiza and has developed sporting programmes and competitive teams over the years.

The new tender's emphasis on sailing, canoeing and federated competition could therefore align closely with the club's existing sporting profile.

Its bid will now be assessed against the same technical, financial and operational criteria as that submitted by the current operator.

The Current Operator Also Competing

Puertos y Litorales Sostenibles SL is seeking to retain its management role through the new concession.

Its existing experience at the facility may provide continuity, although the new tender also requires significant investment and expanded sporting commitments.

The final decision will depend on the evaluation of the proposals rather than simply on who currently operates the installation.

The APB has established a detailed set of technical, economic and sporting requirements that both candidates must satisfy.

What Happens Next

The immediate next step is for both bidders to correct the administrative issues identified in their initial submissions.

Once that process is completed, the APB tender committee will open the technical documentation and begin evaluating the proposals.

The eventual winner will then take on the concession for up to 25 years, subject to the conditions established in the tender.

There is therefore still a substantial process to complete before the new operator is formally selected.

An Important Decision for Ibiza

The competition goes well beyond deciding who manages a marina.

The successful bidder will be responsible for implementing a major investment programme, developing nautical sports, operating at least 170 berths and providing a wide range of marine and visitor services.

The €20 million transformation envisaged in the tender could significantly change the facility's infrastructure, while the emphasis on sailing, canoeing and environmental measures reflects a broader attempt to give the port a stronger sporting and community role.

For now, Club Náutico Ibiza and Puertos y Litorales Sostenibles remain in the race.

The tender has entered the next stage after the initial administrative review, and the forthcoming evaluation of the technical proposals will determine which of the two candidates moves closer to securing control of one of Ibiza's most important nautical facilities for the next quarter of a century.