APB awards to Sustainable Ports and Coasts the management of moorings at the Ribera-Poniente quay

The Board of Directors of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) agreed yesterday, in a session held in Palma, to grant the authorisation for the management of moorings for boats up to fifteen metres in length at the Ribera-Poniente quay in the port of Eivissa to the company Sustainable Ports and Coasts, S.L.

This is the most advantageous offer presented to the tender, which aims to guarantee with special attention to the promotion and teaching of the sport, being a reference in social responsibility in the nautical sector.

At the meeting there was a wide-ranging debate on the question of excluding Sustainable Ports and Coasts from the tender, whose representative has been convicted of procedural fraud. The State Attorney's Office has ruled out this possibility, so the Board of Directors, in the absence of an alternative, has resolved the tender in view of the report of the technical committee.

The APB's Board of Directors took this decision after hearing the report of the technical commission in charge of evaluating the bids submitted to the tender, in which Sustainable Ports and Coasts was proposed as the most advantageous solution of all those competing for the award. The duration of the authorisation is one year, extendable up to a maximum of three years.

In this sense, Sustainable Ports and Coasts is committed to investing 1.9 million euros in the installation of a floating dock to reduce marine agitation in the inner harbours. Another 240,000 euros will be invested in environmental improvements, including the installation of photovoltaic panels, the provision of an aquatic drone to clean the water surface and the installation of hydrocarbon spill sensors, among other measures.

In the evaluation criteria of the tender, the investment focused especially on the safety of the facilities accounted for 20% of the total score, while investment in environmental improvements accounted for 5%.

One of the points to be evaluated in the tender was the bidders' commitment to carrying out training or educational, sporting, social or cultural activities on the nearly thirty thousand square meters of total surface area of the port's public domain, on a non-profit basis. A novel approach, given that this criterion represents 30% of the score, as it constitutes a firm commitment of the port organization to ensure the development of the sporting and social aspect of the facilities.

In this sense, Sustainable Ports and Coasts undertakes to provide 360,000 euros annually for training courses in nautical-sports activities, organization of regattas, as well as activities and events of this nature, as well as those which, in collaboration with local organizations, help people with disabilities and those at risk of social exclusion.

As for the maximum mooring fees for boats, the proposal of Sustainable Ports and Coasts maintains the current prices up to 8 meters in length, which represents 62% of the current fleet, while increasing them for those of greater length up to 15 meters -both basic and transient-, always within the range of market prices in the port of Eivissa. This criterion is the one that has had the greatest weight in the valuation, with 40% of the total.

As far as the annual fee to be paid to the APB for the occupation of the space is concerned, none of the bids presented any improvement on the minimum of 334,000 euros plus 4% of the turnover required in the tender specifications. This criterion represents 5% of the overall score, due to the fact that the APB has not pursued economic profit as a decisive factor in choosing the winning bid.

As the winner of the tender,  Sustainable Ports and Coasts assumes the obligation to safeguard the rights of the current moorers of this nautical facility, as well as to maintain its current employees. The start of its management (subject to satisfactory completion of the administrative formalities arising from this agreement) will take place on the 5th of May, the date on which the current authorisation expires.

The APB is already working on the drafting of specifications for a new tender that will guarantee an administrative concession for a broad horizon of 20 to 30 years, within the legislative framework, and which will favour investments, allow for their amortization and thus promote the economic viability of the projects. It is the APB's objective to tender, evaluate and award this concession before the maximum period of three years of this authorisation expires.