Cyprus launches improved Greece ferry tender

After the first bid sank without trace, the Deputy Ministry for Shipping has launched a new, improved tender for reviving the ferry connection between Cyprus and Greece.

According to the Ministry, the deadline for tender submissions is 12.00 on 28 January 2022. Further details about the tender and process of application can be found in the following link: https://www.eprocurement.gov.cy.

According to the documents, the new tender provides a more flexible structure with state subsidy increased to €5.5 mln per year from €5 mln in the first tender for 22 round trips to be carried out between April/May and September/October.

This is shorter than the original tender, which provided 31 round trips throughout the year.

Furthermore, the tender can be expanded for an additional three years depending on the average passenger load by the successful bidder.

Moreover, the bidders can submit more than one ship if the vessel complies with the tender’s criteria.

The ship should have a minimum passenger capacity of 100 and cabins that can accommodate 60 passengers instead of 200 and cabins that can accommodate 140 passengers as per the previous tender.

In the new tender, the destination in Greece is the Port of Piraeus instead of the smaller passenger terminal at Keratsini.

The Deputy Ministry will present the tender provisions on an online presentation on 29 November, followed by a presentation in Piraeus, Greece.

Salamis Tours operated the last passenger ferry link to Greece from 1993 until 2000 when demand faded, and trips stopped.

After two decades of being cut off from the rest of Europe, travellers from Cyprus are still hoping they will hop on a ferry next summer and disembark Greece to continue their journey.

Nicosia earned approval to subsidise the link with state funds after complex talks with the EU.