APB committed to promoting sport in the port of Maó
The port authority opens a tender for a 30-year concession in which, for the first time, the promotion of sport is the main award criterion
Maó
30/10/2025- Socio-economic development
The Board of Directors of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has agreed, at its last meeting held yesterday in Palma, to open a public tender for the management of a nautical facility in the port of Maó, focused primarily on the promotion of the federated practice of sailing and canoeing. In this concession, APB rules out obtaining extra income from fees and, on the other hand, makes a commitment to ensuring the company awarded invests in the promotion of sport.
APB will give the greatest weight to the offer that invests the most per year in sporting activities. The sports plan submitted by each tendering company must include initiative to promote amateur and federated sport. It should also specify the financial allocations earmarked for the promotion and practice of sport.
On the other hand, the annual occupancy fee for use of the public port domain will be a flat fee, ruling out the option of offering additional amounts to increase the income received by APB for the concession. With this change of approach, APB redirects the potential economic bequests that could be submitted by the bidding companies so that, instead of claiming them directly, the investment is allocated to the promotion of water sports.
The concession, to be granted for a 30-year maximum, will cover a total area of more than 22,000 square metres, which can be extended to almost 29,000 metres, distributed between water and land. These are located on the Levante quay, between Punta des Rellotge and the Cala Figuera esplanade in the port of Maó.
Commitment to sport
The nautical facility will have to set up sailing and canoeing schools open to children, teens and adults, host competitions and create programmes for technical training and financial support for sportsmen and women, such as scholarships or aid for sportsmen and women for their results or travel purposes. It will also be obliged to promote educational, social and environmental activities, as well as to maintain an annual calendar of sporting events validated by regional and national federations.
Optionally, it may develop other initiatives and water sports, such as sport fishing or underwater activities. It will also have to encourage complementary educational, cultural and environmental programmes, as well as promote sailing clubs and the inclusive practice of nautical sports.
Likewise, it will be compulsory to make investments in both infrastructure and sports equipment during the first three years of the concession, with special attention to universal accessibility, energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, such as the installation of moorings adapted for electric recharging to encourage the gradual transformation of the fleet to more sustainable vessels.
The incorporation of renewable energies and materials with low ecological impact, as well as measures to improve marine biodiversity, will be taken into account in the tender.
The weighting between the investment committed in the project and the proposed years of concession will be considered when assessing the bids. However, as a novelty, and to avoid the deterioration of the infrastructure over the years, APB establishes a replacement investment by the nautical facility of at least two million euros in the renewal and improvement of port equipment from the 18th year of the concession.
Moorings of medium length and intended for traditional craft
The nautical facility shall offer a minimum number of 75 moorings for boats up to 8 metres in length, eight of which shall be reserved for lateen sailing boats, and a maximum of 20 percent for boats over 12 metres.
Existing users with basic vessels will have preferential rights in the new concession, provided that they meet the established requirements. The specifications establish maximum berthing rates, and in the evaluation of the bids, higher scores will be given to those that offer lower rates.
The project is part of APB's strategy to promote the social and sporting uses of ports of general interest, while guaranteeing the conservation of the public domain, the sustainability of its actions and compatibility with other port uses.
