The Croatian government has recently annulled a decade-old tender for the concession of Marina Zadar, a facility built by Tankerkomerc. This decision paves the way for a new tender process, expected to draw significant interest from both existing and new bidders. The concession is for a 30-year term, and the updated tender introduces a markedly different set of conditions.
The new valuation for the concession is set at €161 million, compared to the previous valuation of 400 million kuna. Additionally, the concession area has been redefined and expanded. While the prior tender covered 56,211 square meters, with 15,714 square meters of land and 40,497 square meters of sea area, the new tender incorporates an additional 3,248 square meters of maritime property outside the port area. This change results in a total concession area of 59,459 square meters, extending from “Điga” to Vruljica.
Three key requirements distinguish this tender from its predecessor:
Three key requirements distinguish this tender from its predecessor:
- Experience Requirement: Applicants must demonstrate at least three years of experience in nautical tourism.
- Ownership Change Disclosure: Bidders must commit to notifying the concession grantor and obtaining approval for any significant ownership changes or structural transformations, including mergers or acquisitions.
- Revised Financial Terms: The starting fixed concession fee is set at €2.50 per square meter of maritime property, with periodic increments of €0.50 every five years. Similarly, the variable concession fee begins at 5.50% of revenue, increasing by 0.50% every five years.
For context, the earlier tender stipulated a fixed fee of 10 kuna per square meter and a 4% variable fee based on annual revenue.
The government’s decision introduces a fresh approach to managing Marina Zadar’s operations while setting a competitive stage for new investments and ensuring stricter oversight and accountability in ownership changes.
