Our government and public sector team again shows its expertise in advising on public private partnerships (PPS), public procurement and contracting.

On 16 September 2021 the public entities of Saba and Sint Eustatius announced the result of a tender for the selection of a ferry operator. The tender aims to improve maritime connectivity between Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten and St. Kitts with the application of funding received from the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management. Our public procurement specialist Tom Peeters was involved in setting up and executing the tender procedure and assisting the public entities in evaluating the received proposals. In the next phase, the Public Services Agreement that includes the concession to the ferry operator will be negotiated and the expect start of the ferry service is 1 November 2021.

This project is of enormous importance for the two BES-islands Saba and Sint Eustatius in order to provide a reliable and affordable connectivity as an alternative to the already existing connectivity through air. I am pleased to have been able to contribute our legal expertise in the execution of this tender and look forward to finalize the contract. This is a perfect example of successful public-private cooperation that provides opportunities for our local governments as well as local businesses.”