Name of Procuring Entity: Marine Atlantic Inc. (“MAI”)
Contact Person: Katie Clark, Director, Supply Chain Management, email: ler2025@ma.ca
Description of Procurement:
Marine Atlantic Inc. is conducting a request for proposals (“RFP”) process for a Ro-Pax vessel (the “Vessel”) on bareboat charter. The Vessel will be required to meet MAI’s fleet configuration requirements, including the following:
Requirements:
Length Overall (LOA): Maximum 195m
Extreme Breadth, molded: Maximum 27.8m
Draught: Maximum 7.0m
Air draught ballast condition: Maximum 46.0m
Deadweight: ~ 2Te / Lane Meter
Service Speed: Minimum 16 to Maximum 22
Contract Speed: Minimum 22 to Maximum 26
Persons - Passengers: Maximum 1,000
Persons - Crew: Maximum 80
Lane-meters: 1,800m to 3,000m
Delivery Date in Canada: Between April 1, 2026, and April 15, 2026
Original Vessel Construction: >Jan 1, 2000
Ice Class: 1A or 1B
Ramps: Bi-Level Fore and Aft Ramp Arrangements
Decks: Minimum of two drive through vehicle decks
Classification Society: DNV, Lloyds, RINA, ABS or BV.
Passenger Accommodations: Designed for overnight service, inclusive of cabins, restaurants and services facilities customary of overnight service, inclusive of facilities for persons with disabilities
Stabilizers: Required
Vessel endurance: Approximately 16 days
Elevators: Minimum 2 servicing all vehicle decks
Fuel: MDO
Note: The RFP process will involve negotiation and will not involve an electronic auction.
Procurement Documents:
Prospective suppliers who are interested in participating in the RFP process are required to execute and return a confidentiality agreement in order to obtain access to the RFP documents and the data site that MAI will use for the RFP process. Prospective suppliers should email ler2025@ma.ca to request a copy of the confidentiality agreement.
Delivery and Charter Period:
Delivery of the Vessel will be required in Q2 2026. The charter period will be for a period of 60 months.
Permitted Jurisdictions:
This RFP process is being conducted in accordance with the Government of Canada’s Interim Policy on Reciprocal Procurement (the “Interim Policy”) and is therefore only open to Canadian Suppliers or Suppliers of an Applicable Trading Partner as such terms are defined in the Interim Policy (“Permitted Suppliers”). The government procurement agreements that apply to this procurement are the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement.
Proponent Selection:
MAI intends to select a preferred proponent or up to two negotiations proponents at the conclusion of the procurement process using a combined technical and financial score based on the following criteria:
- Organizational structure and experience of Proponents providing similar charter services
- Proposed vessel alignment with Marine Atlantic’s vessel requirements, including with respect to regulatory compliance, general arrangement and customer experience
- Financial capacity, including details regarding parent company guarantees
- Pricing
- Vessel visit for shortlisted Proponents
The evaluation criteria are described in more detail in the RFP documents. Proponents with more than one vessel that meets MAI’s requirements are permitted to submit multiple Proposals in accordance with the RFP documents.
Language of Submission:
Proposals are to be submitted in English
Address and Final Date for Submissions:
Proposals must be submitted electronically on or before September 12, 2025 at 4:00 PM Atlantic Time on the project data site. The proposals will not be opened publicly.
Brokers:
Proponents are advised that MAI has not engaged or appointed a broker or agent for the Ro-Pax Bareboat Charter Procurement. Anyone representing themselves as MAI’s broker or agent in relation to the Ro-Pax Bareboat Charter Procurement does not have the authority to do so. MAI will not be paying any brokerage or agency fees in relation to the Ro-Pax Bareboat Charter Procurement.
Proponent Team Members are only permitted to join a single Proponent. This applies to all Proponent Team Members, including brokers. Proponents are also cautioned that inclusion of a broker as a Proponent Team Member may result in disqualification if such broker is also included as a Proponent Team Member of another Proponent.
Notes:
Prospective suppliers should note that information contained within this notice is subject to change. Prospective suppliers are encouraged to consult the RFP documents which contain the most current information. If there is a conflict between the RFP documents and this notice, the RFP documents will take precedence.
