Tenders
Dieppe–Newhaven ferry route put out to tender for a new five-year concession
The French public body behind Transmanche Ferries has tendered the Dieppe–Newhaven RoPax service as a EUR 271 million, five-year concession from 1 January 2028, requiring at least 845 round trips a year, with applications due by 6 November 2026.
Source: Afloat (opens in a new tab)
SMPAT (Syndicat Mixte de Promotion de l'Activité Transmanche), the French public body that owns the Transmanche Ferries brand, has issued a new tender worth EUR 271 million for the Dieppe–Newhaven ferry route between France and the UK. The concession runs for five years from 1 January 2028 and requires at least 845 round trips across the English Channel each year. The deadline for applications is 6 November 2026.
DFDS holds the current concession and has operated the route since 2012 using SMPAT's two Spanish-built RoPax ferries, Côte d'Albatre and Seven Sisters, which it charters from the owner. Each ship carries 600 passengers, 300 cars and 62 lorries.
The tender comes while a legal dispute over the route is on hold. In May 2025 Brittany Ferries took action against DFDS, claiming the subsidies paid for the loss-making route had cost it GBP 125 million since 2013. The court stayed the case pending the European Commission's assessment of the public compensation SMPAT pays DFDS, for no longer than 24 months, until 12 June 2028.