Finland extends the Archipelago Sea ferry contract through 2028

Notice 759287-2026, published on 2 November 2026, is a contract-modification notice. The buyer named on the notice is Työllisyys-, kehittämis- ja hallintokeskus. The title is Maantielauttaliikennepalvelu Saaristomeri I.

The modification text says Lounais-Suomen elinvoimakeskus is changing the contract signed on 25 November 2019 with Suomen Lauttaliikenne Oy, reference VARELY/1421/2019. Operation at the 13 ferry places in the original contract is ending in stages between 31 December 2026 and 31 December 2028. The text says a new procurement for those places has started, for 1 January 2029 to 31 December 2050, and that the place-specific periods of the original contract need to be extended so that service continues at every place before traffic under the new contract starts in 2029. It says no other terms of the contract are changed.

The notice records a tender value of EUR 12200000. The contract dates on the notice run from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2028.

The stated reason is section 136(2)(2) of the Procurement Act: additional services that were not in the original contract, where changing the contractor is not possible for economic or technical reasons and would cause significant harm or significant overlapping costs. The text says producing the service requires suitable tonnage that cannot be obtained for a short period without significant investment costs, and that a clause in the original contract for extending the place-specific periods had a deadline that has expired.