The Government of Montserrat has taken another major step to secure a new passenger ferry service for the island.
On Tuesday, the government opened tender for operators to provide ferry and cargo services to the island for a six-month period, from December 1st 2026 to May 31st 2027.
Under the proposed arrangement, the primary service would operate between Montserrat and Antigua five to six days per week, while a secondary Montserrat-Nevis service would operate one to two days per week.
The tender also provides for special voyages between Montserrat and either St. Maarten or Guadeloupe.
According to the tender document, the selected operator is required to provide a fully crewed vessel and handle both passenger and cargo operations.
The service provider is also responsible for fuel, agency facilitation, port charges and docking fees, while retaining passenger ticketing and cargo revenue.
The tender document specifies that the proposed vessel must have a minimum certified capacity of 100 passengers, a service speed of at least 18 knots and be suitable for open-sea operations.
The procurement is being conducted under the Public Procurement Act and Regulations 2025.
The deadline for companies interested in providing the service to submit their tenders is Tuesday, October 27th at midday.